Al Gore, Colin Powell, Caroline Kennedy in Obama's Administration?  —  Obama transition team boss John Podesta threw open the curtains of his operation today to reporters, signaling that the president-elect wants to move quickly, but not hastily, to set up his government.

Heckuva job, McLame  —  From the man whose best-sellers include “Why Courage Matters” and “Character Is Destiny” comes this underwhelming reaction to the cowardly smearing of Sarah Palin by his own unnamed staffers:  —  “These things happen.”  —  Not: “Shame on the leakers.  I denounce and renounce them.”

WHEN BARONE GOES OVER THE EDGE.... Well, I certainly have my nomination for Wanker of the Day. … I knew Barone was pretty far gone, but I had no idea he was this far gone.  —  Two months ago, Barone argued, in print, that Palin had “foreign policy experience” because Alaska “is the only state with a border with Russia.”

Baucus to Push Health-Care Overhaul  —  WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday will release a sweeping proposal to overhaul the health-care system that largely reflects President-elect Barack Obama's vision, increasing the chances for action next year.

Lobbyists Swarm the Treasury for Piece of Bailout Pie  —  WASHINGTON — When the government said it would spend $700 billion to rescue the nation's financial industry, it seemed to be an ocean of money.  But after one of the biggest lobbying free-for-alls in memory, it suddenly looks like a dwindling pool.

Edwards speaks about Obama, Clinton but not affair  —  BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — John Edwards didn't have to dodge tough questions from an Indiana University audience Tuesday, when the former presidential candidate returned to the stage three months after admitting to an extramarital affair.

How to Fix a Flat  —  Last September, I was in a hotel room watching CNBC early one morning.  They were interviewing Bob Nardelli, the C.E.O. of Chrysler, and he was explaining why the auto industry, at that time, needed $25 billion in loan guarantees.  It wasn't a bailout, he said.

AP Interview: Foley breaks silence on sex scandal  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Even today, two years after Mark Foley's very public fall from grace, the former congressman can't explain why he sent lurid, sexually explicit computer messages to male teens who had worked as Capitol Hill pages.

A Spokesman So Close, He's the ‘Barack Whisperer’  —  When a CBS correspondent reported last month that Barack Obama's campaign had a malodorous airplane and a dismissive attitude toward the media, Robert Gibbs, the candidate's top spokesman, was not pleased.  —  “Robert wrote a rather tendentious note to me,” Dean Reynolds says.

Top Two Officials In U.S. Intelligence Expect to Lose Jobs  —  The nation's top two intelligence officers expect to be replaced by President-elect Barack Obama early in his administration, according to senior intelligence officials.  —  A number of influential congressional Democrats oppose keeping Director …

Fake New York Times Declares Iraq War Over!  Here's Who Did It  —  The Iraq War is over, according to the fake New York Times!  This morning a cadre of volunteers has fanned out across New York City to pass out a remarkably good, faux-copy of the Times dated July 4, 2009.

Chris Matthews for Senate?  —  Pennsylvania was at the epicenter of the fight for the presidency in 2008 and, just one week after the Barack Obama's victory, the Keystone State is once again caught up in the political buzz with a new poll that tests “Hardball” host Chris Matthews' chances against Sen. Arlen Specter (R).

Buying Binge Slams to Halt  —  Just as one crisis of confidence may be ending, another may be coming.  —  The panic on Wall Street has eased in the last few weeks, and banks have become somewhat more willing to make loans.  But in those same few weeks, American households appear to have fallen into their own defensive crouch.

After U.S. Breakthrough, Europe Looks in Mirror  —  PARIS — In the general European euphoria over the election of Barack Obama, there is the beginning of self-reflection about Europe's own troubles with racial integration.  Many are asking if there could be a French, British …

Saudi Arabia to Lead U.N. Faith Forum  —  Saudi Arabia, the oil-rich Islamic kingdom that forbids the public practice of other religious faiths, will preside Wednesday over a two-day U.N. conference on religious tolerance that will draw more than a dozen world leaders, including President Bush …

Richardson Gets Backing for Cabinet  —  WASHINGTON — The battle for America's top diplomatic post spilled into view Tuesday, as some Hispanic leaders made a public push to have President-elect Barack Obama name Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, as his secretary of state.

ONE-PARTY RULE.... In the campaign's closing weeks, McCain/Palin emphasized a strategic reason to vote for the Republican ticket: the GOP minority was going to shrink even further in Congress, and voters should fear “one-party rule.”  —  There's a very good reason this tactic failed.