Getting to No: The Entirely Predictable Tax Stalemate

As the year careens to a close, a new chapter in dysfunction has opened in Washington. We noted that in the long-running game of "Deal or No Deal" between Democrats and Republicans over fiscal issues, the answer always seems to be "No Deal."

Budget wrangling trips up payroll-tax vote

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — A dispute between Senate leaders about funding the government past Friday delayed a quick vote on a House-passed bill to extend a payroll tax cut, raising the possibility of a government shutdown and leaving the tax cut’s fate in limbo.