The reboot: Can Podesta save Obama?  —  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 …

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.

Incompetence  —  Everyone is doing thoughtful year-end pieces on President Obama.  Writers and reporters agree he's had his worst year ever.  I infer from most of their essays an unstated but broadly held sense of foreboding: There's no particular reason to believe next year will be better …

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.

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 …

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 …

Obama sends message by naming Sochi Olympic delegation  —  The White House delivered a strong message of opposition to Russia's anti-gay laws Tuesday with the announcement of its delegation to the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics.  —  The White House delegation will include an openly gay athlete: tennis great Billie Jean King.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

North America to Drown in Oil as Mexico Ends Monopoly  —  The flood of North American crude oil is set to become a deluge as Mexico dismantles a 75-year-old barrier to foreign investment in its oil fields.  —  Plagued by almost a decade of slumping output that has degraded Mexico's …

Liberal group touted access to Hillary Clinton for $250,000  —  The liberal Center for American Progress (CAP) this year promised corporate donors a chance to meet Hillary Rodham Clinton in return for a $250,000 donation, documents obtained by The Hill show.

Coburn Releases Annual Wastebook Highlighting Most Egregious Spending of 2013  —  (WASHINGTON, D.C.) - U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today released his annual oversight report “Wastebook 2013” …

Budget Deal Offers a Reprieve From Washington Paralysis  —  WASHINGTON — Something odd happened here on Tuesday.  The Senate advanced a two-year bipartisan budget deal that will now surely be sent to the president for his signature later this week without waiting for a cliff, a chasm, a deadline or a shutdown to force its hand.