AP's final dig at President Bush  —  President Bush delivered his farewell address this evening.  He leaves a mixed legacy.  I give him credit where it is due and blame where it is due.  But one thing is unadulterated: The pure contempt of the man from the MSM.

Forgive and Forget?  —  Last Sunday President-elect Barack Obama was asked whether he would seek an investigation of possible crimes by the Bush administration.  “I don't believe that anybody is above the law,” he responded, but “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”

Hudson River hero is ex-Air Force fighter pilot  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online.

Obama Pledges Reform of Social Security, Medicare Programs  —  President-Elect Says He'll Reshape Social Security, Medicare Programs  —  President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare “bargain” with the American people, saying …

Suspend Your Disbelief  —  How to enjoy an inauguration fully.  —  Washington  —  Flying in, we take the route over the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson, the Tidal Basin: the signs and symbols of the great republic.  And you've seen it all a thousand times but you can't stop looking, and you can't help it, your eyes well.

King: Obama ‘bizarre’ to use ‘Hussein’  —  Apologize?  Not so much.  —  But Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who last March predicted Al Qaida would be “dancing in the streets” if Barack Obama were elected president, now concedes that the dynamic has merely “shifted” on the terrorist front.

Pragmatist-in-Chief  —  PRESIDENT-ELECT Barack Obama came to The Post editorial board yesterday with two messages sketchy on details yet reassuring in approach: a commitment to fiscal discipline, and a determination not to be bound by liberal, or indeed any, orthodoxy.

Bank of America to Receive Additional $20 Billion  —  Kenneth D. Lewis gambled on bold acquisitions to build Bank of America into the nation's largest bank.  —  But the need for fresh government support to grapple with the newly revealed losses at Merrill Lynch, the brokerage firm he snapped …

Wary of Obama's America  —  Rural areas that rejected the president-elect are wary of his urban views  —  BRINKLEY, Ark. - Wayne Loewer's truck reveals a lot about his life.  A 12-gauge shotgun for duck hunting rests on the floorboard.  A blue thermal lunch bag containing elk meat …

HEY BABY.  I'VE BEEN THINKING THAT WE SHOULD BE EXCLUSIVE.  —  Over at Grist, Tom Laskawy examines Michael Pollan's proposal to make the House Agricultural Committee “exclusive.”  As Laskawy says, this looks like a better idea than it is.  An “exclusive” committee is a committee considered …

Star Tribune files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy  —  Facing sharp revenue declines, Minnesota's largest newspaper seeks to cut labor costs and restructure its debt.  —  The Star Tribune, saddled with high debt and a sharp decline in print advertising, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition Thursday night.

Beam me up: Scientists left baffled as mysterious columns of coloured light appear in the night skies  —  These stunning images show mysterious columns of light streaming into the sky above the town of Sigulda in Latvia at the end of last month.  —  Taken by designer Aigar Truhins …

The real reason Bill Clinton pardoned Marc Rich  —  Eric Holder is sworn in at his confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill.  —  From beginning to end, the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Eric Holder's nomination as attorney general observed …

The Spending Plan is Out  —  I just got a copy of the $825 billion spending plan outlined by the Democratic-controlled House Appropriations Committee.  —  It is frightening.  —  Take a looksee here if you don't believe me.  —  The highlights of this bill, allegedly crafted to save us …

Despite taxes, little heat for Geithner  —  Rush Limbaugh is fulminating.  The New York Times editorial page is indignant.  All the ingredients of a political firestorm are in place.  —  And yet, the Timothy Geithner controversy seems to be fizzling.  —  It's not that the usual voices are silent.

As atheists roll out London ads, believers unruffled  —  Billboard campaign promotes atheist beliefs on buses.  —  PARIS - It's the first mass marketing of atheism in Britain - and many in the community of faith say that's just fine.  —  On Jan. 6 some 800 British red “bendy” buses carried the sign: “There is probably no God.

Friday Senate Line: Retirements Roil GOP Prospects  —  Senate Republicans knew at the start of the 2010 election cycle that the path back to the majority was a long one.  But, a series of retirements in swing states have left many Republican strategists wondering whether things can get any worse.