Swindle of the year  —  Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 - and House Democrats don't have a clue that he did.  In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package.

Chuck Schumer vs. President Obama  —  It wasn't on the White House's official schedule, but on Nov. 22 Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) quietly slipped into the Oval Office on a self-appointed mission to steel Barack Obama for the tax cut fight.  —  Schumer, the newly anointed message guru …

Senate delivers potentially fatal blow to 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal efforts  —  The Senate on Thursday dealt another punch - this one potentially fatal - to the legislative effort to end the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy.  The result infuriated gay rights groups and thwarted …

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Obama honors Nobel winner with statement about himself  —  There was an extraordinary scene at the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Friday morning.  The prize went to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was barred by the Chinese government from attending the ceremony.

Americans in Poll Want Deficit Cut With Entitlements Secured  —  Americans want Congress to bring down a federal budget deficit that many believe is “dangerously out of control,” only under two conditions: minimize the pain and make the rich pay.  —  The public wants Congress to keep …

Could Charles and Camilla have been better protected?  —  A small group of protesters surrounded the car and threw paint at it  —  The image of the Duchess of Cornwall open-mouthed in shock as her car came under attack has already come to define the tuition fees protests.

Assange Lawyers Prepare for U.S. Spying Indictment  —  Attorney Says American Indictment Related to Espionage Act Imminent for Wikileaks Founder  —  Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the man behind the publication of more than a 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables …

Richard Wolffe mocks Palin and C.S. Lewis as just “a children's author”  —  I don't know if I should expect any better from ignoramuses from MSNBC, but this is supposedly a “respectable news organization” with shallow and arrogant individuals who only live to ridicule and belittle without thinking.

Giving Money to Poor People  —  The concept behind the Giving Pledge, namely that rich people should not only give money to charity but should act to increase the level of social pressure on other rich people to do so as well, seems entirely laudable.  But insofar as the current era …

Why I Support the Ryan Roadmap  —  Let's not settle for the big-government status quo, which is what the president's deficit commission offers.  —  The publication of the findings of the president's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform was indeed, as the report was titled, “A Moment of Truth.”

The Number: $858 Billion  —  The Obama-McConnell tax compromise will cost $858 billion over the next 10 years, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.  —  In other words, the Republican-backed tax plan will cost more than the stimulus bill, which priced out at $787 billion.

Democrat: ‘Obamanomics’ like ‘Reaganomics’  —  President Obama's economic plans seem too similar to President Reagan's, a Democratic critic of the president charged Friday.  —  Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) criticized Obama's plan to extend all tax rates for two years as following in the vein of …

Manchin votes against 'Don't ask' repeal, then apologizes  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) appeared to take a stand on the repeal of “Don't ask, don't tell” Thursday, becoming the only Senate Democrat to vote against a procedural motion to move the measure forward.

Big Patent Firm Sues Nine Tech Firms  —  Technology companies on Wednesday received troubling news that some had feared for years: Intellectual Ventures LLC has started suing.  —  The secretive firm co-founded by former Microsoft Corp. Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold has raised $5 billion …

McCain: ‘We are very close’ on START  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lent a nudge of support to the stalled START treaty Friday, saying he hopes the Senate will consider it next week before the end of the lame-duck congressional session.  —  “We are very close,” he said in a speech Friday …

Companies Cling to Cash  —  Coffers Swell to 51-year high as Cautious Firms Put Off Investing in Growth  —  Corporate America's cash pile has hit its highest level in half a century.  —  Rather than pouring their money into building plants or hiring workers, nonfinancial companies in the U.S …

Foreman: Could it happen here?  —  Washington (CNN) — In case you didn't notice, London is on fire.  Rioters are setting blazes, hurling stones, beating up famous statues and some of them kicked Prince Charles' car.  Which is a little like beating up a statue, but still...

The dirtiest word in politics: Has Barack Obama been caught triangulating?  —  The naughty word is “triangulation,” and it does indeed sound like something that in some conservative locales might still be against the law, even if rarely prosecuted when practiced by consenting adults.

States Get Their Way and Lose Rail Money  —  Gov.-elect Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Gov.-elect John Kasich in Ohio campaigned on pledges to stop passenger-rail projects in their states.  On Thursday, they got their wish.  —  U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood rescinded nearly $1.2 billion …