Indicted Louisiana congressman loses re-election bid  —  (CNN) — Nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who has been battling scandals and a federal indictment for the past three years, appears to have lost his bid for re-election.  —  Republican challenger Anh “Joseph” Cao …

Obama Picks Shinseki to Lead Veterans Affairs  —  President-elect Barack Obama today will introduce retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as his nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, bringing to his Cabinet a career military officer best known for running afoul of the Bush administration …

SHOCKER: Sebelius removes name from Cabinet consideration  —  Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who was a finalist for vice president last summer and under consideration for several Cabinet posts in a Barack Obama administration, today withdrew her name from the selection process.

Bill Ayers: Please Go Away  —  For reasons best known to themselves, the NYT has published an op-ed by William Ayers: … Oh, for heavens' sake.  The Weather Underground might have gotten its new name in 1970, but Weatherman, from which it morphed, was founded in 1969.

New York Times Baffled How a Conservative, Oil-Drilling State Isn't in Recession  —  A real head-scratcher.  Let's see: They drill for oil, are a relatively conservative farming state and actually have jobs they can't fill.  —  So the Times considers this odd. … They obviously have good leadership.

Limbaugh: “I love Sarah Palin”  —  From Baba Wawa's “10 Most Fascinating People of 2008″ special.  I assume it's his new contract and the lure of big ratings from righties that led ABC to put him on the list.  Otherwise, the logic of saluting the power of conservative talk radio …

Letter to Sean Hannity of Fox News  —  I sent the following letter to Sean Hannity recently in response to his misrepresentation of what I said on his show regarding the Mumbai terrorist attacks.  I have not received any response back from him.  Today I read it aloud on my Sirius-XM radio program …

Washington Post Changes Already Written Article on Obama Helping Paulson Get Bailout Money  —  The Washington Post appears to have changed an already published article without noting the change.  The original article started out: … This can be confirmed via Huffington Post …

Legal Organization May Become Influential Beyond Its Dreams  —  The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy was founded seven years ago to counter a growing right-leaning legal philosophy that has reshaped the American legal landscape on issues from the reach of federal regulation to the separation of church and state.

Attorneys for Indicted Blackwater Guards Lash Out at Justice Dept.  —  Attorneys for five Blackwater Worldwide security guards charged in a 2007 shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead accused the government yesterday of engaging in unfair second-guessing of the contractors' actions in a combat zone.

The GOP's “Yes We Can”  —  NYU prof. Clay Shirky discusses the underappreciated impact of “Dear Mr. Obama,” which he calls “the single most affecting video of the election”:

Harris County tax assessor-collector Bettencourt to resign  —  Ordinarily, the resignation of a second-tier county official would not be big news.  But Paul Bettencourt is a high-profile figure and a stalwart in conservative Republican circles.  He has been a strong voice for the GOP concern …

Breaking: Obama unveils 21st Century New Deal  —  President-elect Barack Obama added sweep and meat to his economic agenda on Saturday, pledging the largest new investment in roads and bridges since President Dwight D. Eisenhower built the Interstate system in the late 1950s …