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 …

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.

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 …

Cabinet post for Clinton roils Obamaland  —  Barack Obama's serious flirtation with his one-time rival, Hillary Clinton, over the post of secretary of State has been welcomed by everyone from Henry Kissinger to Bill Clinton as an effective, grand gesture by the president-elect.

Zogby Engages in Apparent Push Polling for Right-Wing Website  —  The conservative website HowObamaGotElected.com reports that it has commissioned Zogby International to conduct a poll of 512 Barack Obama voters as part of what can best be described as a viral marketing effort to discredit the intelligence of Obama supporters.

Web Sites That Dig for News Rise as Watchdogs  —  SAN DIEGO — Over the last two years, some of this city's darkest secrets have been dragged into the light — city officials with conflicts of interest and hidden pay raises, affordable housing that was not affordable, misleading crime statistics.

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 …

Victory in Iraq Day  —  We won.  The Iraq War is over.  —  I declare November 22, 2008 to be “Victory in Iraq Day.”  (Hereafter known as “VI Day.")  —  By every measure, The United States and coalition forces have conclusively defeated all enemies in Iraq, pacified the country …

President-elect Obama promises “new chapter” on climate change  —  More than 600 climate change leaders from across the country and around the world convened in Los Angeles today for the opening sessions of the Global Climate Summit, a 2-day event arranged by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger …

Beau Biden Will Not Accept Senate Appointment  —  Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden will not accept an appointment to the Senate to replace his father, according to knowledgeable state sources, a decision that scrambles the race to to replace the vice president-elect in the Senate next year.

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 …

Bad blood for Musgrave  —  It's no surprise Rep. Marilyn Musgrave is taking her recent loss to Betsy Markey really, really hard.  —  Musgrave, a Republican who's been representing Colorado's 4th District since 2002, became part of the Republican Casualty List when she lost in a landslide …

THE TRAGIC PREDICTABILITY OF THE JEWISH VOTE  —  Back in the 1980s, during the euphoria of the Reagan-era, Neo-cons like Norman Podhoretz and Irving Kristol predicted a seismic shift in Jewish voting patterns.  —  Once American Jews discovered that voting Republican was crucial for the survival …

California Asks Court to Weigh Ban on Gay Marriage  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The California attorney general asked the State Supreme Court on Monday to review the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the voter initiative passed two weeks ago that bans same-sex marriage.

McCain owes GOP a second concession speech  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  As is customary on election night, Republican presidential nominee John McCain called his rival, Barack Obama, to concede defeat and graciously wish the Illinois Democrat well as he prepares to move into the White House in January.

OBAMA'S TOP NSA AND CIA PICKS: HARSH ON ISRAEL, SYMPATHETIC TO IRAN AND HEZBOLLAH  —  Well that was totally unpredictable wasn't it? … Totally, totally unpredictable: … The US should exercise “strategic patience” with Iran - who as of today has four navy bases in the Gulf …

LA Times Only Just Notices Obama Has Thin Resume?  —  Interestingly, Dan Morain of the L.A. Times has just discovered that Barack Obama has a pretty thin resume prior to being elevated to the presidency.  Between 1993 and '96, Obama, the much-ballyhooed “Constitutional scholar,” …

‘HARDBALL’ GUY DERAILS HILLARY  —  “HARDBALL” host Chris Matthews and the other “castratos” at MSNBC shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a Hillary Clinton interview.  —  Matthews, who once opined that men who supported Clinton were “castratos in the eunuch chorus,” …

Board confirms Coleman-Franken vote, triggering recount  —  Sen. Norm Coleman's lead is officially 215 votes.  The recount will begin Wednesday morning, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said.  —  The state Canvassing Board today directed that a recount begin tomorrow in the U.S. Senate race …