It Hurts To Be John Kerry Today  —  It must have been painful, but at least it was classy.  Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) reaction statement to President-elect Obama's choice for secretary of state was the first to arrive in the Sleuth's inbox (besides, of course, Bill Clinton's).

It's official: Recession since Dec. '07  —  The National Bureau of Economic Research declares what most Americans already knew: the downturn has been going on for some time.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday that the U.S …

Cabinet Rank  —  Some people I know were less-than-thrilled to hear that Susan Rice would be heading to New York as our UN Ambassador since they would have rather seen her take a post in DC where she could help ensure that the Gates/Jones/Clinton “team of rivals” doesn't manage to lock …

Senate Could Give New President Early Legislative Victories  —  As Senate Democrats prepare for next year's agenda, they are likely to have a working filibuster-proof majority on a variety of legislative issues that could provide early victories for President-elect Barack Obama.

Bush: ‘I Did Not Compromise My Principles’  —  President George W. Bush Says He Will Leave Office With ‘Head Held High’  —  Looking back on his eight years in the White House, President George W. Bush pinpointed incorrect intelligence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction as …

Memeorandum runs rings around Google News  —  If you want to know what's happening in the world, then Memorandum will tell you - at least in a couple of areas.  It's an automated news clipping service, known in the trade as a “news aggregator”.  It provides headlines and short texts updated every few minutes …

Deficits and the Future  —  Right now there's intense debate about how aggressive the United States government should be in its attempts to turn the economy around.  Many economists, myself included, are calling for a very large fiscal expansion to keep the economy from going into free fall.

America must keep consumer liquidity flowing  —  As an analyst, it is my job to do fundamental research and call it as I see it, and my bailiwick is financials.  My outlook has been negative for over a year and, technically, I have been “right” on my calls.

How to Combat a Banking Crisis: First, Round Up the Pessimists  —  Latvian Agents Detain a Gloomy Economist; ‘It Is a Form of Deterrence’  —  RIGA, Latvia — Hammered by economic woe, this former Soviet republic recently took a novel step to contain the crisis.

Top Ten Funniest Political Quotes Of 2008  —  At the end of 2006 we brought you the funniest political quotes of 2006.  —  At the end of 2007 we brought you the funniest political quotes of 2007.  —  Now that we're nearing the end of 2008 it's time for the top ten funniest political quotes of 2008.

Deepak Blames America  —  The media look within to explain the sick delusions of the Mumbai killers.  —  If the Mumbai terror assault seemed exceptional, and shocking in its targets, it was clear from the Thanksgiving Day reports that we weren't going to be deprived of the familiar, either.

What Tina Wants  —  Tina Fey has rules.  They've guided the 38-year-old writer-comedian through marriage, motherhood, and a career that went into hyperdrive this fall, when her Sarah Palin impression convulsed the nation, boosting the ratings of both Saturday Night Live and her own NBC show, 30 Rock.

Cheap sex - the credit crunch is biting under the sheets  —  As the credit crunch bites, Britons may be turning to sex as a cheap way to pass the time, a charity says.  —  A YouGov survey of 2,000 adults found sex was the most popular free activity, ahead of window shopping and gossiping.

India Security Faulted as Survivors Tell of Terror  —  At Tourist Haunts and Train Station, Swiftly Launched Assault Overwhelmed Police; Home Affairs Minister Steps Down  —  MUMBAI — As waiters started setting dinner buffets in Mumbai's luxurious hotels, the killings that would ravage …

AP IMPACT: US diluted loan rules before crash  —  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration backed off proposed crackdowns on no-money-down, interest-only mortgages years before the economy collapsed, buckling to pressure from some of the same banks that have now failed.