The Governor Strikes Back: Five New Quotes from Sarah Palin  —  Last week, the former vice-presidential candidate lashed out at the media's coverage of her campaign.  In a brand-new “What I've Learned” interview with Esquire, excerpted here in advance of the March issue, Palin goes even further.

Olmert Says He Made Rice Change Vote  —  WASHINGTON — In an unusually public rebuke, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel said Monday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had been forced to abstain from a United Nations resolution on Gaza that she helped draft, after Mr. Olmert placed a phone call to President Bush.

AP: Clinton acted on concerns of husband's donors  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State appointee Hillary Rodham Clinton intervened at least six times in government issues directly affecting companies and others that later contributed to her husband's foundation, an Associated Press review of her official correspondence found.

Live from the Clinton Confirmation Hearing  —  Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, a Republican who is retiring, just now love-bombed Clinton and Obama.  He notes that a couple of years ago he got to know retired Marine Gen. James Jones and wondered, “Why can't we get this guy in the administration?”

My Dinners with Dubya  —  When a college drinking buddy invited C. Brian Smith to hang out with her parents, he tried not to sweat the fact that they lived in the White House.  He even had fun—until 9/11 made watching bad movies with the president feel like a guilty pleasure America couldn't afford.

Rollins: Bush still doesn't get it  —  Editor's Note: Ed Rollins, who served as political director for President Ronald Reagan, is a Republican strategist who was national chairman of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign.  —  NEW YORK (CNN) — One week from today …

Senators Raise Questions About Geithner's Nomination at Treasury  —  Sen. Charles E. Grassley, ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is raising questions about a housekeeper who worked briefly for Treasury Secretary-nominee Timothy Geithner without proper immigration papers …

Meghan McCain Sits Down With MMC To Talk Blogs, Bikers, Politics & Why She Only Takes Off Her High Heels To Swim  —  Meghan McCain is an American blogger and daughter of the 2008 Republican nominee for President, John McCain.  —  Most recently, Ms. McCain spent almost two years …

Report Cites Politics at Justice Dept.  —  WASHINGTON — A former senior official at the Justice Department routinely hired conservatives, Republicans and so-called RTA's — “Right-Thinking Americans — for what were supposed to be apolitical posts and gave them plum assignments …

44 to reverse 43's executive orders  —  President-elect Barack Obama is expected to move swiftly to reverse executive orders regarding torture of terror suspects, the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and other controversial security policies, sources close to his transition said …

Does “Black Hawk Down” Portray an American War Crime?  —  At least nine hundred people, maybe half of them civilians, have been killed in Gaza so far, the overwhelming majority presumably killed by Israel (some people, more than we probably know right now, have been killed by Hamas, mainly Fatah activists in revenge killings).

Duncan: Smart Is Cooler Than Ever  —  Arne Duncan, the Chicago schools chief, told the Senate on Tuesday that he would work for “real and meaningful change” in the nation's schools if confirmed as education secretary, and he said he hoped president-elect Barack Obama's own example as a model student …

Cheney: NYT Pulitzers for Spying Stories ‘Aggravating’  —  Vice President Dick Cheney said that the prizes won by the New York Times for uncovering the Bush administration were “aggravating” to him, and cautioned the incoming administration on the lessons he's learned in office.

Steven Chu Eases Up on the Gas Price Pedal  —  Steven Chu, the Nobel laureate scientist who is President-elect Obama's choice to be energy secretary, said in testimony prepared for his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that high oil prices were a threat to the economy …

UK: BLOOD LIBEL HORROR: JEWS EATING DEAD BABIES  —  This is horrible.  I ask men of reason, civilized men to see what is happening.  Look at what is happening.  We are on a terrible course, a collision course of the worst order.  This is beyond the pale.  And the media is ignoring it.

Mike Huckabee: The Laughing Man  —  It's funny, the nicest guy in a political party of not-very-nice guys is also its most unbending cultural samurai.  —  Early on in the 2008 presidential race, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee received the endorsement of conservative pundit Stephen Baldwin.

For Senate GOP, 2010 Losses on Top Of the 2008 Losses  —  Voinovich Is Latest to Say He'll Resign  —  A spate of retirement announcements by Senate Republicans this year have further complicated attempts by GOP strategists to begin rebuilding a party devastated by across-the-board losses in recent elections.

Memo to Obama: Moving Forward Doesn't Mean You Can't Also Look Back  —  In one week, the U.S. Constitution will be front and center as Barack Obama solemnly swears to “preserve, protect, and defend” it.  Given all that has happened over the last eight years, that oath is not nearly as pro-forma as it used to be.