Bill Richardson: What I've Learned  —  The just-tapped Secretary of Commerce shares intimate new stories on how Barack Obama saved his ass before he became his boss, Saddam Hussein's guile, Bush's charm, racial politics and more.  —  After the campaign, I grew a beard as a rebellion …

Chambliss: Palin ‘allowed us to peak’  —  Fresh off his runoff victory Tuesday night, Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss credited Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with firing up his base.  —  “I can't overstate the impact she had down here,” Chambliss said during an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News.

Franken claims he is in the lead  —  Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken's campaign said Wednesday that the comedian has taken the lead in his race against Sen. Norm Coleman (R).  —  Franken's lawyer, Marc Elias, has been pressing for the media to focus on the campaign's internal vote totals …

Judicial Watch Announces Hillary Clinton Constitutionally Ineligible to Serve as Secretary of State  —  Ineligibility Clause of Constitution Prohibits Clinton Appointment  —  Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption …

Bushes Planning a Move to Dallas  —  ABC News Ann Compton Reports: President and Laura Bush are moving to Dallas once they leave the White House, the First Lady said on Wednesday.  —  Laura Bush confirmed that she and the President are buying a house in Dallas, about two hours from his beloved Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Obama Gives Political Ambassadors Their Pink Slips  —  The incoming Obama administration has notified all politically-appointed ambassadors that they must vacate their posts as of Jan. 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office, a State Department official said.

Novak: 'I Don't Think I Hurt Valerie Plame' And I Would Out Her Again Because The Left ‘Tried To Ruin Me’  —  During a recent interview with the National Ledger, conservative columnist Robert Novak was asked if he would reveal Valerie Plame Wilson's secret CIA identity if he could go back and do it all over again.

Campbell Brown: Sexism sneaks in over open mic  —  Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's “Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull” at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays.  She delivered this commentary during the “Cutting through the Bull” segment of Tuesday night's broadcast.

Against Soft Power  —  Via Michael Chertoff is making sense: … I might note that draconian security rules and visa policies are not helpful in this regard, something Chertoff might want to consider.  Foreigners don't like being treated as if there's a presumption that citizens …

Newt Gingrich Hasn't Gotten The Memo  —  Michelle Goldberg is the author of Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism.  Her new book, The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World, will be published in April by Penguin Press.  —  As I was walking out the door yesterday evening, the phone rang.

Obama shelves oil company tax after price fall: aide  —  CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama is not planning to implement a windfall profit tax on oil companies because prices have dropped below $80 a barrel, an aide said on Tuesday.  —  “President-elect Obama announced …

Obama Team Restates Strong Support For Union Bill  —  An aide to Barack Obama reaffirmed the President-elect's support for the labor movement's chief legislative priority in a one-word statement issued to the Huffington Post on late Tuesday.  —  Asked if Obama's support …

Discourse Watch: Obama's Citizenship A Legit Topic?  —  Townhall.com is a mainstream, legitimate, comprehensive, informative, and entertaining conservative news and opinion magazine and website.  Disclosure: they've written nice things about me.  To liberals and non-conservatives, their content can sometimes be edgy.

Federal Prosecutor Is Making Inquiries in the Investigation of the Dismissal of 9 U.S. Attorneys in 2006  —  A prosecutor who is investigating the dismissals of nine U.S. attorneys has been meeting with defense lawyers, dispatching subpoenas and seeking information about the events, according to legal sources familiar with the case.

Jeb: I am considering Senate run  —  Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush - the younger brother of the president - is weighing a run for the Senate seat currently held by Republican Mel Martinez.  —  Martinez announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in 2010.

College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S.  —  The rising cost of college — even before the recession — threatens to put higher education out of reach for most Americans, according to the annual report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

U.S. Presses Pakistan to Help India in Attack Inquiry  —  MUMBAI, India — As the United States tried to calm tensions between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressured Pakistan to cooperate fully in the effort to track down those responsible for the bloody attacks in Mumbai last week.