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 …

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.

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 …

The Bill Clinton loopholes  —  Bill Clinton pledged to dial back his international charity work and personal earning power so Hillary Clinton can go to State.  But in reality, a set of Obama-backed restrictions leaves a lot more that the ex-president can do than cannot.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Invasion of privacy  —  Am I the only person who is really irritated by these unctuous reports from the Politico that President-Elect Barack Obama is not attending church on Sunday?  Here is an excerpt from reporter Ben Smith's dumb story:  —  As my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Carol Lee noted last week …

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 …

Cao's Upset of Rep. Jefferson in Louisiana Gives Republicans a New Hero  —  Less than 24 hours after his upset defeat of a longtime Democratic congressman from New Orleans, Anh “Joseph” Cao found the weight of the entire Republican Party resting on his diminutive shoulders.

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.

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 …

Keeping calm about the Tribune's bankruptcy  —  Years ago, when I was arguing for legalization of illicit drugs, my elders told me I'd feel differently once I had kids.  I had three, and I didn't feel differently about the wisdom of prohibition.  For years, whenever I've defended the free market …