Obama apologizes to Nancy Reagan for ‘careless’ joke  —  President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan this afternoon to apologize for a joke about her having held “séances” in the White House, an Obama aide said.  —  “President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan today …

Byrd will voluntarily give up chairmanship  —  Senate legend Robert Byrd, approaching 91 this month and hailing a “new day in Washington,” said he would voluntarily give up the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee with the new Congress.  —  “To everything there is a season …

The N-bomb is dropped on black passersby at Prop 8 protests  —  UPDATE: the openly gay president of People for the American Way, Kathryn Kolbert, has released a statement.  It's below the fold.  —  You could see this coming, and this is what I'm talking about when you ignore the elephant in the room.

Rumor Patrol: Romney Camp Spreading Palin Stories?  —  Rumor: Aides and advisers to Mitt Romney are responsible for spreading most of the anti-Palin stories that have been going around; during the campaign, they pressured reporters to look into reports of tension between McCain and Palin factions.

Breaking News: Obama wins electoral vote in Nebraska  —  Barack Obama made history today in Nebraska.  —  The Democratic presidential candidate claimed an electoral vote in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District — the first time in more than four decades a Democrat won any of Nebraska's electoral votes.

Transcript: 'I'm going to confront this economic crisis,' Obama says  —  CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a his first news conference as president-elect Friday afternoon.  The following is a transcript of the conference:  —  Obama: Thank you very much, everybody.

Palin's Mole at The Times  —  Exclusive: Palin's Mole at the New York Times By Scott Horton  —  Did Bill Kristol use the Gray Lady to fight the McCain campaign's civil war?  —  Was John McCain's senior foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann fired for leaking sensitive information to his friend …

“Irrelevant”  —  Thanks for the memories, but you were all completely “Irrelevant” during the historic victory that Barack Obama achieved during 2008 Presidential election.  All your smears failed to change the course of history.  —  “Irrelevant”  —  “Irrelevant”  —  “Irrelevant”  —  “Irrelevant”

Reichert wins tight race for 8th District  —  U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert has survived a second Democratic wave election, bucking a national trend that flipped at least 24 Republican congressional seats to Democrats.  His opponent, Darcy Burner, conceded tonight after The Associated Press determined tonight …

Examples of Obama's Decency  —  I've had some people demanding evidence — any evidence — that Obama is a decent or good man.  I've learned as a lawyer and a blogger that you can't convince someone who resists being convinced, and on the issue of Obama's positive qualities …

Obama Eyes Consumer Activists for Agency Posts  —  FDA, EPA targeted as needing reformers to lead  —  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other government agencies that affect consumers, are likely to look very different under President Obama than they do under President Bush.

The Wounded-Courier: Comedy World Devastated by Obama Victory  —  Comedy World Devastated by Obama Victory  —  As the majority of Americans continue to bask in the glow of Barack Obama's landslide victory on Tuesday, comedians nationwide have suddenly fallen on hard times.  Some literally.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MINNESOTA?  —  When the polls closed Tuesday evening, Minnesota's Secretary of State's office showed that Norm Coleman had a 725-vote win in his closely contested race against Al Franken.  By the next morning, however, Coleman's victory was already shrinking.

Change I Can Believe In  —  I have dreams.  I may seem like a boring pundit whose most exotic fantasies involve G.A.O. reports, but deep down, I have dreams.  And right now I'm dreaming of the successful presidency this country needs.  I'm dreaming of an administration led by Barack Obama …

Prop 8: Chill  —  I totally understand the anger, hurt and pain now roiling the gay community and our families, especially in California.  But it's important to keep our heads.  I've been in the middle of this fight for two decades.  It's important to remember that we have never had this level …