Ken Rudin

The Republican Party, having lost its second consecutive presidential election, is struggling for an answer. In the past, the divisions were about ideology. This time, it's about tactics — and who decides which are the correct tactics to take. And that has created more division.

Hopefully, many people figured out the ScuttleButton puzzle that came out right before SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. (Wait, is that a hint?) Anyway, the new puzzle is up, and there are no hints for this one.

Ed Koch was elected mayor of New York City in 1977 by being fresh, honest, optimistic and independent. By the time he lost, in a 1989 bid for a 4th term, voters had tired of corruption and racial tension that had become widespread in the city. Koch died on Friday at age 88.

We'll make you a deal. You solve this week's ScuttleButton puzzle and we'll let you stay in this country legally.

The "affection" Republicans have had for Hillary Clinton the past four years — feelings no doubt expressed in order to contrast how they felt about President Obama — seems to have come to an end, now that she may become their opponent in 2016. And it's also splitsville between Fox and Sarah Palin.

There was just too much happiness going on during Monday's inaugural celebration. What better way to sour your good mood than by checking out this week's ScuttleButton puzzle?

It's been a rough couple of weeks for John Boehner. He was all but shut out of the fiscal cliff deal, dissed by his own party, and suffered 12 GOP defections when re-elected as speaker. But did he emerge from all of this as a loser? It's not that simple.

George McGovern, Arlen Specter, Warren Rudman, Dan Inouye ... just some of the political giants who died in 2012. This week's super-sized Political Junkie column is dedicated to their memory.

The election is over. Or is it? Both sides look ready to start fighting again should President Obama nominate U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

The Tea Party and other conservatives argue that Mitt Romney lost the election because he was "too moderate." And they are calling for a complete overhaul of the Republican Party. But the evolving demographics may have played a bigger role.