Fighting Off Depression  —  “If we don't act swiftly and boldly,” declared President-elect Barack Obama in his latest weekly address, “we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double-digit unemployment.”  If you ask me, he was understating the case.

The Three-State Option  —  War in the Gaza Strip demonstrates yet again that the current governance paradigm for the Palestinian people has failed.  Terrorists financed and supplied by Iran control Gaza; the Palestinian Authority is broken, probably irretrievably; and economic development is stalled in Gaza and the West Bank.

Minnesota canvassing board expected to say that Democrat Al Franken is winner in Senate race  —  MINNEAPOLIS - The state Canvassing Board was posed to certify the results of the recount in Minnesota's grueling Senate election in Al Franken's favor — but that doesn't mean the race is definitely over.

The 7th Annual “20 Most Annoying Liberals Of 2008”  —  Honorable Mentions: Bill Ayers, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Juan Cole, Kent Conrad, The Daily Kos, Bill Delahunt, Glenn Greenwald, Alcee Hastings, Christopher Hitchens, The Huffington Post, Jesse Jackson, Jesse Jackson Jr. Caroline Kennedy …

Chronology of key events in Richardson withdrawal  —  Notable events leading to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's withdrawal of his bid to become commerce secretary:  —  _ Early 2003: Richardson wins legislative approval of a $1.6 billion highway and transportation construction program …

The Times to Sell Display Ads on the Front Page  —  In its latest concession to the worst revenue slide since the Depression, The New York Times has begun selling display advertising on its front page, a step that has become increasingly common across the newspaper industry.

Restore the Senate's Treaty Power  —  THE Constitution's Treaty Clause has long been seen, rightly, as a bulwark against presidential inclinations to lock the United States into unwise foreign commitments.  The clause will likely be tested by Barack Obama's administration …

Obama Girls Start School at Sidwell  —  It remains awfully difficult to catch a glimpse of First Kids-to-Be Malia and Sasha Obama, but at least we can say for certain where they are this morning: getting to know their new classmates at the Sidwell Friends campuses in upper Northwest Washington and Bethesda.

Pete Souza Named Obama's White House Photographer  —  Photojournalist and NPPA member Pete Souza has accepted the position of official White House photographer for President-elect Barack Obama, he told News Photographer magazine tonight.  —  Souza received the offer for the position from Robert Gibbs …

Can the US economy afford a Keynesian stimulus?  —  Economic policy is based on a collection of half-truths.  The nature of these half-truths changes occasionally.  Economics as a scholarly discipline consists in the periodic rediscovery and refinement of old half-truths.

Some Differences Between Hamas and the Nazi Party  —  I find the current situation deeply sorrowful, harrowing.  There is one aspect of it that I think needs clarification, a clarification that will help thinking about the situation as a whole, and that is the analogies between Hitler, the Nazis and Hamas.

One Gender's Crash  —  Let me begin with the caveats: I like men.  My husband is one, as are my two sons.  I have spent most of my career surrounded by men, and I have no major complaints.  But as the financial debacle unfolds, I can't help noticing that all the perpetrators …

Bush first ex-prez to face limit on Secret Service protection  —  WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush's “after-life,” as Laura Bush calls the post-presidency, is shaping up to be pretty comfortable, with a Dallas office, staffers, Secret Service protection, a travel budget …

NOW THE TRUTH CAN BE TOLD  —  Al Franken, in tights, impersonating Mick Jagger.  I'm just going to leave it at that.

Top Hamas official defiant over rocket strikes  —  GAZA CITY (CNN) — Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar said Monday that the Gaza leadership has no intention of stopping its rocket attacks on Israel, despite claims from Palestinian sources that more than 500 people have died during Israeli reprisals.