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 …

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.

An Exceedingly Strange New Respect  —  Hillary Clinton makes friends in some surprising precincts.  —  ‘Strange new respect’ is the term coined by Tom Bethell, an unhappy conservative, to describe the press adulation given those who drift leftward, those who grow “mature,” “wise,” and …

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.

Obama exerts his power  —  President-elect Barack Obama, in the latest of several moves to heal election wounds, persuaded Democrats to reject stiff punishment for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) despite his campaign efforts for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).  —  Lieberman is the beneficiary …

Let Detroit Go Bankrupt  —  IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.  It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.  —  Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself.

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 …

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 …

WAXMAN VERSUS DINGELL.  —  I haven't given this the attention it deserves, but Henry Waxman's decision to challenge John Dingell for chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee is a HUGE deal.  Energy and Commerce is, along with Ways and Means, the key House Committee, with jurisdiction over both energy and health care legislation.

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.

A Sea of Unwanted Imports  —  LONG BEACH, Calif. — Gleaming new Mercedes cars roll one by one out of a huge container ship here and onto a pier.  Ordinarily the cars would be loaded on trucks within hours, destined for dealerships around the country.  But these are not ordinary times.

Democrats Attempt Full Precinct Disenfranchisement, ACLU Silent  —  When an entire precinct of voters are about to have their votes thrown out by state legislators, you would think that some of those bold first amendment types would step up and sue and embarrass everyone in the process …

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 …