A Jolly Christmas? Retailers Count The Extra Days
Thanksgiving weekend spending shot up nearly 13 percent from last year, and there’s more time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year for people to shop. And if a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff comes just before Christmas, as some expect, it could brighten the economic mood of last-minute shoppers.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
GOP Pushback On No-Tax Norquist: Less Than Meets The Eye
A handful of Republicans in Congress say they won’t honor the Grover Norquist-led no-new-taxes pledge if it prevents a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. “Grover still swings a hammer,” says one adviser. “There just aren’t as many nails.” But others think entitlements, not taxes, could be the sticking point.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
SEC Chief Schapiro Is Leaving
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro will step down on Dec. 14. President Obama has designated SEC Commissioner Elisse Walter to be her successor.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Legal Pot Is Here, But Stash The Wallet For Now
On Election Day, voters in Colorado and Washington state legalized marijuana for recreational use. Residents can’t just walk in and buy a dime bag yet, however; the states need to set up some ground rules first.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
We Ask A Historian: Just How Accurate Is ‘Lincoln’?
Lincoln biographer Ronald White critiques the accuracy of Stephen Spielberg’s new film about the Great Emancipator. White says that while not every detail of the film is true, “the delicate balance or blend between history and dramatic art comes off quite well.”» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Lawmakers Have More Questions On Benghazi Talking Points
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Congress had asked the White House to explain the Obama administration’s talking points in the aftermath of the attack.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Obama’s Feat: Not Just Winning, But How He Won
Many of the minority groups central to President Obama’s victory had long supported Democrats. But he’s the first party leader to put together a stable — and majority — coalition since Franklin D. Roosevelt back in the 1930s. This coalition promises to pay dividends to his party for years to come.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
After Romney’s Loss, Mormons Lament What Might Have Been
Mitt Romney’s White House run raised the profile of his Mormon faith, and made many fellow Mormons hope that misunderstandings of their faith could be dispelled. And, of course, there was pride in seeing one of their own come so close to the White House. Those hopes were dashed with his loss Tuesday.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
For Obama, Vindication, But Not A Mandate
Obama has become only the third U.S. president to win re-election by a narrower margin than his first victory. Having won a second term, Obama will seek to set the nation’s agenda on issues ranging from taxes to immigration, but he may continue to struggle in selling his ideas to Congress.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Republican Response Likely To Be Tactical, Not Transformative
Initial indications from within the GOP were that Mitt Romney’s defeat wasn’t seen as a rejection of the Republican platform as much as a failure of its standard-bearer to run a competent enough campaign to defeat a vulnerable incumbent.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
