The Obama Gap  —  “I don't believe it's too late to change course, but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible.  If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.”  —  So declared President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday, explaining why the nation needs …

House votes to impeach Blagojevich  —  Posted by Ray Long and Rick Pearson a 10:25 a.m.; last updated at 10:40 a.m.; (for the live blog, scroll down)  —  SPRINGFIELD—In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, directing the Senate to put the state's 40th chief executive …

Unemployment Hits 7.2%, 16-Year High  —  With the recession in full swing, the nation's employers shed 524,000 jobs in December, the government reported Friday, and a rapidly deteriorating economy promised more significant losses in the months ahead.  December's job losses brought the total …

Not Doing Enough  —  Why I worry that Obama doesn't realize just how bad things are.  —  Does Barack Obama understand the seriousness of the economic crisis?  Yesterday, he laid out his economic agenda, and it was filled with all sorts of important exhortations and proscriptions.

POLL: Coleman should concede  —  An exclusive Survey USA poll shows nearly half of Minnesotans surveyed say its time for Republican Norm Coleman to concede the U.S. Senate race to Democrat Al Franken.  —  But the survey does not hold good news for Franken either.

Who's afraid of Joe the Journalist?  —  My syndicated column today looks at the MSM sneering over Joe Wurzelbacher's trip to Israel sponsored by PJTV, recounts how The Fraternal Order of the Professional Journalist has squandered its own credibility, and exposes how liberal media elites …

Jan. 1 Attack By CIA Killed Two Leaders Of Al-Qaeda  —  A New Year's Day CIA strike in northern Pakistan killed two top al-Qaeda members long sought by the United States, including the man believed to be behind September's deadly suicide bombing at a Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital …

Mere Presidents  —  American leaders are mortal, not magical.  —  He didn't seem distracted, like he was thinking about lunch, and he didn't seem to be deflecting responsibility, but taking it.  This was a relief, and rather unusual in a Washington politician, or pretty much any politician.

The Confidence Surplus  —  Christina Romer is Barack Obama's choice to lead his Council of Economic Advisers.  In 1994, Romer and her husband, David, wrote an essay entitled “What Ends Recessions?”  In the first paragraph, the Romers noted that “economists seem strangely unsure …

Endgame in Gaza  —  Israel's leaders have purposely obscured their war aims in Gaza.  But there are only two possible endgames: (A) a Lebanon-like cessation of hostilities to be supervised by international observers, or (B) the disintegration of Hamas rule in Gaza.

A Difficult Road Awaits Panetta at the C.I.A.  —  WASHINGTON — As every previous director could attest, succeeding at the helm at the Central Intelligence Agency requires an uneasy balance: being firm enough to impose a White House agenda without inciting a revolt, while winning allegiance …

Mitch McConnell Lost His Testicles and Now Infects the Senate GOP With a Cancer  —  Allow me to be blunt:  —  There are some of you who have fallen under McConnell's spell in the same way the lefties have fallen under Obama's spell.  McConnell can do no wrong.

Online, Sarah Palin Has Unkind Words for the Press  —  Sarah Palin, still smarting over coverage of her vice presidential run, calls the media's reporting on her family “very scary” and says there may be “a class issue” that explains the more sympathetic treatment of Caroline Kennedy.

Brown: Obama's lofty ideas lack specifics  —  Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's “Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull” at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays.  She delivered this commentary during the “Cutting through the Bull” segment of Thursday night's broadcast.

FORMER GOPER MIKE WANTS TO GET BACK IN  —  Mayor Bloomberg has begun reaching out to city Republican leaders to gauge whether he could run on the GOP line in his re-election bid this year, several sources told The Post.  —  The maneuvering began in the past two weeks, and sources said the mayor …