Obama On Rick Warren Pick: We Have To Be Able To Agree To Disagree  —  Obama, at his presser today, defends the decision to choose Rick Warren to deliver the invocation as his inauguration with a restatement of his commitment to gay rights and, more broadly, to the principles of unity that have been a hallmark of his rise to power:

Minnesota Supreme Court: Count rejected absentee ballots  —  In a ruling crucial to the disputed U.S. Senate election, the Minnesota Supreme Court Thursday rejected an attempt by incumbent Norm Coleman to block the state Canvassing Board from counting improperly rejected absentee ballots.

Minn. High Court Ruling Could Help Coleman  —  A state Supreme Court ruling, which will likely exclude hundreds of ballots that Al Franken (D) had sought to include in the recount, could help Sen. Norm Coleman (R) in Minnesota's contested Senate race.  —  The court in part overturned …

Brett Favre Beats Lizard People  —  Yesterday, the Franken campaign challenged this ballot, claiming that “Brett Favre” was an identifying mark:  —  The Canvassing Board rejected the challenge and awarded the vote to Coleman.  —  Today, just moments ago, the infamous Lizard People ballot came up for the Canvassing Board's review!

Kennedy is listening to wrong folks  —  Who says Camelot kid Caroline Kennedy isn't ready to be a big-time politician representing New York in the U. S. Senate?  —  She doesn't even have the job yet, and she's already acting like a seasoned insider.  —  In her first visit to Buffalo …

HILDA SOLIS IS GREAT.  —  What does Rep. Hilda Solis, Barack Obama's selection for secretary of labor, bring to the job?  Only a record of passionate commitment to working people, a high level of political smarts, and some genuine displays of raw guts that could make her a star of American liberalism.