With the election having come and gone, the political world's attention now shifts to the next major national development: avoiding the looming "fiscal cliff." The White House and Congress fully intend to strike some kind of compromise, but they're very far apart and have limited time to craft a deal.

For Democrats, finding agreement on a debt-reduction agreement isn't that difficult. After all, if President Obama has a clear mandate on any issue, it's modest tax increases on the wealthy -- he campaigned on the issue, making it one of his signature policies. Republicans tried to use it against him, but they failed, and polls show most Americans support the idea.