Sarah Palin: Conservative of the Year  —  Sarah Palin wins HUMAN EVENTS' prestigious “Conservative of the Year” Award for 2008 for her genius at annoying all the right people.  The last woman to get liberals this hot under the collar would have been ... let's see now ... oh, yeah: Me!

For Conservative Radio, It's a New Dawn, Too  —  Amid all the pressures on the radio industry, news-talk stations see an opportunity — and his name is Barack Obama.  —  After eight years of playing defense for President Bush, the conservatives who dominate talk radio are back on offense.

Biden: I'll be different vice president  —  (CNN) — In an interview with CNN's Larry King that will air at 9 p.m. ET Monday, Vice President-elect Joseph Biden discussed what role he will play in decision-making at the White House.  Biden also said the U.S. will remove combat troops from Iraq within two years.

A Special Note Re: Third Way  —  This is Jennifer Palmieri, acting CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.  —  Most readers know that the views expressed on Matt's blog are his own and don't always reflect the views of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Cheney says top congressional Democrats complicit in spying  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  Dick Cheney's interview yesterday with Fox's Chris Wallace was filled with significant claims, but certainly among the most significant was his detailed narration of how the administration …

Life Without Bubbles  —  Whatever the new administration does, we're in for months, perhaps even a year, of economic hell.  After that, things should get better, as President Obama's stimulus plan — O.K., I'm told that the politically correct term is now “economic recovery plan” — begins to gain traction.

Poll finds public split on Obama aides' contacts with Blagojevich  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new national poll indicates Americans are split on whether aides to President-elect Barack Obama did something inappropriate in their contacts with embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Toyota Expects Its First Loss in 70 Years  —  TOKYO — Toyota Motor, the Japanese auto giant, announced Monday that it expected the first loss in 70 years in its core vehicle-making business, underscoring how the economic crisis is spreading across the global auto industry.

Newspaper Shuns Web, and Thrives  —  With 2008 drawing to a brutal close on the media beat — bankruptcies, daily newspapers that are no longer daily, magazines that are downsizing into brochures — a little ray of light appeared in my e-mail inbox.  It was from a newspaper owner, of all people.

Sweet Bailout  —  Looks to me like the $700 billion rescue package may have been $1.6 billion too large: … A lot of people are going to read this as a confirmation of the Sirota/Pence view that government intervention was unnecessary.  I don't see it that way.

Inauguration Day Crowd Estimate Reduced by Half  —  Officials are casting doubt on an early projection that 4 million to 5 million people could jam downtown Washington on Inauguration Day, saying it is more likely that the crowd will be about half that size.

Krugman in contact with the Obama team?  —  Yes.  —  When master economist, columnist, and plain ole intellectual (so few left these days) Paul Krugman was asked this morning* about whether or not he was “in communications” with the Obama administration regarding the economy, he declared …

Where'd the bailout money go?  Shhhh, it's a secret  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - It's something any bank would demand to know before handing out a loan: Where's the money going?  —  But after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers …

Developers Ask U.S. for Bailout  —  With a record amount of commercial real-estate debt coming due, some of the country's biggest property developers have become the latest to go hat-in-hand to the government for assistance.  —  They're warning policymakers that thousands of office complexes …

Mika Brzezinski, Letting Her Opinions Percolate on ‘Morning Joe’ and the Radio  —  Mika Brzezinski doesn't mince words about what happened when CBS dropped her as a correspondent two years ago.  —  “Nobody wanted me,” she says.  “I spent a year looking for a job.

Fundraiser seeks immunity in Blagojevich probe  —  Blagojevich allegedly pressured ‘Individual D’ for cash to pick Jackson  —  A key figure in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged scheme to sell a U.S. Senate seat has sought immunity from federal authorities in return for his cooperation in their ongoing probe, the Tribune has learned.

the big rick's yamaka  —  OMG. when was the last time i had so many minutes to play with my blog? awesome.  —  so honey met rick warren last night.  well, she spoke to him on the phone beforehand, giving us insight into the man the media has made our latest “HE HATES YOU!” …

Bush, Cheney comforted troops privately  —  Met with thousands of war injured, kin out of spotlight  —  For much of the past seven years, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have waged a clandestine operation inside the White House.  It has involved thousands of military personnel …

Lieberman Campaign Manager to be DHS Spokesbot  —  Joe Lieberman's 2006 primary campaign manager, Sean Smith, who accused Ned Lamont of hacking their website the day of the Connecticut primary in 2006, has been selected to be the new Administration's spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security.