Obama rolls out national security team  —  (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama on Monday announced Sen. Hillary Clinton as his pick for secretary of state, calling her an “American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence.”  —  “Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend …

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 …

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 …

Fox News shut out again at Obama press conference.  —  Fishbowl DC has been keeping tabs of which media outlets have been allowed to ask a question at President-elect Barack Obama's five press conferences so far.  They report Fox News is 0-5.  “Questions instead went to such outlets as ABC …

Credit-card industry may cut $2 trillion lines: analyst  —  (Reuters) - The U.S. credit-card industry may pull back well over $2 trillion of lines over the next 18 months due to risk aversion and regulatory changes, leading to sharp declines in consumer spending, prominent banking analyst Meredith Whitney said.

How is it Obama can fill a Cabinet faster than NBC can replace Tim Russert?  —  The suits at NBC are doing far more agonizing over who should fill Tim Russert's shoes on Meet the Press than Obama is over appointing his cabinet.  They're taking more time over it, too.

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.

For Franken, a math problem  —  Challenged ballots may offer the Senate challenger a path to overtaking Coleman, but numbers indicate it would be a tough route.  —  While a tiny margin separates the candidates in the Minnesota U.S. Senate race, it is wide enough that Democrat Al Franken faces …

No plots for Mumbai terrorists: Indian Muslim trust  —  It may be a small gesture, but a welcome one in a city devastated by a terrorist massacre.  An influential Muslim trust has refused to bury the bodies of the nine terrorists who killed at least 174 people in Mumbai, declaring that they have no place in Islam.

Not resigning  —  “Senator Clinton intends to remain in office through confirmation,” emails spokesman Philippe Reines.  —  UPDATE: Says New York Governor David Paterson in a statement: “In order to appoint the best possible candidate to replace Senator Clinton, I am consulting with a wide variety …

Liberals: Dion would be PM  —  VIDEO: Tories toss policy, release secret tapes  —  Liberal Leader Stephane Dion shakes hands with caucus members following a caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa Monday Dec. 1, 2008.  The Liberals have said they have agreed to form a coalition government …

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 …

The Cabinet Possibilities Who Are Saying ‘No, Thanks’ (for Now)  —  We took a break from handicapping who's in the running for jobs in President-elect Barack Obama's administration to scour the public record and find contenders who have taken themselves out of consideration.

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.

If Matthews Is Mulling A Senate Run, He Shouldn't Be On The Air  —  If Chris Matthews is seriously considering a run for Arlen Specter's Senate seat, he shouldn't be on the air right now.  —  One of the reasons millions of people rely on NBC as a news source is that it's objective and driven by a fidelity to covering the news.

Jeb Bush to GOP: Don't Become ‘Democrat-Lite’  —  Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tells Newsmax that the GOP must broaden its appeal to avoid becoming “the old white-guy party,” and recommends that Republicans create a “shadow government” to engage Democrats on important issues …

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.

Palin tells crowd nation is watching Georgia  —  Chambliss, Palin in Gwinnett at 4; Martin, Ludacris at Capitol at 5:30  —  Augusta — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin roared back onto the campaign trail Monday, calling on Georgians to re-elect incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss …