Former Bush spokesman on Trump's Taiwan call: ‘China will go nuts’  —  Former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer tweeted that “China will go nuts” after President-elect Donald Trump  —  made a historic phone call to Taiwan on Friday.  —  “Uh-oh.  I wasn't even allowed to refer to the gvt ‘of’ Taiwan.

Sarah Palin: But... Wait... The Good Guys Won't Win With More Crony Capitalism  —  I am ecstatic for Carrier employees!  Their bosses just decided to keep shop onshore.  What a relief for hundreds of workers.  Merry Christmas Indiana!  We don't yet know terms of the public/private deal …

Even elite campaign aides still aren't sure why Donald Trump succeeded  —  Baffled at times and often bitter, more than two dozen of the country's top political operatives grappled with questions that have dominated American politics for 18 months: What explains Donald Trump's astonishing political success …

Obama considering post-presidential digital media career, sources say  —  President Barack Obama has been discussing a post-presidential career in digital media and is considering launching his own media company, according to multiple sources who spoke on background because they were not authorized to speak for the president.

CNN Crew Jokes about Donald Trump's Plane Crashing  —  CNN Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux was covering the Carrier press conference, that featured both Donald Trump and Mike Pence.  —  Carrier was able to negotiate huge tax breaks for their company, if they promised not to move all their jobs to Mexico.

G.O.P. Plans Immediate Repeal of Health Law, Then a Delay  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans in Congress plan to move almost immediately next month to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as President-elect Donald J. Trump promised.  But they also are likely to delay the effective date …

Make Kellogg's Gr-rr-rr-rr-rreat Again  —  Last weekend's Castro droologies reminded us that, for Justin Trudeau and too many others, mass-murdering dictators are kind of a turn-on, a geopolitical S&M fetish - as long as it's millions of distant, disposable Third World types making up the M end of the deal.

Philly Clout: Turnpike manager rips his bosses in email minutes before retirement  —  FILE THIS ONE under: “Well, You Asked.”  —  Michael Stuban, a midlevel manager at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, retired on Thanksgiving after a 35-year career that started in a tollbooth.

The 2016 Election Is a Disaster Without a Moral  —  Marge: The moral of the story is that a good deed is its own reward!  —  Bart: But we got a reward, the head is cool!  —  Marge: Well, then maybe the moral is, no good deed goes unrewarded.  —  Homer: Wait a minute! … Homer: Exactly!

Hampshire College returns US flag to full staff; president denies playing politics  —  Hampshire College in Massachusetts raised the American flag back to full staff Friday after outraged veterans protested the school's decision to stop flying all flags across campus.

Former Special Forces Officer: Gen. ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis Left ‘My Men to Die’  —  A former Army Special Forces officer is accusing retired Marine General James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary, of “leaving my men to die” after they were hit by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2001.

Democrats want Russian hacking intelligence declassified  — The call to release the information came in a short letter to President Obama released by seven Democratic senators  —  Washington (CNN)Democratic senators are pressing the Obama administration to more forthrightly state …

Democrats could block Mattis nomination  —  Gen. James Mattis will need a supermajority to win confirmation from the Senate.  —  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will require a vote at a 60-vote threshold to allow Mattis to become the defense secretary, an aide said.

Trump's education pick says reform can 'advance God's Kingdom'  —  The billionaire philanthropist whom Donald Trump has tapped to lead the Education Department once compared her work in education reform to a biblical battleground where she wants to “advance God's Kingdom.”

Amy Schumer Playing ‘Barbie’  —  Amy Schumer will play the title role in Barbie, the live action Sony Pictures film based on the venerable Mattel toyline.  The PG movie will begin production in the spring for a global summer 2018 tent pole bow, after Schumer puts her imprint on the script by Hillary Winston.

Donald Trump's Pollster Says the Election Came Down to Five Counties  —  Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, referred to her candidate's electoral win as a “landslide” earlier this week.  But the campaign's top pollster, veteran Tony Fabrizio said just five counties made the difference …

Dean drops out of DNC chairmanship race  —  DENVER — Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean dropped out of the race to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday.  —  Dean, who served as DNC chairman from 2005 to 2009, announced in a pre-recorded video to a conference …