Dogs, Not Barking

1.  It continues to be the biggest non-story: Americans not dying in Iraq.  November matched October's record low of two American deaths.  It's not zero, but it's getting close, and Barack Obama is staying on course there regardless of the week-to-week situation.

2.  Minimum wage.  I haven't heard anything from the Dems about raising it -- or, at this point, making it an issue.

3.  Aid to the states.  Nothing as far as I know in the tax cut deal.  The White House either chose not to ask for it, or tried and couldn't get it.  I agree with Mike Konczal that politically it's a big deal that there's no debt limit extension, but substantively I think the lack of aid to the states is probably the biggest thing missing.  Hey, creative Democratic legislators: can you find some way to make something that looks like federal tax cuts but has the effect of funneling money to state budgets?

4.  Also missing from the tax cut deal: revived Fairness Doctrine.  And gun control.