Burris Backs Reid Into a Corner  —  Lost amid the scads of cameras and scrambling reporters seeking to get a glimpse or a word from former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris over the last 24 hours is one simple fact: Burris — and, by extension, embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich …

Obama Wants Journalist Gupta for Surgeon General  —  President-elect Barack Obama has offered the job of surgeon general to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the neurosurgeon and correspondent for CNN and CBS, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.  —  Gupta has told administration officials …

The World's Pornographic Interest in Jewish Moral Failure  —  Okay, yesterday I was depressed.  Today, I'm just pissed off.  It's absolutely astonishing to me how interested the world is in Israel's failings.  This is the source of a bitter but hilarious observation I once heard a Kurdish leader make …

Report: Al-Qaida No. 2 blames Obama for Gaza fight  —  CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader lashed out at President-elect Barack Obama in a new audio message Tuesday, accusing him of not doing anything to stop Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to an intelligence monitoring center.

Jeb's not running  —  Jeb Bush: “After thoughtful consideration, I've decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010.  While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office.

Specter Attacks Choice for Attorney General  —  WASHINGTON — A leading Republican senator issued a broad attack on Tuesday on President-elect Barack Obama's pick as attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr., questioning his political independence.  —  The senator, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania …

End Times  —  VIRTUALLY ALL THE predictions about the death of old media have assumed a comfortingly long time frame for the end of print—the moment when, amid a panoply of flashing lights, press conferences, and elegiac reminiscences, the newspaper presses stop rolling and news goes entirely digital.

Liberals Relish New Clout as Session Starts  —  The Democratic Party's liberal wing will begin a hard push this week to consolidate power in the House and advance its agenda with a quiet assist from a longtime champion, Speaker Nancy Pelosi .  —  Leaders of the Democrats' liberal faction …

“We have no grand political scheme”  —  I spent the morning at a lecture organized by GWU's outstanding Homeland Security Policy Institute's Ambassador's Roundtable Series featuring Israel's Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor.  It was a profoundly dismaying experience.

Obama to ride in style in GM limo  —  Armored '09 Cadillac to carry new president in inaugural parade.  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is getting a new ride to go with his new address on Jan. 20.  —  General Motors Corp. recently delivered to the U.S. Secret Service a brand …

240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt  —  NEW YORK (AFP) - An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded 240,000 dollars in compensation, campaigners said Monday.  —  Raed Jarrar received the pay out on Friday …

Coleman sues over Minnesota Senate recount result  —  Republican Norm Coleman, who received 225 fewer votes than DFLer Al Franken in the U.S. Senate recount, will challenge the result in court.  He told reporters at a state Capitol news conference that a lawsuit, known as an election contest, would proceed.

Obama's Choice for Solicitor General Has Left a Breach in a Long Paper Trail  —  WASHINGTON — The New Republic called Elena Kagan a “wonderwonk” for her work on tobacco legislation in the Clinton administration.  She was, the magazine said, “a nerd who can talk tough.”

French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel's Gaza operation  —  French public television network France 2 on Tuesday revealed they had aired photographs that allegedly showed destruction caused by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead, which were in fact taken during …

Bush wants gate on route to Dallas home  —  Just like his father, President George W. Bush will return to Texas when he leaves office.  —  And just like his father, he wants a gate to be installed along a public street to limit access to his neighborhood.  —  Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm …

Stimulus arithmetic (wonkish but important)  —  Bit by bit we're getting information on the Obama stimulus plan, enough to start making back-of-the-envelope estimates of impact.  The bottom line is this: we're probably looking at a plan that will shave less than 2 percentage points off …

‘Senator’ Biden's trip raises concerns  —  Joe Biden has always had a flair for doing things differently - but his upcoming trip to South Asia may set a new standard.  —  The vice president-elect will be traveling to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  But he won't really be traveling …

Obama deplores civilian deaths in Gaza, Israel  —  Breaking his silence on the conflict in Gaza, the president-elect deplored the civilian casualties, which have been overwhelmingly on the Palestinian side, after a meeting with fiscal and economic advisors today.

Panetta a ‘Brave’ Choice, Says Former CIA Agent  —  “Ishmael Jones” is a former deep-cover officer with the Central Intelligence Agency.  He is author of The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture, published last year by Encounter Books.