Obama Defers to Bush, for Now, on Gaza Crisis  —  WASHINGTON — When President-elect Barack Obama went to Israel in July — to the very town, in fact, whose repeated shelling culminated in this weekend's new fighting in Gaza — he all but endorsed the punishing Israeli attacks now unfolding.

My Response to the Mean-Spirited “Barack the Magic Negro”  —  The sending of a Christmas greeting by Chip Saltsman to the members of the Republican National Committee that includes a recording of the so-called parody, “Barack the Magic Negro” is not only offensive, it is shocking and saddening in the extreme.

Study: ‘Virginity pledges’ are ineffective  —  Youths who promise abstinence are also less likely to use protection  —  Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence and are significantly less likely …

Fifty Herbert Hoovers  —  No modern American president would repeat the fiscal mistake of 1932, in which the federal government tried to balance its budget in the face of a severe recession.  The Obama administration will put deficit concerns on hold while it fights the economic crisis.

TV News Winds Down Operations on Iraq War  —  Quietly, as the United States presidential election and its aftermath have dominated the news, America's three broadcast network news divisions have stopped sending full-time correspondents to Iraq.  —  “The war has gone on longer than a lot …

George, Abe, Rick & Barack  —  I'm leaving the country the day of Barack Obama's inauguration.  —  It's nothing personal.  Nor, I hasten to add — lest some people get too excited — is it anything permanent.  It's just that I happen to have a speech to give in Canada.

As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.  —  In Moscow, Igor Panarin's Forecasts Are All the Rage; America ‘Disintegrates’ in 2010  —  MOSCOW — For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010.

Under Bush, OSHA Mired in Inaction  —  In early 2001, an epidemiologist at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sought to publish a special bulletin warning dental technicians that they could be exposed to dangerous beryllium alloys while grinding fillings.

‘Stimulus’ Doesn't Have to Mean Pork  —  How Obama can reform government while boosting the economy.  —  President-elect Barack Obama says he will create or protect some three million jobs by spending a massive amount of federal dollars to build roads and other “shovel ready” government projects across the country.

McAuliffe's Prowess As Fundraiser Grabs Spotlight in Va. Race  —  RICHMOND — With his booming voice, quick wit and gregarious nature, Terry McAuliffe established a reputation as one of the world's best political fundraisers, soaking up hundreds of millions of dollars for Democratic causes and candidates.

Mrs. Bush, Rice: Bush presidency not a failure  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - The two most influential women in President George W. Bush's White House - first lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - are strongly defending the president's legacy against critics who are calling his administration one of the worst in history.