"The thing that's been driving stocks is rising confidence, " said James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management.

NPR: New Stock Market Milestone: Dow 15,000

Over the next few months, James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, argues, the fiscal drama and Europe's challenges won't matter as much for the market as whether the U.S. job picture improves.

WSJ: Stocks Testing Records��But There's Still Room to Run

"I've had some horrific nightmares as an asset manager in the last two weeks of the year, and this smells like one of those years, " said James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management.

WSJ: U.S. Stocks Hit 5-Month High