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,” …

Obama puts leash on lobbyists for transition  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama, who vowed during his campaign that lobbyists “won't find a job in my White House,” announced today that he would allow lobbyists on his transition team as long as they work on issues unrelated to their earlier jobs.

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.

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.

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 …

How the Palin debate helps McCain  —  Want an idea of how popular Sarah Palin was among Southern Republicans?  You can check her numbers in exit polls or just see which element of the party is defending her the loudest.  GOP state chairs in North Carolina, South Carolina and now Tennessee …

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.

Steele Likely to Seek RNC Leadership Post  —  The former Maryland lieutenant governor is considering a run for the chairmanship of the Republican Party, a source close to the situation told FOX News.  —  FOXNews.com  —  Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland …

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.”

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.

Jindal Says No  —  Interestingly, it seems Bobby Jindal was being seriously considered for the Veepstakes but decided to say no in part because they feared that he might “be caught up in what they believed to be a less-than-stellar campaign that could pin a loss on Jindal without much ability …

From Tiny Sect, Weighty Issue for Justices  —  PLEASANT GROVE CITY, Utah — Across the street from City Hall here sits a small park with about a dozen donated buildings and objects — a wishing well, a millstone from the city's first flour mill and an imposing red granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments.

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.

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.

Responding to Obama's Win, Michael (Son of) Reagan Says, Go After Dems on Sex  —  The Obama win is driving some conservatives crazy.  On Tuesday, Michael Reagan, talk show host and son of Ronald, sent out an email announcing a new outfit called Reagan Action, which among other things …

Prop. 8 gift gets theater's leader in a ruckus  —  Gay and lesbian artists called Monday for an artistic and audience boycott of California Musical Theatre after learning that its artistic director donated $1,000 to a campaign that backed banning gay marriage in California.

Sources: Jarrett headed to White House, not Senate  —  (CNN) — Two Democratic sources close to President-elect Barack Obama tell CNN that top adviser Valerie Jarrett will not be appointed to replace him in the U.S. Senate.  —  “While he (Obama) thinks she would be a good senator …

Surge for Obama sealed Prop. 8's victory  —  Supporters of same-sex marriage rights are fuming over California voters' approval of Proposition 8, which would place a ban on such marriages in the state constitution - especially since in other respects voters showed a somewhat left-of-center bent …

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.