Why Palin Still Matters  —  Some readers think my continuing attempt to expose all the lies and flim-flam and bizarre behavior of Sarah Palin is now moot.  She's history - they argue.  Move on.  I think she probably is history.  Even Bill Kristol and his minions in the McCain-Palin campaign …

The Biggest Lesson Obama Learned From The Clinton Transition  —  Democrats who survived the transition from George H.W. Bush to William Jefferson Clinton are a bit in awe these days of what Barack Obama is doing and how he is doing it.  —  Of the Clinton transition, one very senior …

MN Secretary of State: Coleman's goal ‘to win at any price’  —  The Democratic Secretary of State of Minnesota, Mark Ritchie, was just on MSNBC talking about the recount in the Minnesota Senate race between Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Democrat Al Franken, and his comments will likely upset Coleman's campaign.

Senator Takes Initiative on Health Care  —  WASHINGTON — Without waiting for President-elect Barack Obama, Senator Max Baucus, the chairman of the Finance Committee, will unveil a detailed blueprint on Wednesday to guarantee health insurance for all Americans by facilitating sales of private insurance …

Dem senators try to save Lieberman  —  Several top Democratic senators have launched a behind-the-scenes effort to save Sen. Joe Lieberman's chairmanship, despite calls from a Democratic base seeking retribution for Lieberman's vocal support of John McCain's presidential campaign.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: CINDY MCCAIN CAUGHT CHEATING ON J-MAC!  —  The ENQUIRER's exclusive bombshell expose as Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy, is caught with another man!  —  Not only that but multiple witnesses have caught the pair lip locking on several other occasions.

New Pelosi team shifts to the left  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has promised to govern from the middle next year, but her new House leadership team is shaping up to be more liberal than her old one.  —  The departure of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), coupled with left-leaning additions …

Paulson Says Treasury Is Shifting Focus of Bailout  —  WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. announced a major shift in the thrust of the $700 billion financial-rescue program on Wednesday, at the same time joining several agencies in prodding banks to speed up the thaw in the country's credit system.

Liberal Pranksters Hand Out Times Spoof  —  Sorry, folks, the paper isn't free.  And the Iraq war isn't over, at least not yet.  —  In what appears to be an elaborate hoax, pranksters distributed hundreds or possibly thousands of free copies of a spoof edition of The New York Times …

Obama surfs through  —  The Obamas are a warm vision for the White House — but he should strive toward full transparency.  Plus: Yes, I still like Sarah Palin!  —  Dazed and confused.  A week after the election of Barack Obama, millions of American news junkies are in serious cold turkey …

ANUZIS JUMPS INTO RNC CHAIR RACE  —  From NBC's Chuck Todd, Carrie Dann, and Abby Livingston  —  Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis watched his state slip from a tossup to a 16-point slam-dunk for Barack Obama, after the McCain campaign dropped its ads there.

Luntz's straight talk  —  Frank Luntz, kicking off an RGA panel session looking back at '08, promised candor — and then delivered.  —  “I understand how Dr. Kevorkian feels at an AARP convention,” Luntz proclaimed at the top of his presentation to a darkened and quiet ballroom of Republicans, drawing scattered laughs.

The Good Life of a New-Media Guru  —  Is Jeff Jarvis gloating too much about the death of print?  —  Take a look at this, from Jeff Jarvis' blog BuzzMachine: … Jeff Jarvis is living the good life.  (But he's still humble—he says so himself!)  Jeff Jarvis is the very model of a modern new-media guru.

Dodd Interview Censored  —  Tom Scott conducted the interview.  WELI killed it.  Now you can hear it.  —  Scott, one of Connecticut's leading conservative voices of the past three decades, was the last local on-air voice at WELI-AM, once a fully-staffed Greater New Haven news station turned …

Shep Smith tells it like it is  —  Via Hot Air, an interesting video — Fox News anchor Shepard Smith goes off on comedian Nick Di Paolo for claiming that the media is responsible for Barack Obama's victory.  Not only is it good (and a little surprising, even for Smith) …

‘Why Believe in a God?’  Ad Campaign Launches on D.C. Buses  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — You better watch out.  There is a new combatant in the Christmas wars.  —  Ads proclaiming, “Why believe in a god?  Just be good for goodness' sake,” will appear on Washington, D.C., buses starting next week and running through December.

Palin not letting Ayers go  —  From the Alaska governor's interview with Wolf Blitzer to air today on The Situation Room: