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 …

Stevens-Begich vote count narrows  —  It's just getting started, but early results from this afternoon's ballot counting in the contest for U.S. Senate show Mark Begich gaining ground against incumbent Sen. Ted Stevens.  —  The elections division still has tens of thousands of ballots left …

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.

Hopeful signs on health care  —  This is very big news.  One of the key questions about the new Democratic majority was whether Congress would try to play it safe, backing down on big ideas about reform, especially on health care.  You can view the whole chorus about how we're still a …

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.

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.

Pelosi's power reigns supreme  —  After delivering a 20-seat pickup for House Democrats on Election Night, Rep. Chris Van Hollen wanted out of his grinding campaign job and into a more powerful leadership post.  —  “The one option I am not exploring is continuing as the chairman” …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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) …

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 …

Maddow wears pajamas on air in solidarity with bloggers, says she sees herself as ‘a blogger on TV.’  —  Last night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow showed a clip of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) complaining about being criticized by “some blogger” sitting “in their parents' basement.”

Two GI's Reported Killed by Iraqi Soldier in Mosul  —  BAGHDAD — Two American soldiers were killed and six others were wounded by an Iraqi soldier in an altercation in the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday, according to the United States military, Iraqi security officials and witnesses.

Go For It  —  Now that Barack Obama has won the presidency, a swath of the Washington establishment is pressing him to answer what it considers an urgent question: How will he scale back his plans—for tax cuts, for health care reform, for education—in response to the economic emergency?

Supreme Court Rules for Navy in Sonar Case  —  WASHINGTON — Courts have no business second-guessing the military, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in lifting restrictions on submarine training exercises off the coast of Southern California that may harm marine mammals.

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

‘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.