Obama's White House Hires Reflect Respect for Hill  —  Among the small number of White House staff announcements made so far by President-elect Barack Obama , most of the top spots have gone to recent Capitol Hill veterans.  —  The latest wave, announced early Sunday morning …

Gingrich says Palin will not be the future GOP leader  —  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) is batting down the hype that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin heads into 2012 as the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination.  —  Palin energized the Republican base after GOP presidential nominee …

The Center-Right Nation Exits Stage Left  —  Here's the main thought Republicans are consoling themselves with these days: Notwithstanding President-elect Barack Obama, a nearly filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate and the largest Democratic majority in the House of Representatives since 1993 …

Dorgan: Lieberman's Actions Were Unacceptable For Committee Chairman  —  After Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) expressed his frustration: “Everybody is just profoundly disappointed with what Joe did,” Dorgan said.

Alan Keyes Files Lawsuit Over Obama Eligibility  —  On November 13, Alan Keyes and his vice-presidential running mate in California, Reverend Wiley Drake, and other members of the American Independent Party, filed a new lawsuit over Barack Obama's eligibility to be president.

Iraqi Cabinet Approves Security Pact With U.S.  —  BAGHDAD — The Iraqi cabinet voted overwhelmingly Sunday to approve the security agreement that sets the conditions for the Americans' continued presence in Iraq from Jan. 1 until the end of 2011.  —  All but one of the 28 cabinet ministers …

KRUGMAN SCHOOLS WILL.... On ABC's “This Week” earlier, George Will explained his belief that FDR financial/regulatory policies discouraged investment and created an environment in which the “depression became the Great Depression.”  —  Fortunately, Will was sitting next to Paul Krugman.

Will v. Krugman on the Depression  —  Nice work as the Nobel Prize winning economist takes on the conservative columnist.  Will argues that New Deal policies made the Depression worse.  Krugman retorts that the New Deal was working nicely until FDR's concern with balanced budgets and fiscal restraint created a new recession.

Pinkerton: MSNBC Backs Obama, Gets $139 Billion Gov Guarantee  —  Is MSNBC being rewarded for having backed Obama?  That's what Jim Pinkerton suggests.  On this evening's Fox News Watch, the columnist and New America Foundation fellow cited the news that GE Capital, a subsidiary …

Obama faces loss of treasured BlackBerry  —  Security risks make it difficult for presidents to use electronic communications.  —  WASHINGTON — Say goodbye to your BlackBerry, Mr. President.  —  Friends and advisers say those are words that President-elect Barack Obama is dreading …

Obama will back Saudi peace plan  —  Barack Obama has decided to base his diplomatic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the Saudi peace plan, the Times of London reports today.  A “senior Obama adviser” tells the Times that Obama will back the plan that divides Jerusalem …

Team of Frenemies  —  It's a cool idea, Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.  —  At long last, the feminist icon would represent the feminist ideal of getting a room of her own, all on her own.  —  Running for the Senate and the presidency, Hillary felt entitled to get money …

Are you an idiot to keep paying your mortgage?  —  Should you keep paying your mortgage?  —  If you have significant equity in your home, absolutely.  —  If you don't, it's getting harder to answer that question, especially when our government keeps giving people who owe more than their homes are worth so many reasons not to pay.

Unsettling Times for Jihadists  —  Let's try for a moment to read the mind of an al-Qaeda operative in the remote mountains of Waziristan as he listens to the news on the radio.  His worldview has been roiled recently by two events — one confounding his image of the West and the other confirming it.