Serious Questions about the Obama Administration's Incompetence in the Wikileaks Fiasco  —  We all applaud the successful thwarting of the Christmas-Tree Bomber and hope our government continues to do all it can to keep us safe.  However, the latest round of publications …

Tax fight pits Bush vs. Obama  —  The looming Senate debate on taxes sets up a showdown between George W. Bush and President Obama on tax policy — and the former president could come out the winner.  —  The Senate is expected to hold dueling votes on extending the cuts before they expire on Dec. 31 …

GOP pushed pay freeze months ago  —  Washington Democrats have antagonized House Minority Whip Eric Cantor with the nickname “Dr. No.” But the White House may have to amend that to “Dr. Know” after reversing course and calling for the very same federal pay freeze Cantor promoted earlier this year with his oft-ridiculed YouCut program.

Nuclear scientist killed in Tehran was Iran's top Stuxnet expert  —  World Exclusive from DEBKAfile's intelligence sources:  —  Prof. Majid Shahriari, who died when his car was attacked in North Tehran Monday, Nov. 29, headed the team Iran established for combating the Stuxnet virus rampaging through its nuclear and military networks.

Netflix Partner Says Comcast ‘Toll’ Threatens Online Video Delivery  —  Level 3 Communications, a central partner in the Netflix online movie service, accused Comcast on Monday of charging a new fee that puts Internet video companies at a competitive disadvantage.

A Witness Lies, the Court Shrugs and Veterans Are Outraged  —  Elven J. Swisher wore a replica of a Purple Heart on the witness stand when he testified that the defendant had tried to hire him to kill three federal officials.  —  Asked about the medal, Mr. Swisher pulled a document …

GOP should take on Palin  —  Republicans have a problem.  The most-talked-about figure in the GOP is a reality show star who cannot be elected.  And yet the same leaders who fret that Sarah Palin could devastate their party in 2012 are too scared to say in public what they all complain about in private.

China ‘ready to abandon North Korea’  —  Leaked dispatches show Beijing is frustrated with military actions of ‘spoiled child’ and increasingly favours reunified Korea  —  China has signalled its readiness to accept Korean reunification and is privately distancing itself from the North Korean regime …

In Which I Become a Conservative  —  Ross Douthat, an Atlantic alumnus, contends in the NY Times that the recent controversy over “enhanced” TSA procedures illustrates the dominance of partisan reflex in today's politics.  Liberals complained about excessive state power when Bush and Cheney were in charge …

Smithsonian Christmas-Season Exhibit Features Ant-Covered Jesus, Naked Brothers Kissing, Genitalia, and Ellen DeGeneres Grabbing Her Breasts  —  WARNING: This story contains graphic photographs of items on display in an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery.

With Kirk's swearing-in, GOP formally claims Obama's old seat  —  Senate Republicans on Monday formally claimed President Obama's former Senate seat with the swearing-in of Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).  —  As is customary, Kirk was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden twice — once on the Senate floor …

Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves  —  ATLANTA — The Civil War, the most wrenching and bloody episode in American history, may not seem like much of a cause for celebration, especially in the South.  —  And yet, as the 150th anniversary of the four-year conflict gets under way …

Has NASA discovered extraterrestrial life?  —  Here's a curious press release from NASA: … I did a little research on the news conference participants and found:  —  1. Pamela Conrad (a geobiologist) was the primary author of a 2009 paper on geology and life on Mars

Justices turn aside another challenge over Obama's citizenship  —  Washington (CNN) — The Supreme Court has again cast aside an appeal that raised doubts about President Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship, a grass-roots legal issue that has gained little legal or political footing, but continues to persist in the courts.