Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens loses re-election bid  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, narrowly lost his re-election bid Tuesday, marking the downfall of a Washington political power …

Obama's Attorney General  —  President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department, according to two legal sources close to the presidential transition.

Vice president, former AG, state senator indicted  —  McALLEN, Texas — A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County's federal detention centers.

Lieberman: Suck On That, Liberals! … I hope this puts to rest the notion that this is all some master stroke of kumbayah, of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.  —  This is about telling you that you mean nothing.  That democracy is a nice word, but it should never threaten …

Hagel takes aim at Limbaugh, Senate colleagues  —  (CNN) — As his Senate career nears its end, Republican Chuck Hagel isn't holding back when it comes to criticizing members of his own party — including conservative talk radio hosts.  —  “We are educated by the great entertainers like Rush Limbaugh …

Hillary could reject State offer  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton isn't certain she would accept the Secretary of State post even if Barack Obama offers it to her, several people close to the former first lady say.  —  Press reports that portray Clinton as willing to accept the job …

Obama To Name Peter Orszag As Budget Director  —  President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to tap Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag, once a veteran economic adviser in the Clinton White House, to become his budget director, according to several National Journal sources.

HOW OBAMA GOT ELECTED  —  Last night I embedded a video by John Ziegler that showed some Obama voters being interviewed about their knowledge of the issues in the campaign.  The video is funny, but also instructive.  It was prepared in connection with a Zogby poll and the web site How Obama Got Elected.

Iranian grain ship seized as Somali pirates hold world to ransom  —  Alarm grows as governments and navies are rendered legally powerless to conduct security operations on the high seas  —  Somali pirates struck again yesterday, seizing an Iranian cargo ship holding 30,000 tonnes of grain …

A Note to Readers  —  I chose a heck of a day to go offline!  —  I had to travel yesterday and could not post, and so missed my chance to speak for myself about yesterday's story in the New York Times about the future of NR.  —  I'm hoping that the excuse “better late than never” …

First lady got back  —  I'm a black woman who never thought I'd see a powerful, beautiful female with a body like mine in the White House.  Then I saw Michelle Obama — and her booty!  —  Michelle Obama waves to the crowd at the Democratic convention in Denver on Aug. 25, 2008.  —  Free at last.

AFTER KRISTOL … It's time for the newspaper to move on.  For Pinch Sulzberger and Andy Rosenthal to renew Kristol's one-year contract, in 2009, would be for the Times to reward failure—and look where that got Wall Street and General Motors.  It's not just that Kristol isn't another Safire …

Recall specter hangs over high court as it considers Prop. 8 challenges  —  Backers of the measure banning gay marriage have said they will target justices who vote to overturn it.  Legal scholars say the court has no clear path to tossing out Prop.  8.  —  Reporting from San Francisco …