Obama's reboot: Can Podesta save him?  —  Barack Obama's at the lowest point of his presidency.  Can John Podesta save him?  —  When President Barack Obama's chief of staff, Denis McDonough, approached John Podesta a few weeks ago about taking over the high-aggravation job of White House counselor …

New Documentary Threatens to Make You Like Mitt Romney  —  During the 2012 campaign, I, like every liberal writer whose job it is to comment on politics every day, wrote many unkind things about Mitt Romney.  Much of the time I found him more sad than despicable; politicians who nearly reach …

This is the ad every Democrat should be scared of in 2014  —  Ending Spending, a conservative outside group dedicated to, well, ending (government)spending, is running an ad in New Hampshire that will be replicated endlessly by Republican candidates and groups in the 2014 midterm election.

Larry Klayman in huge CNN smackdown  —  Conservative legal activist Larry Klayman got into an argument on CNN with host Don Lemon and legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin when he was brought on to discuss his victory this week in a lawsuit challenging NSA surveillance, resulting in Lemon cutting …

How John McCain Turned His Clichés Into Meaning  —  When I walk into John McCain's office a week before Thanksgiving, he is not at all happy — and seems to be enjoying it quite a bit.  —  He is sampling none of the usual flavors of upset we tend to associate with the Arizona senator …

Of course the uninsured hate ObamaCare too.  —  Reason's Peter Suderman takes note of a poll result that surprises him: … If Suderman's surprise is sincere, he must have taken a sip of the ObamaCare Kool-Aid.  Implicit in his reasoning is a huge unwarranted assumption—to wit, that people without health insurance desire to have it.

Barbara Walters on Obama: ‘We Thought He Was Going To Be The Next Messiah’  —  Yes, she really said it.  —  On CNN's Piers Morgan Live Tuesday, in a brief discussion about President Obama, Barbara Walters actually said, “We thought that he was going to be - I shouldn't say this at Christmastime …

‘Duck Dynasty’ star makes anti-gay comments; GLAAD slams  —  Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson is making anti-gay comments in the January issue of GQ.  —  In statements that threaten the A&E reality hit's wildly popular and uplifting brand of faith, family and hunting, the Robertson patriarch said …

Birther tea party rep. refuses to stand near Obama photo, moves away U.S. flag  —  A tea party-back Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri this week asked that a flag be moved because she did not want to stand near a photo of President Barack Obama during a press conference.

Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone  —  London — Saudi Arabia has been friends with our Western partners for decades; for some, like the United Kingdom where I serve as ambassador, for almost a century.  These are strategic alliances that benefit us both.  Recently, these relationships have been tested …

Ryan won't run for White House in 2016, his GOP colleagues say  —  Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has a choice to make.  —  The Republican Budget Committee chairman is the most popular conservative in the House, and over the coming year, he will have to decide whether to seek a more powerful committee gavel …

Arrest, strip-search of Indian diplomat in New York triggers uproar  —  (CNN) — The arrest and detention of an Indian consular official in New York on visa fraud charges has created a diplomatic uproar, with punitive steps taken against State Department officials in New Delhi.

Hack List No. 4: David Brooks  —  Our annual list is here!  This time, we channeled each hack's unique voice — and let them “write” their own entries  —  It seems a pleasant life to be a Columnist.  He writes a few hundred words once, or at most twice a week.

Senate Dems block amendment to restore veteran benefits by closing illegal immigrant welfare loophole  —  Senate Republicans were unable to stop military pension cuts when Senate Democrats blocked a vote on an amendment to prevent the cuts by closing a welfare loophole for illegal immigrants Tuesday night.

Poll: Both uninsured, insured skeptical about Obamacare  —  Shares -  —  Tweets - Stumble  —  Skepticism about the health care law extends to both insured and uninsured Americans, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.  Both groups disapprove of the law overall …

It's About the Settlements, Stupid  —  Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, the misnamed occupied territories, are not the obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.  They are the acid test of peace.  To argue that peace is conceivable unless the bulk of the settlements remain in place constitutes stupidity or hypocrisy.

Second worst year on record for jailed journalists  —  For the second consecutive year, Turkey was the world's leading jailer of journalists, followed closely by Iran and China.  The number of journalists in prison globally decreased from a year earlier but remains close to historical highs.

Appointees Who Resigned in Wake of Bridge Controversy Retain Attorneys  —  Two appointees of Gov. Chris Christie's who recently resigned amid a controversy over lane closures at the George Washington Bridge have retained private attorneys, according to correspondence from their attorneys viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Bevin wants new blood in Washington  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) primary opponent suggested that he would use the debt-ceiling fight this spring as leverage to defund ObamaCare.  —  In an interview with The Hill, Republican Matt Bevin (Ky.) reiterated his disappointment with congressional GOP leaders …

Americans' Belief in God, Miracles and Heaven Declines  —  Belief in Darwin's theory of evolution rises  —  A new Harris Poll finds that while a strong majority (74%) of U.S. adults do believe in God, this belief is in decline when compared to previous years as just over four in five (82%) …

Decision time for Md.'s health exchange [Editorial]  —  Our view: The O'Malley administration has made progress on its Obamacare website, but the question of whether to scrap it remains unanswered  —  Since Gov. Martin O'Malley declared that the state's health insurance exchange website …