"I will tell you I am not one of those who wants Obama to fail. If he does well, that means the country's doing well. We don't have time as a nation to spend all of what we do blocking," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) tells CBS' Katie Couric.

"We have spending that is out of control, we have the Fed debasing the currency," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said on CNBC.

State of economy explained using cartoon characters.

"Governor Romney's made very clear that he favors absolute repeal of Obamacare and that he believes it's not accurate and not fair to try and compare the two and I think you have to start with that and I also think in all fairness to Governor Romney that he vetoed many provisions that the liberal Democrats in the Massachusetts state legislature

"Governor Rendell would make a great chief of staff," Colin Powell said on CNN. "This is the first chance I've had to suggest that Ed Rendell is an accomplished politician, accomplished governor, mayor of a great city."

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) spent a lengthy period of time on the Senate floor this afternoon defending earmarks. Inhofe argues it is the constitutional duty (citing Article 1, Section 9) of the Congress to appropriate earmarks.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) says the most important item on the agenda is preventing the top wage earnings from receiving tax cuts. "I just don't want to see tax cuts for the richest of the rich extended for another three years," Rep. Cummings said on MSNBC. "We'll be losing revenue we desperately need," he added. Cummings agreed with host

"Hi, I'm Barack Obama and I have a check for you," Jane Hamsher said (holding up a Treasury check) in explaining her plan to redistribute money among lower wage earners. "A check for a thousand dollars is populism," Hamsher later said in the interview. She calls this idea, "direct money rebates" and it is "good politics."

"You and I are the antidote," Rush Limbaugh tells his listeners. Limbaugh explains what would happen if he would "just shut up." "Just stop opposing this stuff, Rush. If you would stop opposing this stuff, if you would stop -- you know if we ban some little kid from driving bicycle with a flag -- if would just shut up, Rush, there wouldn't be

Saul Anuzis is running against Michael Steele for the position of chairman of RNC. When asked by NBC's Andrea Mitchell if he feels it is difficult running against a black guy since the Republican party has not always had "great strength among minorities," Anuzis said "race is really irrelevant here."

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), at a rally to cut federal spending, says Obama giving waivers to businesses and unions is proof that "Obamacare" is a failure. "This is an admission of failure by the White House," she said.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) threatens to walk out of his ethics hearing because he wants more time to attain counsel. "Since I don't have counsel to advise me, I'm going to have to excuse myself from these proceedings," Rep. Rangel said. One member of the ethics committee calls for an "executive motion" (or closed-door session) to discuss matt

"There are solutions to problems that don't involve partisan politics," Senator-elect Blumenthal (D-CT) told FOX News. Blumenthal says he will support tax cuts for everyone except the top two-percent of earners.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), who is in charge of the incoming House GOP freshman says the party will "absolutely" give Democrats more power to influence legislation. (source: ABC/"Top Line")

"I think they know what they do has no direct impact on the economy, the only weapon they have is the so-called wealth effect: if you can drive the market up 50%, people feel richer, they feel a little more confident, and the academics reckon they spend about 3% of that. The problem is they know very well how to stimulate the market, but they st

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announces his support for a ban on earmarks. McConnell, who was initally opposed to the idea, says "banning earmarks is another small but important symbolic step we can take to show that we're serious." "Old habits aren't easy to break, but sometimes they must be," McConnell said.

Indiana Republican Rep. Mike Pence on incoming congressional class.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says new TSA measures are the best way to keep travelers safe.

Rush Limbaugh reacts to Paul Krugman's comment that death panels could balance the budget.

When asked if there will be "any kind of a public process to determine if the facts prove violations by clear and convincing evidence," the chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said "we will deliberate in executive session (closed door) on that point." "We will return to the public session for a report and whatever f

Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) talks about his new book and the failures of government during Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.

CBS' BOB SCHIEFFER: "His trip to Asia turned out as badly as the election. How long has it been that a President went to a foreign capital to put the finishing touches on a trade agreement, only to come away with nothing? Did no one in the White House staff see that coming? How can that be? And when the President tried to lecture China on their

"9/11 was an inside job, talk about that Bush," a heckler yelled at Former President Bush during a speech in Florida on Saturday. "You're a criminal, war criminal," he also yelled.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) says troops in Afghanistan have made a lot of progress recently. Lieberman says he is firmly in the Gen. Petraeus camp and not with Karzai.

"The bottom line is, if somebody doesn’t go through proper security screening, they’re not going to go on the flight," TSA administrator John Pistole told CNN.

Chairman of House GOP transition team Rep. Greg Walden (D-OR) lays out agenda.

Erskine Bowles discusses fiscal responsibility and how to reduce the deficit.

Former President Bush says Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) saying the "war is lost" was irresponsible.