Almost Eighty Percent Of Americans Believe In Angels

According to a new AP/GfK poll, 77% of Americans believe angels are real.

Belief is primarily tied to religion, with 88 percent of Christians, 95 percent of evangelical Christians and 94 percent of those who attend weekly religious services of any sort saying they believe in angels.

But belief in angels is fairly widespread even among the less religious. A majority of non-Christians think angels exist, as do more than 4 in 10 of those who never attend religious services.…

Judge Tells South Carolina To Stop Messing With Federal Law

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel blocked parts of South Carolina’s immigration law saying it’s the federal government’s job to do what the state was attempting to do.

The three sections of the law Gergel struck down deal with making it a felony to transport, conceal or protect a person trying unlawfully enter the U.S.; allowing local law enforcement to detain any person they believe is in the country illegally; and making it illegal for an adult to fail to carry their immigration papers.…

Republicans Cave

Finally, a payroll tax cut extension was approved by the normally tax-cut-loving Republican House.

In a near-empty Capitol building, the Senate and then the House signed off on a compromise plan by unanimous consent, a procedural move that allowed the legislation to move to the president’s desk without requiring most lawmakers to return to Washington.

In addition to keeping Social Security payroll taxes at current levels for an additional two months, the deal struck by party leaders Thursday would maintain unemployment insurance for people who have been jobless for an extended period and would block a cut in the payments …

George Allen Describes Talking To Virginia Voters As “Torturous”

After a Facebook town hall, former Virginia Governor and Senator George Allen, looking to replace Jim Webb in the Senate, didn’t know the cameras were still rolling.

ALLEN: All right, did that one take or not?

OFFSCREEN VOICES: It took. They were having server problems … the live stream was …

ALLEN: Reindeers in the server? Elves?

OFFSCREEN VOICES: [titters]

ALLEN: Oh, God. Torturous. [Unintelligible.] Great spontaneity, take three!

OFFSCREEN VOICE: (Sighs.) It’s very nervewracking.

ALLEN: How do you reckon it was for me? (Sarcastically) Let’s do this tomorrow!

…

Newt Gingrich Attacks Ron Paul

No more positive campaign?

Said Gingrich: “This is a guy who basically says, if the United States were only nice, it wouldn’t have had 9/11. He doesn’t want to blame the bad guys… He dismisses the danger of an Iranian nuclear weapon and seems to be indifferent to the idea that Israel could be wiped out. And as I said, I think the key to his volunteer base is people who want to legalize drugs.”…

Mitt Romney Doesn’t Want You To See His Tax Returns

Mitt Romney won’t release his tax returns, even if he is the Republican nominee.

Mr. Romney made the statement in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday, but the network did not show that part of the interview. Mr. Romney, a multimillionaire who made his fortune running a private equity firm, was asked whether he planned to release his tax return.

“I doubt it,” Mr. Romney said, according to a transcript of the interview provided by NBC News. “I will provide all the financial info, which is an extraordinary pile of documents which show investments and so forth.”

“But you …

Romney-Christie 2012?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie doesn’t think he’s ready to be president, and is fully committed to his current job. But now he says he’s consider the VP slot.

Christie, who endorsed Mitt Romney after deciding against a White House bid of his own, did not rule out the No. 2 spot, but predicted he will still be governor in 2012.

“The fact is, if Gov. Romney comes to me and wants to talk to me about that, we’ll have a full conversation about that and then Mary Pat and I will make that decision about what we want to …

On Thursday’s Radio Show…

• House Republican leaders have accepted a short-term extension of the payroll tax cut after Obama called on Congress to end the “ridiculous Washington standoff.” Alan has all the latest details.

• Syndicated columnist and hit holiday singer Mark Steyn sits down with Alan to discuss the presidential race and his new Christmas album, Making Spirits Bright.

• Obama has asked Americans to weigh in on the payroll tax battle. Alan examines what $40 dollars means to the average American.…

Boehner And Reid Make Tax Deal

House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have come to terms on a deal to extend the payroll tax cut for two months.

House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Thursday bowed to pressure from both within and outside his party and agreed to a short-term deal to extend a payroll tax cut for 160 million Americans.

In what could be an end to a toxic stalemate, Boehner informed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will set a vote in the House on a Senate-passed two-month extension of the payroll tax cut, a Democratic leadership aide …

Mercury Falling

by Stuart Shapiro

Yesterday the EPA announced new standards for mercury emissions.  David Roberts notes, this is a big deal.

Controlling mercury and toxics will be an advance on par with getting lead out of gasoline. It will save save tens of thousands of lives every year and prevent birth defects, learning disabilities, and respiratory diseases. It will make America a more decent, just, and humane place to live.

The Obama administration is already anticipating the blowback from the right.

To be sure, in the weeks and months to come, there will be some in Congress that will try …

Gay Group Apologizes To Anti-Gay Cheating Politician For Ruining Her Marriage

It’s not Amy Koch’s fault her marriage is compromised. It’s those darn gays.

The gay and lesbian community of Minnesota has issued a letter of apology to recently resigned Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch for ruining the institution of marriage and causing her to stray from her husband and engage in an “inappropriate relationship.”

“On behalf of all gays and lesbians living in Minnesota, I would like to wholeheartedly apologize for our community’s successful efforts to threaten your traditional marriage,” reads the letter from John Medeiros. “We apologize that our selfish requests to marry those we love has …