Exceptional news: John Brennan won't be CIA Director or DNI  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  This is really exceptional news on multiple levels — the best political news I've heard since the election: … Brennan's self-defense here is quite disingenuous.

Gates agrees to stay on under Obama  —  Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has agreed to stay on under President-elect Obama, according to officials in both parties.  Obama plans to announce a national-security team early next week that includes Gates at the Pentagon and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton …

Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes: A final blog entry  —  Today President-elect Obama announced his intention to nominate me as director of the Office of Management and Budget.  I am therefore resigning as director of CBO and this will be my final blog entry.  —  I have absolutely loved my time at CBO.

Palin to hit campaign trail in Georgia  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will make multiple campaign appearances on behalf of Sen. Saxby Chambliss next week in Georgia, serving as the political closer for the GOP senator who is battling to win a second term.

WE HEAR . . . WE HEAR  —  THAT although we didn't think it would be pos sible to silence Ann Coulter, the leggy reaction- ary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut . . . THAT the Tel Aviv Hilton was abuzz Saturday with the arrival of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock …

Obama's threat to Catholic hospitals and their very serious counterthreat.  —  When I saw the Catholic bishops had declared war on President-elect Obama at their semiannual meeting in Baltimore two weeks ago, my first reaction was pique: Gosh, guys, it isn't even parade day yet, and here you are, all dressed up and ready to rain on it.

Where Was Geithner in Turmoil?  —  President-elect Barack Obama unveiled on Monday an economic team with deep experience handling economic crises.  But does the man at the center of this star-studded cast, Timothy F. Geithner, the nominee for Treasury secretary, have what is needed to take the nation in a new financial direction?

Why Don't We Hang Pirates Anymore?  —  It's a safe bet, dear reader, that the title of this column has caused you to either (a) roll your eyes and wonder, What century do you think we're living in? or (b) scratch your head and ask, Yes, why don't we?  Wherever you come down …

CLAIMING A MANDATE.... In the immediate aftermath of the elections, there were a handful of Republicans who wanted to debate the meaning of the word “mandate.”  Apparently, Barack Obama's impressive victory — the highest popular vote margin for a non-incumbent in a half-century …

Scientists urge caution on global warming  —  Climate change skeptics on Capitol Hill are quietly watching a growing accumulation of global cooling science and other findings that could signal that the science behind global warming may still be too shaky to warrant cap-and-trade legislation.

How Obama's Local Buys Added Up  —  Nielsen's final look at ad buys by the 2008 Presidential candidates proved one famous mantra: politics really are local.  —  President-elect Barack Obama placed 155% more spot TV ads than John McCain during the general election season (6/08 to 11/08) …

Dems vs. Dems in new Congress  —  Forget the Republican filibuster and the race to 60.  The real fight in the next Congress is Democrats vs. themselves.  —  With nearly complete control of Washington for the first time in three decades, Democrats are entering a treacherous power zone …

Injured veterans engaged in new combat  —  In a little-noticed regulation change, the Pentagon's definition of combat-related disabilities is narrowed, costing some wounded veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits.  —  Marine Cpl. James Dixon was wounded twice in Iraq — by a roadside bomb and a land mine.

DISGUSTING WHINING  —  You've probably noticed Mark Halperin's claim that the level of pro-Obama bias in the election coverage this year was so bad it was “disgusting.”  I'll leave it to others to analyze what “disgusting” means when deployed by someone who takes his journalistic cues from Matt Drudge.

RUSSIAN ANALYST PREDICTS DECLINE AND BREAKUP OF USA  —  A leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for collapse, and will divide into separate parts.  —  Professor Igor Panarin …