GOP senator: McCain betrayed Republican principles  —  MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) - South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint on Friday became one of the first high-profile Republicans to publicly criticize John McCain following his electoral defeat, blaming the Arizona senator …

Mormons Tipped Scale in Ban on Gay Marriage  —  SACRAMENTO — Less than two weeks before Election Day, the chief strategist behind a ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California called an emergency meeting here.  —  “We're going to lose this campaign if we don't get more money …

Barack Obama is warned to beware of a ‘huge threat’ from al-Qaeda  —  Security officials fear a ‘spectacular’ during the transition period  —  Barack Obama is being given ominous advice from leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to brace himself for an early assault from terrorists.

Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More  —  AUSTIN, Minn. — The economy is in tatters and, for millions of people, the future is uncertain.  But for some employees at the Hormel Foods Corporation plant here, times have never been better.  They are working at a furious pace and piling up all the overtime they want.

Interesting Times  —  George Packer writes about foreign affairs, politics, and books.  —  KILCULLEN ON AFGHANISTAN: “IT'S STILL WINNABLE, BUT ONLY JUST.”  —  I wrote about David Kilcullen two years ago, in a piece called “Knowing the Enemy.”  Few experts understand counterinsurgency …

Obama's Talk With Clinton Starts Buzz  —  WASHINGTON — The end of the presidential campaign seemed to signal the completion of the Obama-Clinton drama.  But now it turns out there could be a surprise ending.  —  Advisers to the onetime rivals for the Democratic nomination confirmed Friday …

Post-Guantánamo: A New Detention Law?  —  As a presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama sketched the broad outlines of a plan to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba: try detainees in American courts and reject the Bush administration's military commission system.

Democrats Scale Back Stimulus Goals Until Jan. 20  —  Congressional Democrats yesterday abandoned plans to offer a wide-ranging economic stimulus plan next week, putting off any chance that the federal government would provide a major jolt to the economy until after President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in Jan. 20.

Change You Can Conceive In  —  Could euphoric Obama fans be sparking a baby boom? … From the magazine issue dated Nov 24, 2008  —  The theory is almost too perfect to be true.  Barack Obama, the son of politically progressive parents, was born Aug. 4, 1961—almost nine months …

Begich lead increases in race for Senate  —  Mark Begich has extended his lead over Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to 1,022 votes with the latest count of absentee and questioned ballots.  The Elections Division counted 14,508 ballots today.  The count of absentee and questioned ballots will pick up Tuesday.