Caroline Kennedy to Seek Clinton's Senate Seat  —  Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided to pursue the United States Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a person told of her decision said on Monday.

Brother Explains Shoe-Tossing Iraqi Journalist's Anger  —  (Photo: Johan Spanner for The New York Times)  —  BAGHDAD — The brother of Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush during a joint press conference on Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki …

Biden TIME  —  Outgoing newsmag bureau chief Jay Carney to be assistant to the vice president and his director of communications.

Salazar poised to head Interior  —  Colorado's senior senator is said to be a leading contender for a Cabinet post that is vital to Western issues.  —  U.S. Senator Ken Salazar answers questions during a press conference in March.  (Special to the Post |  William Woody)

Senate Democrats May Return Thousands In Madoff Contributions  —  Bernard Madoff built a major investment shop largely on smoke and mirrors — convincing investors that his fund was a safe and consistent return when it was mostly a house of cards.  —  And yet the relationship between Bernard …

Obama Transition: We Can't Release Info Until Christmas Week  —  The Obama transition office just sent out this release about its internal “review” of contacts with disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich: … Last week, in a press conference on Thursday, President-elect Obama announced …

Limits on Executive Pay May Prove Toothless  —  Loophole in Bailout Provision Leaves Enforcement in Doubt  —  Congress wanted to guarantee that the $700 billion financial bailout would limit the eye-popping pay of Wall Street executives, so lawmakers included a mechanism …

PATERSON IN A BLIND RAGE OVER ‘SNL’ SKIT  —  Gov. Paterson didn't see the humor in a “Saturday Night Live” bit that mocked his blindness.  —  During the “Weekend Update” segment of NBC's irreverent comedy show, actor Fred Armisen played Paterson, imitating his wandering eye, gravelly voice and blunt, self-effacing demeanor.

Republicans' Guilt-by-Association Gamble  —  National Republicans moved aggressively over the weekend to link scandal-tarred Gov. Rod Blagojevich to President elect Barack Obama — a guilt-by-association tactic that represents a significant gamble for a party still looking to pick itself up off the electoral mat.

Sanford blasts Bush plans on bailout  —  South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is warning President Bush to back away from using the $700 billion Wall Street bailout for ailing Big Three automakers, saying doing so would fundamentally alter the nation's economy.  —  In a letter sent to the White House …

Lake Co. sheriff switches parties  —  Flanked by some of the state's most prominent Republicans, Democratic Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran announced Monday he is joining the GOP.  —  “I am changing parties as a matter of conscience,” Curran said at a news conference at the Lake County GOP headquarters in Libertyville.

Ask Dr. Helen: How Can I Keep My Students From Becoming Little Marxists?  —  It's not easy to keep young minds open to a variety of political views.  —  Scott from North Carolina is concerned with the radical views of his students: … Dear Scott:  —  You are correct to be concerned.

45% Suspect Obama Team Involved in Blagojevich Scandal  —  Forty five percent (45%) of U.S. voters say it is likely President-elect Obama or one of his top campaign aides was involved in the unfolding Blagojevich scandal in Illinois, including 23% who say it is Very Likely.

Red-State Army?  —  In Hopewell Township, N.J., the veterans of American Legion Post 339 have put their building up for sale.  “Today's vets don't come out,” 82-year old Jim Hall told The Times of Trenton last month.  The post is down from 425 paying members in the 1960s and '70s to 202 this year; only about a dozen regularly attend.

Left and Right, Piling On  —  In 1953, the president of General Motors, Charles Wilson, was nominated by President Eisenhower to be secretary of defense.  During his confirmation hearings, Wilson was asked if he'd be able, as defense secretary, to make decisions contrary to the interests …

Introducing Members of Obama's Energy and Environment Team  —  The text of a press release sent by President-elect Barack Obama's transition team announcing members of his energy and environment team.  —  Today, President-elect Barack Obama announced key members of his energy and environment team …

Transcript: Cheney Defends Hard Line Tactics  —  In an Exclusive Interview with ABC News, Vice President Dick Cheney Opens Up About His Hard Line Tactics  —  The following is an excerpted transcript from ABC News' Jonathan Karl's exclusive interview with Vice President Dick Cheney on Dec. 15, 2008 in the Executive Office Building.

Supreme Court rejects appeal questioning Obama's citizenship  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Supreme Court has dismissed a second emergency appeal questioning Barack Obama's eligibility to be president because he had dual British-American citizenship at birth.  —  The justices without comment …