Guns: Time to Call the Liberal Bluff?  —  Last week the left attacked Republican leaders who stayed silent about the shooting at the Planned Parenthood abattoir in Colorado Springs, but yesterday, as Scott notes below, the left attacked Republicans who expressed condolences and prayers for the victims of the San Bernardino shooting.

Behind McConnell's campaign to win over Cruz  —  Mitch McConnell is close to pulling off a feat that at first seemed impossible: Coax Ted Cruz and antagonistic conservative groups to back his strategy to repeal Obamacare.  —  For weeks, Cruz, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate and chief McConnell nemesis …

AP CONVERSATION: TRUMP CALLS MIDEAST PEACE ‘TOUGHEST DEAL’  —  STERLING, Va. (AP) — Donald Trump says that if he's elected president, he'll know within six months whether he can achieve an elusive peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians, one of the world's most vexing challenges.

Trump Still Leads in NH but Christie Rising; Clinton/Sanders Closely Matched  —  PPP's new New Hampshire poll finds Donald Trump's position in the state pretty much unchanged compared to six weeks ago.  He leads with 27% to 13% for Ted Cruz, 11% for Marco Rubio, 10% for Chris Christie …

After grumbling, Trump says he will participate in CNN debate  —  Donald Trump said Thursday that he is unexcited about the upcoming primary debate and irritated by CNN's coverage of his campaign, but confirmed that he will appear at the network's GOP forum scheduled for Dec. 15 in Las Vegas.

We've had a massive decline in gun violence in the United States.  Here's why.  —  Premeditated mass shootings in public places are happening more often, some researchers say, plunging towns and cities into grief and riveting the attention of a horrified nation.

ATTENTION LICENSED HANDGUN OWNERS  —  In light of recent events that have occurred in the United States and around the world I want to encourage citizens of Ulster County who are licensed to carry a firearm to PLEASE DO SO.  —  I urge you to responsibly take advantage of your legal right to carry a firearm.

Coldplay to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show  —  Band to withhold new ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ album From Spotify  —  British rock band Coldplay will headline the halftime show at the National Football League's Super Bowl 50 in February, according to people familiar with the matter.

In historic decision, Pentagon chief opens all jobs in combat units to women  —  Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said Thursday that he is opening all jobs in in combat units to women, a landmark decision that ends a three-year period of research with a number of firsts for female service members …

Help The Lil' Mamas Support The Wetzel Family … THE STORY  —  On December 2nd our Mama, Renee Wetzel, wrote us this:  —  “Please pray.  My husband was in a meeting and a shooter came in.  There are multiple people dead/shot.  I can't get a hold of him.”  Her husband was in San Bernardino.

60 Days Until Iowa: Are the Polls Predicting the Winners?  —  It's now about two months, 60 days, until actual voting begins in that fascinating exercise in democracy, the Iowa caucuses.  A few days later the good folks of New Hampshire follow with another great American tradition …