Senate-for-sale case threatens new chief of staff  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. Rod Blagojevich is legendary in Illinois political circles for not picking up the phone or returning calls, even from important figures like the state's senior senator, Dick Durbin.  —  But there was always …

Bush E-Mails May Be Secret a Bit Longer  —  Legal Battles, Technical Difficulties Delay Required Transfer to Archives  —  The required transfer in four weeks of all of the Bush White House's electronic mail messages and documents to the National Archives has been imperiled by a combination …

Biden to oversee efforts aimed at middle class  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - Vice President-elect Joe Biden will oversee an Obama administration effort to find ways of building up the ranks of the middle class, that ambiguously defined segment …

Bush attacker ‘incensed by bullet-riddled Koran’  —  THE young Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President George W Bush had been incensed by a story he covered about an American soldier who used a copy of the Koran for target practice, according to his family.

Making Congress Moot  —  A new Capitol Visitor Center recently opened, just in time for the transformation of the Capitol building into a tomb for the antiquated idea that the legislative branch matters.  The center is supposed to enhance the experience of visitors to Congress, although why there are visitors is a mystery.

The Madoff Generation  —  Bernie Madoff had his fun with the $50 billion entrusted to him by investors.  Now the media have their fun chronicling the downfall of the financier once affectionately known as “the Jewish T-bill” for his ability to generate guaranteed returns — until his Ponzi scheme collapsed.

AP study finds $1.6B went to bailed-out bank execs  —  Banks that are getting taxpayer bailouts awarded their top executives nearly $1.6 billion in salaries, bonuses, and other benefits last year, an Associated Press analysis reveals.  —  The rewards came even at banks where poor results …

Pastor Rick Warren Likens Gays To Pizza  —  'Just because I like pizza it doesn't mean I should marry it"  —  In an interview with Ann Curry on NBC's Dateline, Evangelist Preacher, Rick Warren, who is set to deliver the invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration, equated gays getting married to eating pizza everyday.

Bleeding Heart Tightwads  —  This holiday season is a time to examine who's been naughty and who's been nice, but I'm unhappy with my findings.  The problem is this: We liberals are personally stingy.  —  Liberals show tremendous compassion in pushing for generous government spending to help the neediest people at home and abroad.

Obama Expands Stimulus Goals  —  As Economic Outlook Grows More Dire, Early Target for Job Growth Is Bolstered  —  President-elect Barack Obama has expanded his goals for a massive federal stimulus package to keep pace with the increasingly grim economic outlook, aiming to create or preserve …