More oddities in the U.S. “debate” over Israel/Gaza  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  This Rasmussen Reports poll — the first to survey American public opinion specifically regarding the Israeli attack on Gaza — strongly bolsters the severe disconnect I documented the other day between …

Sources: Bennet will be Colorado's new senator  —  Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet is expected to be named Saturday as the future U.S. Senate replacement for Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar, according to two Democratic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Aides: Democrats have plan if Burris shows up  —  (CNN) — Senate Democratic leaders think Roland Burris, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, will likely show up on Capitol Hill Tuesday for the opening day of Congress …

Signing Off — Farewell, TPMers  —  I can't believe I'm writing this, but for the foreseeable future this is my last post at TPM.  —  I'm heading over to The Washington Post, where I'll be writing the lead blog on a new site that WaPo is launching.  This will drive you mad with curiosity …

Cornyn promises filibuster on Franken seating  —  Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) threatened Friday to filibuster any attempt to seat Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken next week.  —  The newly minted National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairman said he had not whipped votes …

9 Muslim Passengers Removed From Jet  —  Others on Flight Say a Remark Was ‘Suspicious’  —  Officials ordered nine Muslim passengers, including three young children, off an AirTran flight headed to Orlando from Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon after two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark.

HAPPY #*%!  NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO!  —  COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN  —  Comedienne Kathy Griffin may be doomed to life on CNN's S-list after answering a heckler with a shrieking, vulgar tirade during the network's live New Year's Eve broadcast.  —  “Screw you,” she told the heckler.

John Travolta's Son Dies  —  Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas tells TMZ the son of John Travolta died today.  —  We're told 16-year-old Jett was vacationing with Travolta and wife Kelly Preston.  —  There have been reports that Jett was autistic, though Travolta has denied it …

Some Conservatives Fear Obama Advisers Lean Too Far Left  —  To Some Conservatives, Advisers Are Alarmingly Liberal  —  To some staunch conservatives watching President Bush relinquish the reins of power to President-elect Barack Obama, a few too many ardent liberals are now crashing the gates.

Obama: Don't Ask Me No Questions  —  Just for fun, a brief year in review of Obama's legendary new openness and transparency with the press corps:

Bigger Than Bush  —  As the new Democratic majority prepares to take power, Republicans have become, as Phil Gramm might put it, a party of whiners.  —  Some of the whining almost defies belief.  Did Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney general, really say, “I consider myself a casualty …

The Senate Goes Wobbly on Card Check  —  It's hard to defend taking away the secret ballot.  —  Responsibility has a way of focusing the mind.  —  Take Mark Pryor, Democratic senator from Arkansas.  In 2007, Mr. Pryor voted to move card check, Big Labor's No. 1 priority.  And why not?

The Doomsayers Who Got It Right  —  More Bad News in Store for 2009?  Last Year's Cassandras Are Still Gloomy  —  For years, they were the party poopers: financial prognosticators who, amid the ebullient stock prices and effervescent home values that defined the early 21st century, warned of trouble.

SEC Said to Examine More Ponzi Schemes After Madoff  —  A A A  —  Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) — U.S. regulators working to untangle Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme are probing other money managers suspected of using similar tactics, two people with knowledge of the inquiries said.

Conservatives Can Unite Around the Constitution  —  The coalition that supported Reagan is as viable as ever.  —  After their dismal performance in November, conservatives are taking stock.  As they debate the causes that have driven them into the political wilderness and as they contemplate paths out, they should also take heart.