FROM THE BLOGS:

The Fed is making the fiscal cliff problem worse
The White House is is proposing a deficit-reduction deal that would help the middle class through lower tax rates, but Republicans oppose the plan, writes Slate's Matthew Yglesias.

Rubio and the mirage of Republican renewal
Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) mention of an "opportunity gap" isn't a sign of renewal within the Republican Party, argues Daniel Larison at The American Conservative.

Do we really need to start the 2016 election already?
According to Mother Jones’s Erik Kain, only a month has passed since the 2012 election, and the media has decided that to turn focus to a new issue — who will run in 2016?

Conservatives actually suck at this
If conservatives really want a shot at not getting pushed out of top committee spots, they need to focus on getting some major players elected in 2014, according to RedState.com’s Erick Erickson.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Lawmakers to White House: Don’t be cheap on Hurricane Sandy Aid
According to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the $50 billion in disaster aid for Hurricane Sandy that the Obama administration is planning to ask Congress for is “totally inadequate,” reports The Hill’s Erik Wasson.

Centrist Dems lying low on deficit negotiations to avoid 2014 backlash
Looking towards the 2014 elections, many House Dems from GOP-leaning states are trying to avoid making controversial statements about avoiding the fiscal cliff, reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The irrelevance of Susan Rice
The American Conservative’s Eric Margolis argues that Susan Rice is underqualified to bear the responsibility of secretary of State.

America isn’t as decadent as social conservatives think it is
The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf makes the case that the primary contributing factor to declining birth rates is cultural forces. 

Fiscal cliff notes
National Review’s Thomas Sowell predicts that even if tax rates increase for the wealthiest, quantitative easing will lead to inflation.

Will Egypt’s liberals ever win?
Slate’s Tarek Masoud and Wael Nawara say that Egypt’s liberals need to focus on opposing the unchecked power of Mohamed Morsi.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

US oil production hits 15-year high
Domestic crude oil production in September hit its highest level since 1998, 6.5 million barrels per day, reports The Hill's Zack Colman.

Report: Holder’s chief of staff to leave DOJ
Attorney General Eric Holder’s chief of staff, Gary Grindler, is departing from the Justice Department, reports The Hill's Meghashyam Mali.

FROM THE BLOGS:

The members behind the purge of conservatives
RedState.com’s Daniel Horowitz lambasts House Republicans for putting too many moderate Republicans in leadership spots.

Pelosi: GOP engaging in ‘hostage-taking’ on fiscal cliff
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) accused Republicans of "hostage-taking" in fiscal cliff negotiations, writes Nathaniel Botwinick at National Review.

These four Republicans want you to believe Boehner’s fiscal showdown proposal is a compromise
ThinkProgress’s Annie-Rose Strasser contends there is no compromise in Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) deficit-reduction plan, only a vague promise to find a method of increasing revenue.

How Wall Street hollowed out industrial America
Mother Jones's Steve Fraser argues the real economic problem facing the country is Wall Street, not the fiscal cliff. 

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Boehner goes on PR blitz to counter Obama in deficit talks
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) launches a media blitz campaign to maximize his negotiating power in talks about the fiscal cliff, reports The Hill's Molly Hooper.
 
McConnell’s moves box in House GOP
Senate Minority Leader Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) decision not to filibuster Democratic legislation raising taxes on the wealthy is putting House Republicans in a bind, according to The Hill's Alexander Bolton.

FROM THE BLOGS:
 
United Nations treaty not about compassion
The National Review’s Betsy Woodruff says that those who vote against a persons-with-disabilities treaty don’t lack compassion.
 
Should veterans lose their guns if they can’t handle their finances?
Daily Kos’s Timothy Lange looks at why a Senate bill has been unsuccessful and why it affects current and future veterans.
 
Boehner’s counterpunch to Obama’s fiscal-cliff offer
Hot Air’s Erika Johnsen breaks down the Republican counteroffer.
 
Everything you need to know about filibuster reform
The Atlantic’s David A. Graham explains how Democratic senators are making it easier to vote on bills.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
 
McCain apologizes to Democrats for Paul’s block on defense bill.
Sen. John McCain’s apology could help make filibuster reform a reality, The Hill’s Pete Kasperowicz reports.
 
Dems: Federal health programs should cover DREAMers
House Democrats are asking the Obama administration to allow federal healthcare to cover children of illegal immigrants, The Hill’s Sam Baker reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Obama’s arrogant overreach – and the Republican opportunity
Breitbart’s Patrick Caddell writes that the Republicans are going to go off a "political cliff" if the current dynamics on the Hill don’t change.

Arizona governor shocked reporter would ask about climate change before energy speech
Think Progress’s Rebecca Leber says Gov. Jan Brewer (R) should have been prepared for such a question.

The purge of House conservatives continues
Red State’s Daniel Horowitz explains the ramifications of having like-minded members in leadership positions.

John Boehner’s hostage crisis
Mother Jones’s David Corn highlights the pressure Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is under from Tea Party members.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

House GOP makes $2.2 trillion debt counteroffer to Obama on cliff
House Republicans have made a counteroffer to President Obama, revealing cuts in spending and entitlement reforms, The Hill’s Russell Berman reports.

Budget gurus to debt negotiators: Get off the Sunday talk shows
While the White House and House Republicans have been posturing on talk shows, the country closes in on the fiscal cliff, The Hill’s Erik Wasson reports.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Gitmo North returns: Obama’s shady prison deal
When everyone’s eyes were turned towards the election, the Obama administration was making concerning advancements on the Gitmo front, according to Michelle Malkin.

White male anger finds an outlet in Susan Rice
Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) has successfully led the crusade that turned Susan Rice into a punching bag, and according to Slate’s Amanda Marcotte, his intentions are completely political and transparent.

Ramirez on compromise
Liberal reporters need to hold Obama to the same standard as his GOP rivals, and make sure he is sticking to the policies he campaigned on, says Hot Air’s Ed Morissey.

Will Democrats vote for filibuster reform?
According to Mother Jones’s Kevin Drum, it isn’t the GOP that we need to be concerned about not passing for filibuster reform, it's Democrats.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Spending bill could see vote next week
As soon as next week the House floor could see the massive $1.047 trillion spending package that would cap off fiscal year 2013, reports The Hill’s Erik Wasson.

White House rules out repercussions for Palestinians after UN statehood vote
After the Palestinian Authority was recognized by the U.N. as a non-member observer state, Obama said he has no plans to cut U.S. aid to the Palestinian authority, reports The Hill’s Julian Pecquet.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Republicans just don’t get it
After an election cycle filled with offensive statements made by GOP members, Joan Walsh of Salon suggests that Republicans are out of touch.

Obama, aids dismiss compromise with GOP on tax hikes, fiscal cliff
On The Daily Caller, Neil Munro asserts that President Obama and his team are raising the stakes of the budget negotiations by refusing to compromise with the GOP.

Why Susan Collins’ opposition to Susan Rice is hypocritical
Because she supported Condoleezza Rice and opposes Susan Rice, Hayes Brown of Think Progress suggests that Rep. Susan Collins (R-Main) is hypocritical.

Top five reasons Republicans should take us over the fiscal cliff
According to John Nolte on Breitbart.com, going over the "fiscal cliff" is the best option for Republicans.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Romney, Ryan meet off Capitol Hill
Before his lunch meeting with President Obama, former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney met with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) off Capitol Hill, The Hill’s Justin Sink reports.

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen to call for cutting UN, Palestine funds over statehood vote
According to The Hill’s Julian Pecquet, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee will call for funding cuts for the Palestinian Authority and for United Nations agencies that recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization as a state.

FROM THE BLOGS:
 
Climate change denier appointed to head House Science Committee
According to Kris Benson at Wonkette, the GOP appointed Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), a denier of climate change, to chair the House Committee on Science.

'Average Joe' Biden heads to Costco
Despite the fact that he and his wife earned $379,000 in 2011, Keith Koffler of White House Dossier reports that Vice President Biden shops at discount retailer Costco.
 
Democrats demand Republicans name the entitlement cuts they want
At Daily Kos, Joan McCarter reports that Democrats are pushing for details concerning the GOP’s proposed entitlement cuts.
 
Conflict-of-interest issue for Rice on Keystone XL project?
HotAir's Ed Morrissey reports that Susan Rice’s shot at secretary of State is shrinking because of a personal investment in the Keystone XL pipeline project.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
 
Reid: I don’t understand Boehner’s brain
According to The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, the budget negotiations have become so contentious that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he doesn't understand Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) brain.
 
GOP fumes as TSA head skips aviation security hearing
TSA administrator John Pistole was criticized by Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for skipping a scheduled hearing, reports The Hill’s Keith Laing.

FROM THE BLOGS:

Top ten reasons to oppose Susan Rice
Breitbart’s Joel Pollak gives his opinion on why people should oppose U.N. Ambassador Rice's potential appointment as Secretary of State.

Mitt Romney: Truly the 47-percent man
Mother Jones’ David Corn compares Mitt Romney’s 47-percent comments with his overall popular vote in the presidential race.

Grape growers can now sue the USDA
Hot Air’s Erika Johnsen explains why this small capability by grape growers actually highlights the problems with farming industries and government bodies.

The Republican party’s image problem – and how to fix it
The Atlantic’s Charlie Cook shows how the GOP’s image is in crisis and how it is affecting the party.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:

Obama quietly signs bill shielding airlines from carbon fees in Europe
President Obama has signed into law that U.S. airlines be excluded from European carbon emission fees, reports The Hill’s Keith Laing.

Reid: ‘Fiscal Cliff’ deal must raise debt ceiling
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) has signaled that President Obama also feels that the debt ceiling must be raised to avoid the “fiscal cliff,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.