FROM THE BLOGS:

Robert Bork and the contingencies of history
The death of Robert Bork reminds us how much constitutional doctrine is directed by the course of history, argues Jack Balkin at Balkinazation.

Direct negotiations with terrorists?
Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo argues that the White House suspects House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) can't deliver any type of deficit-reduction deal.

Speaking ill of the dead
At The American Prospect, Paul Waldman asks what you say when a public figure you find "repellent" dies.

Truth in advertising
Michael Walsh, writing at The Corner, highlights a billboard sign in Beverly Hills.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Senators: ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ a ‘dangerous’ mix of fact, fiction
A trio of senators challenged the truthfulness of the movie "Zero Dark Thirty," report The Hill's Carlo Muñoz and Jeremy Herb.

Boehner scrambles for votes on 'Plan B'
Boehner scrambled for enough votes to pass his backup deficit-reduction plan, according to The Hill's Russell Berman.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The 'Jewish Lobby' quote that could hurt Hagel
Atlantic Wire's J.K. Trotter examines the Defense Secretary candidate's past comments on Israel, including a newly resurfaced quote on the "Jewish lobby," and their possible effect on his nomination.

The real problem with Chained CPI
The Ticker's Josh Barro says the White House's concession on chained CPI is actually a benifit-cutting measure "masquerading as a technical change"

The public relations advantage of 'Plan B'
The Corner's Eliana Johnson says Speaker John Boehner's proposal is designed to give Democrats a taste of their own medicine

Newtown teaches us to discount early media reports
Reuters' Jack Shafer says one of lessons of the tragic shooting is that many of the early reports at times of tragedy do not pan out

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

NRA 'shocked, saddened' by Newtown massacre
The group promised ' to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again,' The Hill's Daniel Strauss reports

Justice Dept. will not charge Paula Broadwell
The government will not proceed with cyberstalking charges against the mistress and biographer of former CIA Director David Petraeus, The Hill's Daniel Strauss reports

FROM THE BLOGS:

Menendez and Hagel on opposite sides of Iran issue
If former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) becomes Secretary of Defense and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) becomes chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, they could find themselves on opposite sides of dealing with Iran, writes Josh Rogin at Foreign Policy's The Cable.

The new mandate on defense
In the latest issue of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas outgoing Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) argues it's time to spend more, not less.

Libertarians and risk aversion
Noah Millman ponders whether libertarians tend to avoid risk at his blog at The American Conservative.

Graham, Rubio and Blunt meander through questions about gun control
Dave Weigel asked a number of Republican senators about new gun legislation. Read responses from Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), and Roy Blunt (Fla.) here. 

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Boehner moves to 'Plan B'
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) took steps to introduce a "Plan B" deficit reduction plan on Tuesday, The Hill's Erik Wasson and Russell Berman report. 

President Obama to push assault weapons ban in second term
President Obama will push legislation strengthening gun restrictions in his second term, according to the White House. The Hill's Justin Sink has more.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Boehner denies purge list
With his denial of a GOP purge list, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) contradicts claims made by numerous sources, reports Matthew Boyle at Breitbart.

How to get Republicans to pay attention to women’s issues: Snacks
As Erika Eichelberger at Mother Jones reports, snacks might be the key to mobilizing female constituents to push for change.

Video: Japan scrambles aircraft after China violates airspace over disputed islands
According to Ed Morrissey at HotAir, a dispute over an island group escalated after China sent a government aircraft into Japanese airspace for surveillance purposes.

Pelosi takes hardest line against raising Medicare eligibility age
On Talking Points Memo, Brian Beutler reports that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took a hard stance against raising the Medicare eligibility age at her weekly Capitol press briefing.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Report: Hagel likely top White House pick for Department of Defense chief
Former Nebraska Republican senator and Vietnam veteran Chuck Hagel is likely to fill the position of Defense secretary, reports The Hill’s Carlos Munoz.

State Department: No guarantee Clinton will testify on Benghazi before year’s end
According to The Hill’s Julian Pecquet, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Benghazi testimony could be delayed if the independent review of the events before and during the terrorist attack isn't ready in time.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Why Jim Moran’s son Patrick will get away with domestic abuse
On RedState.com, Moe Lane calls for an investigation into the role that Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) played in his son’s sentencing after he assaulted his girlfriend and a police officer.

European Court rules CIA tortured terror suspect
According to Hayes Brown at ThinkProgress, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the CIA tortured a German man during his time in custody.

Doomsday for the Defense Department
Whether sequestration happens or not, budget cuts are coming to the Pentagon, reports Kelley Vlahos on The American Conservative.

Poll: Taking tax cuts and the economy hostage isn't working out well for GOP
According to several polls, the GOP’s fiscal-cliff strategies are hurting the party’s popularity, writes Jed Lewison on Daily Kos.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama, Boehner meet at White House to push deficit negotiations
The Hill's Justin Sink reports that President Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will meet Thursday afternoon at the White House to continue fiscal-cliff negotiations.

Rice withdraws name from consideration for secretary of State
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration for secretary of State, reports The Hill’s Daniel Strauss.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The market isn't free, so why make it even less so with right-to-work laws?
At Reason's Hit & Run blog, J.D. Tuccile responds to criticism of a blog post he wrote on right-to-work laws. 

The congressional roots of the Fed's new 'Evans Rule'
The history behind the new "Evans Rule" goes back to Congress in the 1970s, notes Sarah Binder at The Monkey Cage. 

The right way to do democracy wrong
The passage of right-to-work legislation shows Michigan legislators realized something important: that the best time "to smack representative democracy" is right after an election, argues Alex Koppelman at The New Yorker's News Desk blog. 

Virginia: Next stop for union battles?
The Corner's Jack Fowler wonders whether Virginia will be the next state to consider controversial legislation relating to unions.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Senate unveils Hurricane Sandy bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee unveiled a proposal to spend $60.4 billion to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, reports The Hill's Erik Wasson. 

Pelosi compares Boehner's tax dilemma to her handling of Iraq war
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) argued House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) should be willing to risk his Speakership to pass a deficit-reduction deal, according to The Hill's Mike Lillis.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Why Republicans can't propose spending cuts
Daily Intel's Jonathan Chait argues that Republicans have been unable to identify their desired spending cuts because there isn't actually very much waste in the federal budget.

Reince Priebus and the RNC contemplate an overhaul
National Review's Jim Geraghty speaks with the RNC chairman about how to fix the organizational issues that plagued Republican efforts during the 2012 election.

Can we even discuss guns after the Oregon shooting?
Salon's Alex Seitz-Wald contemplates whether politicians can even contemplate the shooter's use of a previously banned assault weapon, considering the strength of the gun lobby.

Are right-to-work laws un-libertarian?
Reason's J.D. Tuccille argues that the move by the Michigan legislature is another instance of government inserting itself into the marketplace.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Immigration officials arrest Menendez intern
The New Jersey senator's intern was a registered sex offender and an illegal immigrant, The Hill's Daniel Strauss reports.

Senate unveils Hurricane Sandy recovery bill
The legislation matches an Obama administration request for $60.4 billion in aid, The Hill's Erik Wasson reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The growing GOP tax-cave chorus?
Hot Air’s Erika Johnsen writes that the Republicans are giving up on opposing tax hikes to higher income earning families so people can clearly see which party is to blame for what happens afterwards.

Obama is using the permacampaign to change Washington from the outside
The Atlantic’s Julian Hattem writes that President Obama aims to win the fiscal-cliff debate by brainstorming in battleground states.

Little enthusiasm for Obamacare exchange
National Review’s Tevi Troy explains that the Obama administration shouldn’t be boasting with only 15 applications for the exchange.

Top 10 reasons why the US needs comprehensive immigration reform
Think Progress’s Amanda Beadle writes that most Americans will support reforming the immigration system and that tax revenues would increase if the system was changed.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama jumps headfirst into fight over Michigan’s ‘right-to-work’ law
President Obama has said that his administration would be more active in Michigan’s labor fight than the one in Wisconsin in 2011, The Hill’s Amie Parnes reports.

Report: By 2030, US will lose superpower status
The United States will no longer be a single global superpower, says a report by the National Intelligence Council, The Hill’s Jeremy Herb reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Obama to push back on Michigan Right-to-work Law
Breitbart.com’s Mike Flynn explains why President Obama’s trip to Detroit isn’t random.

Move over, NRA. Meet the knife lobby
According to Mother Jones’s Richard Grant, because the Second Amendment protects your right to wield anything, say hello to the knife lobby.

If not Boehner, then who? We have options
RedState’s Ned Ryun mulls who could succeed Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

The gang’s getting back together to prevent Senate reform
Daily Kos’s Joan McCarter writes that Republicans and a group of "soft-spined Democrats" are fighting reasonable reforms to the Senate. 

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
 
Graham to Obama: How about ‘manning up’ on entitlement reform?
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) suggested that President Obama should think about "manning up" on deficit reduction, The Hill’s Justin Sink reports.

Senate panel expected to move torture report
The Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to approve a secretive report on "enhanced interrogation techniques" on Tuesday, according to The Hill's Jordy Yager.