Darkness at Dusk  —  It's only been a week since the defeat, but the battle lines have already been drawn in the fight over the future of conservatism.  —  In one camp, there are the Traditionalists, the people who believe that conservatives have lost elections because they have strayed from the true creed.

Obama puts leash on lobbyists for transition  —  After bashing rival John McCain for surrounding himself with lobbyists, Barack Obama announced today what his transition team calls the strictest lobbying rules ever during a presidential transfer of power.  —  But it could also be viewed …

BUSH ANGER: OBAMA AIDES LEAK CHAT DETAILS  —  Just hours after President Bush and President-elect Obama met in the Oval Office of the White House, details of their confidential conversation began leaking out to the press, igniting anger from the president, sources claim.

Poll finds most Americans welcome Dem control  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — It was one of John McCain's closing arguments: “We're getting a glimpse of what one-party rule would look like under Obama, Pelosi, and Reid.  Apparently it starts with lowering our defenses and raising our taxes,” …

Intelligence Policy to Stay Mostly Intact  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies, advisers say, an approach that is almost certain to create tension within the Democratic Party.

Obama likely to escape campaign audit  —  The Federal Election Commission is unlikely to conduct a potentially embarrassing audit of how Barack Obama raised and spent his presidential campaign's record-shattering windfall, despite allegations of questionable donations and accounting that had the McCain campaign crying foul.

Brownstein On The Palin Dilemma  —  Sarah Palin, who started her post-campaign bid for rehabilitation with a series of high profile interviews this week, emerged from the 2008 election in an even more politically damaged condition than previously understood, new data show.

The onset of ODS  —  For the past seven-plus years, the Left has suffered from Bush Derangement Syndrome.  Well, actually, the rest of us have suffered from their embrace of BDS, which one might think would inoculate us from any related maladies.  As Jake Tapper notes, though …

It's Official: Full Dem Caucus Will Vote On Lieberman's Fate  —  The full Democratic caucus will vote on whether Joe Lieberman is allowed to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee at its caucus meeting next week, a leadership aide confirms to us.

Saxby Chambliss Seeks Deferment From Runoff - Cites “Bum Knee”  —  Never one to let an opportunity to mislead the people of Georgia, Saxby Chambliss has requested that he actually be excused from the December 2nd runoff against Jim Martin and just be declared the winner.

Why Obama Looks Like a One Termer  —  Just “one and done” for Barack Obama's presidency?  Recall an ominous passage in his otherwise joyous election-night speech: “The road ahead will be long.  Our climb will be steep.  We may not get there in one year or even in one term.”

Invidious comparisons  —  Why bail out Wall Street and not GM, demand many people.  Why do we care about bankers and not ordinary folks?  —  I think this misses the point of the financial bailout.  Whether or not it works—and I sure hope it will—I don't think very many people wanted …

Anti-war camp urges Obama to dump Gates  —  Arms control advocates and anti-war activists are ratcheting up pressure on President-elect Barack Obama to dump Defense Secretary Robert Gates and replace him with a more strident anti-war voice.  —  Nominating Gates to stay …

Racism Rears Its Head in European Remarks on Obama  —  Europe erupted in cheers to celebrate Barack Obama's election as president, but the continent is seeing its share of insensitive racial blunders, too.  —  Over the past week, a number of European lawmakers and journalists have made foot …

Uh, Sarah....You Sure You Want To Go There?  —  Sarah Palin seems to have a special place in her heart for bloggers: … For the record: … I have a masters' degree in film business from USC, produced major motion pictures and wrote a best selling book.

The End of ‘Objectivity’ in New Era: A Good Thing?  —  NEW YORK When Michael Paulson began covering religion for The Boston Globe eight years ago, the paper had no blogs or online video, he did almost no outside speaking work, and the paper's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Catholic church sex scandal was still years away.