Source: Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody  —  A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning.  The U.S. attorney's office would not confirm the information.  —  A Blagojevich spokesman said he was unaware of the development.

For Bush's staff, upbeat talking points on his tenure  —  Administration officials get a memo from the White House suggesting what to say about the last eight years: President Bush upheld ‘the honor and the dignity of his office,’ for one.  —  Reporting from Washington …

Cracks appear in Obama foreign policy team … WASHINGTON (AP) - The first sign of cracks in President-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy team of rivals emerged on Monday as his choices for secretary of state and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations visited the State Department.

Breitbart's big, red Hollywood  —  After playing supporting roles to big names in media and politics, Andrew Breitbart is poised to become the protagonist in his own story.  —  The publisher of the online news aggregator Breitbart.com helped launch and run two of today's most influential media …

Poll: 79% approve of way Obama is handling transition  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — With six weeks before taking office, President-elect Barack Obama is having one heck of a honeymoon, a new national poll suggests.  —  Nearly eight in 10 Americans questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey …

Boehner: Future of GOP is Cao  —  One week ago, most Republicans had never heard of Anh “Joseph” Cao.  Those who were aware he was challenging Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) thought he had almost no chance of winning.  Not a single Republican in the state's congressional delegation donated to his campaign.

Illinois Governor Supports Workers Occupying Closed Chicago Factory  —  Workers occupying a Chicago factory that closed abruptly last week gained a significant political ally Monday in their fight to receive back benefits, when Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) ordered state agencies …

Tense talks continue on auto industry bailout  —  WASHINGTON - Tense talks are continuing on a bill to provide financial aid to the auto industry as the White House pushes tougher consequences than congressional Democrats embrace for failure by the carmakers to bring costs under control.

Kennedy Is Said to Be Politicking for His Niece  —  While Caroline Kennedy is maintaining her public silence about whether she wishes to succeed Senator Hillary Clinton, her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, has been working behind the scenes on her behalf, according to Democratic aides.

The media's disingenuous failure to state the obvious.  —  The obvious is sometimes the most difficult thing to discern, and few things are more amusing than the efforts of our journals of record to keep “open” minds about the self-evident, and thus to create mysteries when the real task of reportage is to dispel them.

Where Are the New Jobs for Women?  —  BARACK OBAMA has announced a plan to stimulate the economy by creating 2.5 million jobs over the next two years.  He intends to use the opportunity to make good on two campaign promises — to invest in road and bridge maintenance and school repair …

UAW Workers Actually Cost the Big Three Automakers $70 an Hour  —  The United Auto Workers (UAW) wants Congress to bail out General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to prevent their undergoing restructuring in bankruptcy proceedings.  In bankruptcy, a judge could order union contracts to be renegotiated to reflect competitive realities.

Did Democrats peak too early?  —  Did the Democrats' exile end too soon?  —  That may be a question that nags at more than a few party activists once all the partying is done.  —  Democrats have clearly come a long way in rebuilding their party infrastructure since falling from power in the late 1990s.

F.D.R. Knew How to Spend Carefully  —  THE plan by Barack Obama to attack unemployment by putting people to work on roads, bridges, schools and new energy projects sounds like a version of the New Deal's Works Progress Administration.  If Franklin D. Roosevelt is Mr. Obama's model …

Washington Takes Risks With Its Auto Bailout Plans  —  WASHINGTON — When President-elect Barack Obama talked on Sunday about realigning the American automobile industry he was quick to offer a caution, lest he sound more like the incoming leader of France, or perhaps Japan.

Schadenfreude  —  Publius accuses me of schadenfreude about liberal discomfiture with Obama's appointments.  Schadenfreude?  I supported the guy for president.  I would personally be pleased to see Ingrid Newkirk appointed to head the USDA.  —  I belong to another small movement …

New Deal: Business likes Obama plan  —  Big business is lining up to support President-elect Obama's plan to stimulate the economy with the biggest spending spree on roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects since the Eisenhower administration.  —  Business groups believe injecting funds …

Oil giants could soon face lawsuits over climate, says Oxford University scientist  —  People affected by worsening storms, heatwaves and floods could soon be able to sue the oil and power companies they blame for global warming, a leading climate expert has said.