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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Administration Protects Bush Appointees by Converting Positions to Career Civil Service Jobs  —  Political Positions Shifted To Career Civil Service Jobs  —  Just weeks before leaving office, the Interior Department's top lawyer has shifted half a dozen key deputies …

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 …

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.

GOP Senator In Georgia Race Launches New Attack Ad — Against Obama  —  GOP Senator Saxby Chambliss, who's fighting a high-stakes runoff in Georgia against Democratic candidate Jim Martin, has unveiled a tough new ad strategy — he's attacking Barack Obama in his latest spot:

In Defense of Pardons  —  As President Bush's term nears its end, rumors abound that he will grant a lot of final pardons.  Hundreds of clemency applications have been filed with the Justice Department in the past year, a reflection of the popular belief that pardoning is an end-of-term phenomenon in which all presidents indulge.