Politics

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**FILE** House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, speaks to reporters at Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 7, 2012. (Associated Press)

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**FILE** House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, speaks Dec. 7, 2012, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington to discuss the pending "fiscal cliff." (Associated Press)

**FILE** President Obama shakes hands with House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 16, 2012, during a meeting to discuss the deficit and economy. (Associated Press)

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Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Democrat, accompanied by Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Democrat, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, to discuss efforts to "boost the economy and prevent Americans from abruptly losing their jobless benefits at the end of the year." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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“The only obstacle standing in the way of middle-income tax relief are the Republicans’ unwillingness to ask the top 2 percent to pay their fair share,” says Nancy Pelosi. (Associated Press)

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“Ask the president to come off the campaign trail. He’s been to Pennsylvania, tomorrow he’s going to Detroit. It’s time to govern, the election is over . . . We sent him a plan, it took him three weeks to respond. He has not responded to our current one. You cannot negotiate with yourself.” - Rep. Kevin McCarthy, California Republican (Associated Press)

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Newark Mayor Cory Booker said Sunday that he’ll decide within two weeks whether to challenge Gov. Chris Christie. Mr. Booker told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he’s also thinking about running for the U.S. Senate. He had planned to announce his intentions after the election, but those plans were put on hold as he dealt with Superstorm Sandy. (Associated Press)

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Egyptian protesters push soldiers guarding the presidential palace in Cairo on Sunday. Egypt’s liberal opposition called for more protests, seeking to keep up the momentum of its street campaign before a referendum scheduled for Saturday. (Associated Press)

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Hostility: Opposition activists rally Sunday in front of the presidential palace in Cairo and intend to keep up the momentum of its street campaign. Supporters of President Mohammed Morsi plan demonstrations at the same time. (Associated Press)

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Union demonstrators protest pending right-to-work legislation Friday outside the state office building where Gov. Rick Snyder’s office is located in Lansing, Mich. Michigan is poised to become the 24th state with a right-to-work law. (Associated Press)

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Sen. Joe Manchin III asked MTV to cancel “Buckwild,” the network’s tawdry take on West Virginia. The Democrat says the show promotes unsavory, inaccurate stereotypes about the Mountain State. (MTV)