Video: MSNBC falls for Palin/Eisenstadt hoax  —  Specifically, this hoax.  I'd love to throw stones at them and TNR, but people on our own side were taken in too.  —  Guys?  The post at Shakespeare's Sister revealing the hoax is linked on the first page of the Google results for “Martin Eisenstadt.”

Obama Wants Lieberman To Remain In Democratic Caucus  —  President-elect Barack Obama has informed party officials that he wants Joe Lieberman to continue caucusing with the Democrats in the 111th Congress, Senate aides tell the Huffington Post.  —  Obama's decision could tie the hands …

Bush leaving office more unpopular than Nixon  —  CNN Deputy Political Director  —  WASHINGTON DC (CNN) — On the day that President-elect Barack Obama is visiting the White House, a new national poll suggests that the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the most unpopular …

Sarah Palin Defends Herself Against Criticism in FOX News Interview  —  FOX News' Greta Van Susteren is in Alaska to get Gov. Sarah Palin's reflections on the presidential election.  —  FOXNews.com  —  After a whirlwind campaign alongside Sen. John McCain, Sarah Palin is defending herself …

Minnesota Ripe for Election Fraud  —  Minnesota is becoming to 2008 politics what Florida was in 2000 or Washington State in 2006 — a real mess.  The outcome will determine whether Democrats get 58 members of the U.S. Senate, giving them an effective filibuster-proof vote on many issues.

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.  —  “It may sound a bit crazy and off base …

Dean Prepares To Step Down As DNC Chair  —  After four years at the helm of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean is preparing to relinquish his chairmanship.  —  Dean, who has been serving in the post since 2005, has said in the past that he would serve only one term …

Alaska Update: Thousands of Ballots ‘Found’, One-Third Remain Uncounted in the State's Still-Fishy '08 Election  —  This just in from Alaska, where thousands of new ballots continue to be found each day, since it was first reported that turnout in 2008 was 11% lower than in 2004.

Let the Infighting Begin  —  He won by being No Drama Obama.  Should he now stir some up?  —  The mau-mauing of Barack Obama officially began less than 24 hours after he won the White House, when National Organization for Women president Kim Gandy piped up about the possibility …

Pentagon board says cuts essential  —  Tells Obama to slash large weapons programs  —  WASHINGTON - A senior Pentagon advisory group, in a series of bluntly worded briefings, is warning President-elect Barack Obama that the Defense Department's current budget is “not sustainable,” …

Starbucks 4Q profit drops 97 pct on closure costs  —  Starbucks 4th-quarter profit falls 97 percent on costs for closing stores, slow US sales  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Fewer U.S. customers and venti-sized costs for closing poorly performing stores led to lower sales and profit in the fourth quarter …

MSNBC Extends Keith Olbermann's Contract  —  Keith Olbermann, the anchor of “Countdown” on MSNBC.  (NBC)  —  Keith Olbermann, the anchor of “Countdown,” will remain at MSNBC through the next presidential election season, the cable news channel announced Monday afternoon.

White House to Establish Office of Urban Policy  —  The intense back-stabbing amongst Democrats for top jobs in the Obama administration assumes there are a fixed number of jobs worth having.  But it's looking likely that some extremely choice, even consequential, jobs are going to be created by the new administration.

Stimulus math (wonkish)  —  I wrote this morning's column partly because I had a hunch that the Obama people might be thinking too small on stimulus.  Now I have more than a hunch - I've heard an unreliable rumor!  So let's talk about stimulus math, as I see it.  —  Actually, before I get to the math, some concepts.

Why the rich voted for Obama against their own economic interest.  —  For several years, I've been writing about Bushenfreude, the phenomenon of angry yuppies who've hugely benefited from President Bush's tax cuts funding angry, populist Democratic campaigns.

It's on: Gingrich versus Michael Steele for RNC chair  —  A follow-up to Ed's post from earlier today: The Washington Times spies a gathering storm. … I'm partial to Newt just because he seems at times to be the only man left in the party with any new policy ideas, but you can't go wrong either way.

Venezuela Positions Itself as a Salon for the Left  —  CARACAS, Venezuela — The Nepalese Maoist smiled as he glanced around the lobby of the Hotel Alba Caracas.  To his left, West African delegates to the World Meeting of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity chatted in French.

Number of Black Voters Who View Society Fair and Decent Nearly Doubles After Election  —  Two days after Barack Obama became the first African-American to be voted into the White House, the percentage of black voters who view American society as fair and decent jumped 18 points to 42% (see crosstabs).