"I think people need to know what's in the bill. One of the best ways to do it is just to get the clerk to read it." FOX News reports it would take at least 40 hours to read.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) says half the Democratic caucus thinks the tax compromise is President Obama "punting on first down" and the other half think he is "striking out on one pitch."

"I just think it means a lot of people will be up late reading between now and say, the 22nd or 23rd," White House press secretary said when asked about Congress passing the 1924-page omnibus (budget) bill. "Who's going to read that?" CBS' Mark Knoller asks. "I take them at their word," Gibbs said.

What lesson did Jimmy Carter learn? “[N]ot to ever let American hostages be held for 444 days in a foreign country without extracting them.”

"Notice that the House would see jobless people lose their unemployment checks and a middle class person lose their income tax breaks, even right here at Christmas time rather than see the rich get one thin dime. That's what being held hostage here," Rush Limbaugh said today. "In order to make sure the rich get pummeled, jobless people will lose

"We're not through. Congress ends on Jan. 4," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says Democrats have not shown Republicans the almost 2000-page omnibus bill. McConnell says the lame-duck Congress should pass a short-term budget and not the current $1.1 trillion bill.

UCLA Professor Kent Wong said: "We will win the dream act soon -- very soon," he exclaimed. "When that day comes, we will celebrate with millions and millions of people of people across this country who are standing with you tonight. Who stand for justice, who stand for democracy and equal opportunities for all." "When that day happens, the youn

"It is easy to stand on the sidelines and criticize this deal," Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said. "And it would perhaps be politically expedient to stand on the sideline and criticize this tax deal. But to advocate against this tax deal is to advocate for a tax increase." Mitt Romney wrote a column on

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs responds to Richard Holbrooke's final words to "stop this war in Afghanistan." "Richard was always focused on the task at hand," Gibbs said.

Democratic Sen. Conrad (ND) says major elements of tax cut package will have positive impact on "economic growth for the future." Conrad says "we have to accept" the extension unemployment benefits.

"Well, I wish they would of called it something other than the Bush tax cuts and therefore would have been less angst amongst some to pass it. I do believe it's very important to send the signal to our entrepreneurs and our families that the government trusts them to spend their own money," Bush told radio talk show host Scott Hennen.

GOP senator John Barrasso (Wyoming) and orthopedic surgeon says health care reform is "harmful" for country.

"This tax package does a couple of things immediately for economic growth in Florida. Number one, for those folks looking for work right now, it extends their unemployment benefits. Two million people across the country would lose their unemployment benefits at the end of this month if we did not move forward on this tax agreement. And economist

"No, I don't think there's a sense that I've been successful. I think people feel that Washington still is dysfunctional," President Obama told Colorado's 9NEWS. "I think people still feel that overall Washington is about a lot of politics and special interests and big money, but that ordinary people's voices too often aren't represented and so

"There are always easier ways to win than taking on the long-term, structural problems that defy quick answers. It's easier to borrow and leave someone else with the bill. It's easier to rail against spending without cutting anything of substance. It's easier to stir up culture wars and cultural resentment. All of those tactics have proved succe

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) says the Obama Justice Department's inability to make a decision on where to try Gitmo detainees shows a real "lack of leadership."

CNN: As the fallout from WikiLeaks continues, the debate over whether or not the alleged leaker is a treasonous villain or a First Amendment hero makes an unexpected stop Tuesday in a legislative chamber in Berkeley, California. There, the City Council i

"We've got to make sure those taxes don't go up," Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) said on an Iowa radio station. Pawlenty is widely considered to be a contender for president in 2012. In an op-ed today, Mitt Romney explains why he thinks th

"One of the points of contentions and one of the irritations [is] we (Democrats) were never consulted, nobody was asked and it was announced. We have spent two election cycles, including these midterms -- which we did not do well at all -- saying we are not going to extend the Bush tax cuts to the very rich and here we are, right after the elect

MSNBC: Chuck Todd is NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and Time Magazine's Mark Halperin discuss the Obama-Clinton alliance, and whether it’s the most vital alliance in politics today.

"There is no way they're going to do this when the President is on the line," Dr. Charles Krauthammer said. "What they will do is hold a demonstration vote or two, which is meaningless," he added.

Congressman-elect Allen West (R-FL): "There are different means by which you can be attacked. I mean it doesnt have to be a bomb or an airplane flying into a building. It doesn’t have to be a shooting. It can be through cyber attacks, it could be through leaking of very sensitive classified information. Regardless of whether you think it causes a

Liberal radio talk show host Bill Press says the tea party is a bunch of "phonies" because extending current tax rates for everyone will add $900 billion to the deficit. Press says they should be in front of the Capitol building "protesting" this compromise.

"We need to get serious about deficit reduction," Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) said on MSNBC. Ensign defends his decision to vote against the tax compromise because of the "debt" added to the deficit by extending tax cuts for everyone. "This debt can literally destroy this country," Ensign warns.

Bill O'Reilly: I want the tax compromise and I want consumers to be more confident. That is the only way this bad economy will turn around.