Waxman wrestles gavel from Dingell  —  Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) will become the next chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee after House Democrats voted to replace current Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.).  —  Waxman won 137-122 in the secret ballot vote.

Exclusive: Pritzker turns down Commerce  —  Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker, national campaign finance chairwoman for the Obama campaign, has taken herself out of the running to be secretary of Commerce because of vetting issues, a Democratic official said.

Discussions With Clintons as Obama Creates Team  —  WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton has agreed to all of the conditions sought by President-elect Barack Obama's transition team to eliminate potential conflicts of interest if Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton becomes secretary of state …

Challenged ballots: You be the judge  —  Representatives from the campaigns of Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken have been challenging ballots across the state.  —  It's your turn to play election judge.  Tell us how you would rule in the case of these challenged ballots.

McCain Pollster Explains Loss, Calls Frank Luntz A Moron  —  The chief pollster for John McCain's presidential campaign offered a candid diagnosis of how his candidate was done in, on occasion reserving harsh words for fellow Republicans.  —  Bill McInturff, speaking at a National Journal breakfast …

Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon  —  Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors.  —  The figures detailing Iran's progress …

Health Insurers Offer to Accept All Applicants, on Condition  —  WASHINGTON — The health insurance industry said Wednesday that it would support a health care overhaul requiring insurers to accept all customers, regardless of illness or disability.  But in return, the industry said …

GOP Takes Another Image Hit Post-Election  —  Republicans favor tacking right; independents offer mixed guidance  — USA - Democrats - Favorability - Government and Politics - Political Parties - Republicans - Americas - Northern America  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The Republican Party's image …

Most Americans Back Idea of Clinton as Secretary of State  —  Nearly 8 in 10 Democrats favor the possibility  — USA - Election 2008 - Elections - Government - Party Affiliation - The Presidency - Americas - Northern America  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A new Gallup Poll finds a majority of Americans …

Things That Could Have Been Brought To My Attention Yesterday  —  In today's Journal, Newt Gingrich and Peter Ferrara argue that instead of Barack Obama's hodgepodge of tax credits, we should have a straightforward middle-class tax cut that lowers the 25 percent bracket to 15 percent.

Judge Orders Five Detainees Freed From Guantánamo  —  In the first hearing on the government's evidence for holding detainees at the Guantánamo Bay detention camp for nearly seven years, a federal judge ruled on Thursday that five prisoners were being held an unlawfully and ordered their release.

An unpardonable use of power  —  A departing president probably can't help thinking about the judgment of history.  At the end of eight years, President Bush likely isn't any different.  With the nation's attention focused on his successor, it may seem as if there is little opportunity left …

Senate GOP in big funk  —  A day after losing Ted Stevens' seat, along with their best hope for getting Joe Lieberman to cross over, Senate GOP leaders preached party unity as the key to surviving the Obama years.  —  If that doesn't work, there's always psychotherapy.

Conservative Transportation Policy  —  Politico reports on conservatives trying to think of some ideas: … I'm not sure exactly what Strassel has in mind, but to my way of thinking an enormous amount of good could be done if conservatives were more interested in applying really basic free market principles to transportation policy.

Kerry poised to cap long journey  —  Will lead panel that thrust him to fame in '71  —  EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/file Barack Obama and John Kerry embraced at a political rally in Charleston, S.C., during the presidential campaign in January.  (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/file)

Senate Throws Good-Bye Party For Ted Stevens, Gives Convicted Felon A Standing Ovation  —  Today, Ted Stevens — Alaska's defeated Republican senator and a convicted felon — was granted time on the Senate floor to deliver his farewell speech.  Stevens said that he still can't believe that he's …

THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE, PARANOIA, AND RIGHT-WING SELF-PITY.... I've been fascinated of late with the far-right hysteria about the reemergence of the “fairness doctrine,” because conservative activists are gearing up for a knock-down brawl against an enemy that doesn't exist.