Taking Yes For An Answer  —  Dish readers will know my own conflicted feelings about the selection of Rick Warren for the Inaugural Invocation.  But feelings must at some point cede to reason.  And I sense an understandable but, the more I think about it, misjudged response on the part of my fellow gays and lesbians.

Levi Johnston's mother hit with drug charges  —  Arrested: her son was in the spotlight as father of bristol palin's baby.  —  zhollander@adn.com  —  WASILLA — A 42-year-old Wasilla woman was arrested Thursday at her home by Alaska State Troopers with a search warrant in an undercover drug investigation.

A $17.4 Billion, 3-Month Lifeline for Automakers  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush tossed General Motors and Chrysler a temporary lifeline from the taxpayers on Friday, announcing $13.4 billion in emergency loans to prevent the collapse of the companies, with another $4 billion to become available in February.

Blago: I am not a crook  —  Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich struck a defiant tone in a Chicago press conference today, pledging to fight federal corruption charges in court and to stay in office despite calls for his resignation and talk of impeachment.  —  “I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing,” Blaojevich said.

Franken pushes his lead over Coleman past 150  —  The state Canvassing Board's first rush of ballot rulings in the U.S. Senate race has unofficially put challenger Al Franken in the lead by more than 150.  —  The intense scrutiny of “voter intent” resumed this morning by the five-member board charged …

Faith on the Hill: The Religious Affiliations of Members of Congress  —  Members of Congress are often accused of being out of touch with average citizens, but an examination of the religious affiliations of U.S. senators and representatives shows that, on one very basic level, Congress looks much like the rest of the country.

With Little Fanfare, Kennedy Meets Weingarten  —  (Photo: Ruby Washington/The New York Times)  —  Today's stop on the whirlwind Caroline Kennedy listening and political-exploration tour could not have been more different from the circus-like atmosphere that has been a fixture of her meetings with notable New Yorkers in recent days.

Somebody Needs to Serve a Subpoena on Ole Fourth Branch, in a Hurry  —  Welcome back to another day in [CrazyWorld] CheneyWorld, or as we like to call it, the “Fourth Branch”.  The NYTimes via AP is reporting that Darth Cheney has declared that he, and he alone, has the power to decide which …

Caroline Kennedy Is No Sarah Palin  —  WASHINGTON — It is a legitimate question: Why is the resume-thin Caroline Kennedy being treated seriously as a prospective appointee to the U.S. Senate when the comparatively more-qualified Gov. Sarah Palin received such a harsh review?

Americans Take Parting Shots at Bush  —  It was bad enough for President Bush to have shoes tossed at his head during his farewell journey to Baghdad.  Now comes a new poll in which Americans call Bush all sorts of names — some of them a lot worse than “dog.”

GOP slams Bush over bailout  —  Republican leaders across the board have let loose on President Bush's auto industry bailout in what may be some of the toughest GOP criticism of the Bush presidency.  —  John McCain is leading the way, saying it is “unacceptable that we would leave …

Portrait shows Bush relaxed and smiling  —  President, first lady unveil official paintings at National Portrait Gallery  —  WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush's two terms in office have been marked by wars, a global financial crisis, and a steady stream of political opposition.

Severed cable disrupts web access  —  Internet and phone communications between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia have been seriously disrupted after submarine cables were severed.  —  It is thought the FLAG FEA, SMW4, and SMW3 lines, near the Alexandria cable station in Egypt, have all been cut.

Music Industry to Abandon Mass Suits  —  After years of suing thousands of people for allegedly stealing music via the Internet, the recording industry is set to drop its legal assault as it searches for more effective ways to combat online music piracy.  —  The decision represents …

Bush Has Made Us Vulnerable  —  Two incompetently prosecuted wars have undermined our deterrent power.  —  In his great Civil War history, “Decision in the West,” Albert Castel describes the last Confederate hope of victory.  If in 1864 the Confederate armies continue to exact a steep cost from the North …

World Bank: Russia may need help if oil falls more … MOSCOW (AP) - Russia would come under crippling financial pressure and may need to raise money externally if oil languishes at an average of $30 a barrel over the next two years, the World Bank predicted Friday.