We Call on You Lord: Leaked Rick Warren Invocation  —  (NOTE: Copies of what seemed to be a draft of an inaugural invocation by Pastor Rick Warren arrived in the fax machines of several prominent journalists this morning.  This site does not vouch for the authenticity of the draft …

Jerry Brown urges court to void Prop.  8  —  SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Jerry Brown changed course on the state's new same-sex marriage ban Friday and urged the state Supreme Court to void Proposition 8.  —  In a dramatic reversal, Brown filed a legal brief saying the measure …

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.

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.

Bush Aids Detroit, but Hard Choices Wait for Obama  —  WASHINGTON — The emergency bailout of General Motors and Chrysler announced by President Bush on Friday gives the companies a few months to get their businesses in order, but hands off to President-elect Barack Obama the difficult political task of ruling on their future.

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.

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.”

Sequel to Sarah Palin ‘nude painting’: A Rod Blagojevich ‘nude painting’?  —  Bruce Elliott works on a new painting of Governor Rod Blagojevich in his Chicago studio on Thursday, December 18, 2008.  Elliott's wife owns the Old Town Ale House where the painting will hang next to an earlier painting of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.