Warren On?  Party Off.  —  Not that he was planning to attend, but Barack Obama should know that my sister's inauguration night party — the one for which she was preparing Obama Punch — has been canceled.  The notice went out over the weekend, by e-mail and word of mouth …

With most ballot challenges settled, Franken leads by 48  —  With most ballot challenges settled, Democrat Al Franken holds a 48-vote lead over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate recount, according to a Star Tribune analysis of a draft report from the Secretary of State's office.

Clinton Moves To Widen Role Of State Dept.  —  WASHINGTON — Even before taking office, Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeking to build a more powerful State Department, with a bigger budget, high-profile special envoys to trouble spots and an expanded role in dealing with global economic issues at a time of crisis.

Quote of the Year  —  Co-anchor Chris Matthews: “I have to tell you, you know, it's part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech.  My — I felt this thrill going up my leg.  I mean, I don't have that too often.  —  “Co-anchor Keith Olbermann: “Steady.

Paparazzi Photog Gets a ‘Pec-tacular’ Obama Shot  —  HONOLULU — More than a dozen photographs of a bathing suit-clad President-elect Barack Obama surfaced online Monday showing the shirtless Chicagoan accompanied by his wife, Michelle, and their two young daughters on the white-sand beach in front of their vacation home.

The Price Of Their Security  —  Understanding isn't the same as forgiving.  The history-be-my-judge interviews that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been giving recently help me understand why they acted with such contempt for our Constitution and our values …

It's official: Readers pick Cokie Roberts' “foreign, exotic” Hawaii comments as Most Inane  —  In the end, it wasn't close.  By an overwhelming margin, criticism by Cokie Roberts, NPR contributing senior news analyst and ABC political commentator, of then-Sen. Barack Obama for choosing Hawaii …

Why do retailers fear using the word ‘Christmas’?  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  In the fall 2008 edition of “FYI Alexandria,” which the city bills as “Alexandria's Official Resident Newsletter,” a front-page blurb announced: “City Seeks 2008 Holiday Tree.”  —  Alexandria at the time was …

Mitchell to Buchanan: You Wouldn't Say Caroline ‘In Miers Country’ If You Knew Her  —  The people just don't know Caroline like I do.  That was the essence of Andrea Mitchell's defense of the would-be senator after Pat Buchanan analogized her to another nominee who famously flopped.

Poll: 1 in 5 say Cheney worst vice president ever  —  CNN Deputy Political Director  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new national poll suggests that one out of five Americans think that Dick Cheney is the worst vice president in American history.  —  Twenty-three percent of those questioned …

Agencies prep Obama for ‘tourniquet’ on Afghanistan  —  Many military leaders seek a new strategy to deal with the growing violence and advances by the Taliban and other extremists.  —  Reporting from Washington — The Pentagon and U.S. national security officials are transmitting a battery …

Teach the Controversy  —  The overall ThinkProgress bossman Faiz Shakir has a post over at the main ThinkProgress blog addressing the Third Way controversy that I think everyone interested in this subject should read.  —  And since it's a slow news day, a lot of people seem interested …

Bloomberg: Fight For Clinton's Seat ‘Getting Out Of Control’  —  While stressing yet again that he is not endorsing Caroline Kennedy and acknowledging that the decision of who should replace Hillary Clinton in the US Senate is Gov. David Paterson's and his alone, Mayor Bloomberg today reiterated …