A Sorry State  —  Following his State of the Union address, President Bush's approval rating hits a new low in the NEWSWEEK poll, as Sen. Hillary Clinton enjoys an early lead among the field of likely candidates in the '08 race.  —  Only 42 percent think Bush's domestic-policy proposals will be seriously considered by the Congress

Kerry rips Bush in front of former Iranian president at Davos; Update: Video added  —  This isn't the first time a major Democratic politician, or even Waffles himself, has handed Islamic fundamentalists a propaganda freebie.  —  The unwritten rule about politics ending at the water's edge is long gone …

Liveblogging the 'Conservative Summit'  —  UPDATES below the fold.  —  I'm spending this weekend in D.C. at the National Review Institute's Conservative Summit.  They've managed to pull together a 'who's who' of the conservative political scene, and I'm looking forward to the show.

Bush's father complains of news media "hostility"  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's father accused the news media of "personal animosity" toward his son and said he found the criticism so unrelenting he sometimes talked back to his television set.

Dispatches From the Scooter Libby Trial  —  9:23 a.m.: Scooter Libby arrives, walks up the courtroom aisle, and, before taking his seat at the defense table, gives a quick smile and nod to his wife in the front row.  As we're waiting for the judge to arrive and call us to order, I glance around.

Grim Harvest  —  Organ transplants are at once the most amazing and frustrating of medical miracles.  A new kidney or heart can cure someone who would otherwise die or, even in less than ideal circumstances, extend life and improve well-being.  The surgical skill and pharmaceutical innovation required …

At Ease, Mr. President  —  WE hear constantly now about "our commander in chief."  The word has become a synonym for "president."  It is said that we "elect a commander in chief."  It is asked whether this or that candidate is "worthy to be our commander in chief."  —  But the president is not our commander in chief.

A Contrarian View: Save Less, Retire With Enough  —  Could it be possible that you are saving too much for your retirement?  —  Such an idea would fly in the face of almost every exhortation to a nation of spendthrifts that saving more is an imperative.  After all, even as people are living longer …

The Castration of Wayne DuMond  —  As Wayne DuMond listened last week to billionaire fugitive Marc Rich's explanation that Bill Clinton pardoned him for "humanitarian" reasons, he couldn't help but darkly snicker.  —  DuMond had been accused of raping a Clinton cousin in 1984 and was hog-tied …

A Growing Military Credibility Gap?  —  Today brought sad news that someone with the U.S. military Multi National Force—Iraq (MNF-I) lied about an attack on U.S. soldiers in the Shia-controlled city of Karabala on Saturday, 20 January 2007.  The initial story released to the press stated:

Tens of thousands in D.C. protest war  —  WASHINGTON - Protesters energized by fresh congressional skepticism about the Iraq war demanded a withdrawal of U.S. troops in a demonstration Saturday that drew tens of thousands and brought Jane Fonda back to the streets.

Blue America: Dr. Steve Porter (PA-03)  —  (Blue America is pleased to welcome Dr. Steve Porter to chat with everyone today.  As always with Blue America chats, please keep the discussion on topic — shoud you wish to discuss other matters, please do so in the prior thread.

ATROCITY IN KARBALA  —  Those who insist so loudly on following Geneva Conventions rules regarding captured terrorists need to take a long, hard look at the latest atrocity in Iraq, news of which broke yesterday.  —  Four U.S. soldiers, one of them a New Yorker, were captured …

Venezuela's Satellites  —  A year of elections has left democracy and free markets flourishing in most of Latin America.  Pity the exceptions.  —  AREMARKABLE year of democracy in Latin America has left the region generally stronger.  Presidential elections were held in 11 countries in the past 13 months …