Obama's Brain Trust  —  President-elect Barack Obama has now made three things clear about his plans to bring the economy back: He wants his actions to be big and bold.  He sees economic recovery as intimately linked with economic and social reform.  And he is bringing in a gifted brain trust to get the job done.

For Collins, forgiveness may be tough  —  The tactics used by Democrats to secure at least 58 Senate seats may have damaged their chances of winning vital support from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in key votes in the 111th Congress.  —  Collins told colleagues at a small Senate prayer breakfast meeting …

Saving Citi May Create More Fear  —  One bailout was not enough for Citigroup.  And it may not be enough for other big banks.  —  While Citigroup's second multibillion-dollar rescue from Washington hit Wall Street like a shot of adrenaline on Monday, many analysts worried that the jolt would soon wear off.

[UPDATED] State Pegs Coleman Lead at 172 Votes; Challenges Increase for Fourth Straight Day  —  UPDATED at 9:50 PM with technical mumbo-jumbo.  —  The nightly, 8 PM update from the Minnesota Secretary of State now shows Norm Coleman with a nominal lead of 172 votes over Al Franken.

GOP senator: We haven't learned  —  The Republican U.S. senator sits glumly across the restaurant table.  —  “I don't think we have learned much from the election in terms of what people want to see,” he says.  “We have the same gridlock.”  —  By the “same gridlock,” he means that party hard-liners …

The Congressman, the Donor and the Tax Break  —  Representative Charles B. Rangel has helped raise $11 million for a City College of New York school of public service to be named in his honor.  In recent months, as questions have emerged about his fund-raising, he has insisted that he has kept …

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 …

Claremont parents clash over kindergarten Thanksgiving costumes  —  Some say having students dress up as pilgrims and Native Americans is ‘demeaning.’ Their opponents say they are elitists injecting politics into a simple children's celebration.  —  For decades, Claremont kindergartners …

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 …

CNN Ordered to Rehire 110 Workers Fired for Belonging to a Union  —  This report likely won't be on CNN's “Headline News,” but after five years, former workers at CNN have finally gained justice.  In a decision made public today, an administrative law judge ordered the network to rehire 110 workers …

Why Permanent Tax Cuts Are the Best Stimulus  —  Short-term fiscal policies fail to promote long-term growth.  —  The incoming Obama administration and congressional Democrats are now considering a second fiscal stimulus package, estimated at more than $500 billion, to follow the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008.

More on Hillary Clinton and the Emoluments Clause:  —  From Prof. Michael Stokes Paulsen, author of Is Lloyd Bentsen Unconstitutional?, 46 Stanford L. Rev. 907 (1994) (some paragraph breaks added, some glitches fixed with Prof. Paulsen's advance permission):

Politico poll: Chambliss up by three  —  Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss holds a narrow lead over Democrat Jim Martin in the Dec. 2 Georgia Senate runoff, according to a new Politico/InsiderAdvantage poll.  —  The poll shows Chambliss leading Martin by three points, 50 to 47 percent, with three percent of respondents undecided.

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.

Bush Issues 14 Pardons and Commutes 2 Sentences  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush granted 14 pardons and commuted two prison sentences on Monday, but the benefactors included none of the big names who had become the topic of speculation as Mr. Bush leaves office.

City's In Bad Shape, But We Want Our Rebate, New York City Voters Tell Quinnipiac University Poll; Mayor's Approval Drops From Super-High To Very High  —  New York City's budget problems are “very serious,” 66 percent of voters say, and 28 percent say they are “somewhat serious,” according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.