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 …

Watch The Moment Mitt Romney Realizes He Is Going To Lose The Election  —  Netflix is out with a trailer for its new Mitt Romney documentary — “MITT” — which provides a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look into some of the most important moments of his failed campaign for president.

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.

‘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 …

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 …

Obenshain to concede Virginia attorney general's race on Wednesday in Richmond  —  State Sen. Mark D. Obenshain(R) will concede the race for Virginia attorney general to Democrat Mark R. Herring on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the decision.

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 …

Jay Leno in Demand: CNN's Jeff Zucker Among Suitors  —  The late-night host will be without a TV job in February, with the architect of the “Tonight Show” debacle joining Tribune, “American Idol's” Core Media and even ex-NBC chief Jeff Gaspin among those courting him.  —  How in demand is Jay Leno?

Abstract  —  The oil spill resulting from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform initiated immediate concern for marine wildlife, including common bottlenose dolphins in sensitive coastal habitats.  To evaluate potential sublethal effects on dolphins, health assessments …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

The Conservative Media Arms Race Coming To An Internet Near You  —  Last week, with two high-profile acquisitions, a conservative media company catapulted itself from successful but largely below-the-radar company to a player with a portfolio that could make it the next news empire on the right.

Rob Ford Boogies To Bob Marley At Toronto Meeting (VIDEO)  —  Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford would like to jam it with you and he hopes you like jamming too.  —  Ford was feeling all right during Tuesday's meeting of the city council as he danced and sang with a reggae band …

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%) …

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.

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.

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 …

Corbett backs ban on sexual orientation discrimination  —  HARRISBURG - In a marked shift toward the political center, Gov. Corbett said Tuesday that he would support legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Tourist walks off Australia pier while checking Facebook  —  A Taiwanese tourist had to be rescued after accidentally walking off a pier in the Australian city of Melbourne while checking her Facebook page.  —  The woman tumbled from St Kilda's pier into Port Phillip Bay late on Monday night.