Obama National Security Picks Get High Marks  —  Sixty-nine percent approve of Obama choosing Hillary Clinton as secretary of state  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans widely approve of Barack Obama's decisions, announced on Monday, to name Hillary Clinton secretary of state and to ask Robert Gates to stay on as secretary of defense.

171 uncounted ballots turn up in Ramsey County; Franken nets gain  —  The final day of recounting in Ramsey County in the U.S. Senate race kicked up controversy today when 171 uncounted ballots from Maplewood turned up.  The ballots apparently had been uncounted because of a ballot-counting-machine malfunction on Election Day.

Paterson talks Senate  —  New York Gov. David Paterson joked with Barack Obama about the open Senate seat at the National Governors Association meeting that just ended in Philadelphia, Paterson told Politico.  —  “What he said to me was, 'I'm sure I made your life easier,'” …

Christmas Colors for the White House: Red, White and Impeach  —  ** 3:20 p.m. This story updated here: White House Won't Hang Christmas Impeachment Ornament.  When Deborah Lawrence got the invitation from the White House, the Seattle-based artist decided to make a lefty political statement.

Reid: We won't smell the tourists anymore  —  The Capitol Visitors Center, which opened this morning, may have tripled its original budget and fallen years behind schedule, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found a silver lining for members of Congress: tourists won't offend them with their B.O. anymore.

Murkowski to Palin: Leave my seat alone  —  Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has some Republican-to-Republican advice for Gov. Sarah Palin: If you want to make a run at the White House, keep your hands off my Senate seat.  —  Murkowski, up for reelection in 2010, is nervously awaiting word …

Gregory to host ‘Meet the Press’  —  NBC News plans to name David Gregory as moderator of “Meet the Press,” infusing one of television's most prized franchises with a sharp edge leavened by a youthful style and versatility, according to network executives.  —  Gregory, 38, celebrated …

Mel Martinez To Retire  —  Fla. Sen. Mel Martinez figured to be a top target for Democrats in 2010.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)  —  Florida Sen. Mel Martinez (R) has decided against seeking a second term, a decision he will formalize shortly in the Sunshine State, according to an informed party source.

Bush = Nixon?  Not So Fast, Says FNC's Chris Wallace  —  Last night's special screening of new movie “Frost/Nixon” in Washington, D.C. was an early holiday gift to Beltway liberals, delivering glad tidings of anti-Nixonian feelgood vibes to the permanent Washington establishment …

Short Lines at Polls in Georgia Senate Runoff  —  ATLANTA — Georgia voters encountered short lines but heavy campaigning Tuesday on the morning of the state's runoff election for the Senate between the incumbent Republican, Saxby Chambliss, and Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

Gates's Top Deputies May Leave  —  Major Shifts at Pentagon Anticipated in Obama Administration  —  Although President-elect Barack Obama's decision to keep Robert M. Gates at the helm of the Pentagon will provide a measure of continuity for a military fighting two wars …

‘Political Archaeologists’ Find Surprises During the Transition  —  WASHINGTON — For the first time since they threw their old, boxy pagers over the White House fence on Jan. 20, 2001 — the BlackBerry as we know it wasn't on the market yet — the alumni of the Clinton Administration have returned to their old haunts.

Obama picks Richardson for Commerce  —  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson waves at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Aug. 28, 2008.  (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)  —  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will be named President-elect Barack Obama's Commerce Secretary at a Chicago press conference tomorrow.

GM: We need $12 billion to survive  —  Automaker offers plan to slash workers, brands and plants by 2012  —  WASHINGTON - General Motors said Tuesday it needs $4 billion in government loans this month and a total of $12 billion by late March to keep operating.

The Sovereignty Dodge  —  What Pakistan Won't Do, the World Should  —  “We don't think the world's great nations and countries can be held hostage by non-state actors,” Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said yesterday.  Fair enough.  But what is the world to do when those non-state actors operate …

Delinquent Mortgages Set to Nearly Double in 2009  —  The number of consumers with delinquent mortgages is poised to almost double by the end of next year, hitting its highest level in at least 16 years, according to a leading credit bureau.  —  TransUnion LLC, which analyzed …

More Immigration Losers  —  GOP hardliners need to face reality.  —  Virginia Republican Congressman Virgil Goode's narrow loss to Democrat Tom Perriello became official last week, and it caps another bad showing for immigration restrictionists.  For the second straight election …

Are You Better off Than You Were 40 Years Ago?  —  Government has grown, but freedom has grown faster.  —  In the November 1968 Mechanix Illustrated, James Berry gave an eerily prescient glimpse of life in the typical American household today: “The single most important item in 2008 households is the computer.

INSULTS.  —  One of the clever things about the Catholic church has been it's ablity to maintain its status as a political force and a tiny state, and have some effect as a kind of diplomatic go-between and agenda setter.Think of the Vatican as the internationl equivalent of D.C. “Congresswoman” Eleanor Holmes Norton, say.