MORNING READ

FROM THE BLOGS:

A Washington Post report confuses one prostitute for another in Menendez scandal
The Washington Post mistook one prostitute for another Monday in a report that initially seemed to debunk a November 2012 Daily Caller exposé of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, argues David Martosko for The Daily Caller.

Congress goes bipartisan - against civil liberties
The Congress that barely averted the "fiscal cliff" swiftly passed extensions of warrantless wiretapping and indefinite detention, says W. James Antle III with The American Conservative.

GOP proposes drug tests before welfare
Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill in the House Friday that would require states that want to receive full funding for welfare assistance to submit to random drug testing, according to Andrea Peterson and Nicole Flatow of ThinkProgress.

Newt Gingrich faces reality
Howard Kurtz of The Daily Beast examines Gingrich's comments about the GOP "kidding themselves" to think that they would beat Obama.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Dems back down from opposing GOP spending bill
House Democratic leaders have decided against uniting their party's rank and file in opposition to a Republican spending bill that would fund the government, The Hill's Mike Lillis reports.

Senate Intelligence Committee approves Brenna nomination
The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday voted 12-3 to approve John Brennan's nomination to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, The Hill's Carlo Muñoz reports.