Chart of the … year – Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

I’d call this the Chart of the Year, for a couple of reasons. It demonstrates the folly of the Obama administration’s insistence that we have been experiencing a recovery and any sort of significant growth in job creation. After hitting the nadir of job losses relative to our peak inter-recession employment, we have essentially flatlined for far longer than any other post-recession period.

In tax defeat, Dems pay the price for old tricks – Byron York, The Washington Examiner

To pass a measure by reconciliation, the Senate must pass a budget that contains what are called reconciliation instructions. But this year, as they faced an angry electorate and grim prospects in the midterm elections, the Democratic leadership made the specific decision not to pass a budget. Revealing their spending priorities to voters already unhappy with out-of-control federal expenditures was just too risky, so Sen. Harry Reid and party leaders punted, even though passing a budget is one of Congress’ core constitutional responsibilities.

With no budget, there could be no reconciliation. And no possibility of using reconciliation to extend the Bush tax cuts — which were originally passed with bipartisan support — on the Democrats’ terms. Shirking your constitutional responsibilities can have consequences.

Climate Change Scheme in Jeopardy – Doug Powers, MichelleMalkin.com

Additionally, if the climate change alarmists really want to know what’s wrong with their message, they need look no further than some of the enviro-hypocrites who run their movement. People might be more inclined to believe Al Gore’s “we’re all gonna die unless we cut our carbon footprint” if Gore appeared in the least to believe it himself.