An Unnecessary War  —  I know from personal involvement that the devastating invasion of Gaza by Israel could easily have been avoided.  —  After visiting Sderot last April and seeing the serious psychological damage caused by the rockets that had fallen in that area, my wife, Rosalynn …

Palin: Media goes easy on Kennedy  —  Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) believes Caroline Kennedy is getting softer press treatment in her pursuit of the New York Senate seat than Palin did as the GOP vice presidential nominee because of Kennedy's social class.  —  “I've been interested …

Obama serves Reid taste of Chicago Way  —  So the Chicago Way hauled off and slapped the U.S. Senate in the face—one of those backhands with the knuckles to unsuspecting lips—and guess who blinked?  —  It wasn't Chicago.  —  It was the Senate.  —  Get used to it, America.

Obama Digs In for His BlackBerry  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has yet to relent, but he conceded that he might be losing the battle to keep his independent lifeline to the outside world.  —  “I'm still clinging to my BlackBerry,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday.  “They're going to pry it out of my hands.”

Obama, Spider-Man on the same comic-book page  —  In a growing world of Barack Obama collectibles, one item soon may be swinging above the rest.  —  On Jan. 14, Marvel Comics is releasing a special issue of Amazing Spider-Man #583 with Obama depicted on the cover.

CASS SUNSTEIN PREPARES TO NUDGE.  —  There's some confusion over a celebrity thinker like Cass Sunstein being appointed to head an office as obscure and bureaucratic as the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.  But OIRA is important!  It's just also boring.

MO-Senate: Bond to Retire  —  Missouri Sen. Kit Bond (R) will retire in 2010, a decision that hands Democrats a prime pickup opportunity in a state where the party has made strides in recent years.  —  “In 1972, I became Missouri's youngest Governor,” Bond said this morning in an address to the Missouri General Assembly.

Oakland Turns Violent Over Shooting  —  Protesters angry over a deadly New Year's Day shooting of a young black man by a transit police officer erupted into violence in downtown Oakland on Wednesday night while investigators struggled to determine what prompted the officer to fire his gun into the unarmed man's back.

Conyers: Obama Should Not Nominate Sanjay Gupta  —  Rep. John Conyers has written a letter to Democratic colleagues urging them to join him in publicly opposing the nomination of Dr. Sanjay Gupta for Surgeon General.  —  Conyers, the veteran Judiciary Committee chairman, writes that Gupta …

What Are the Chances of a Depression?  —  The answer to the question in the headline, of course, depends on just who you ask.  —  According to a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted last month, 35 percent of Americans think that a “depression” — which the poll defines as “an economic downturn …

‘Concentration camp’ remark threatens Pope's visit to Israel  —  A question mark hangs over Pope Benedict XVI's planned trip to Israel in May after Israeli officials expressed outrage over a Vatican statement comparing Gaza to a “big concentration camp”.  —  The Pope today condemned the use …

Toll of conflict strikes home as cameraman finds brother dead  —  (CNN) — At a Gaza hospital, doctors tried to revive a 12-year-old victim of the violence, but their efforts were in vain.  Mahmoud died.  —  Recording the tragedy at the hospital was his brother, freelance cameraman Ashraf Mashharawi.

Panel urges impeachment of Blagojevich  —  The special Illinois House panel investigating Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued a draft report today recommending impeachment, putting lawmakers on a path toward removing the two-term Democrat from office.  —  “The citizens of this state must have confidence …

Cheney awkwardly stands before Congress as Pelosi interrupts his speech to applaud Obama's victory.»  —  Today, Vice President Cheney stood before Congress and read the official results of the 2008 presidential election.  After reading the electoral totals, he declared that they …

Defense Subcabinet Taking Shape  —  New Department of Defense posts announced:  — For Deputy Secretary of Defense, William J. Lynn III, who was DOD comproller from 1997-2001 and whose canned bio opens with the intriguing pitch that he “brings decades of experience and expertise …

Obama's ‘first mistakes’ mount  —  Team Obama has made its first mistake — again.  —  When Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination as commerce secretary earlier this week, NBC's Andrea Mitchell declared it “the Obama team's first misstep.”  —  But Mitchell had been scooped.

Howard and Rahm  —  Obama, introducing Tim Kaine at the DNC, showered praise on Howard Dean — who, unaccountably, isn't present, a scheduling conflict being taken by some close to Dean as a snub.  —  In a discordant note, Obama praised Dean for retaking the House, “working with my chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.”

Hamas executes ‘collaborators’, restricts Fatah movement  —  Since the aerial attack on Gaza began, Hamas has sought to suppress individuals it believes endanger the group's fight against Israel and its hold on power in the Strip, as well as public morale.  Prime targets include Fatah members …