Housekeeper and Taxes Are Said to Derail Kennedy's Bid  —  ALBANY — Problems involving taxes and a household employee surfaced during the vetting of Caroline Kennedy and derailed her candidacy for the Senate, a person close to Gov. David A. Paterson said on Thursday, in an account at odds …

Fred Hiatt and the Washington establishment's bizarre concept of “due process”  —  Barack Obama will have spent his first several days in office issuing a series of executive orders which, some quibbling and important caveats aside, meet or actually exceed even the most optimistic expectations …

Obama Staff Arrives to White House Stuck in Dark Ages of Technology  —  If the Obama campaign represented a sleek, new iPhone kind of future, the first day of the Obama administration looked more like the rotary-dial past.  —  Two years after launching the most technologically savvy presidential campaign …

2,688 Days  —  When President Bush left office on Tuesday, America marked 2,688 days without a terrorist attack on its soil.  There are 1,459 days until the next inauguration.  Whether Barack Obama is standing on the Capitol steps to be sworn in a second time depends on whether he succeeds in replicating Bush's achievement.

Limbaugh on Hannity: Racism is ‘the exclusive province of the left’  —  Something seems strangely off about Rush Limbaugh in his interview with Sean Hannity yesterday on Fox.  Of course, there's also the crazy things he says, such as his further explanation of why he hopes Barack Obama's presidency fails:

John Thain's $87,000 Rug  —  Merrill Shocker: CEO Thain's $87,000 Office Rug by Charlie Gasparino  —  Full Coverage: Obama Inauguration, Bush Farewell  —  Blogs and Stories  —  In a Daily Beast/CNBC exclusive, Charlie Gasparino reveals how Merrill Lynch's CEO spent over $1 million …

Chris Matthews' Inaugural Jib-Jabbery  —  The MSNBC motormouth talks a lot, says nothing.  —  Nobody in TV news stir-fries his ideas and serves them to the audience faster than MSNBC's Chris Matthews.  Drawing from a larder filled with old anecdotes, unreliable metaphors, wacky intuition …

Cheney Speaks Out on Libby  —  Former vice president calls prosecution a “serious miscarriage of justice” and disagrees with Bush's decision.  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney disagreed publicly with his boss just four times in the eight years they served together.

Wounded vets walk out during inaugural ball concert  —  An inaugural ball honoring U.S. military veterans ended in a kerfluffle as several veterans walked out when a musical act's attempt at humor backfired.  —  During the Heroes Red, White & Blue Inaugural Ball honoring the nation's veterans …

Executive Order — Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel  —  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and sections 3301 and 7301 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Book, TV deal in Sarah Palin's future?  —  Politician enlisting help of superstar D.C. attorney  —  NEW YORK — It looks like Sarah Palin may be ready to tell her remarkable story in print.  —  The former GOP vice presidential candidate has apparently enlisted the help …

Geithner is approved  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  The Senate Finance Committee approved Timothy Geithner's nomination for Treasury secretary Thursday over the objections of several Republicans.  —  Five Republicans on the committee voted against him …

Obama Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed  —  WASHINGTON — Saying that “our ideals give us the strength and moral high ground” to combat terrorism, President Obama signed executive orders Thursday effectively ending the Central Intelligence Agency's secret interrogation program …

Robert Gibbs's First Briefing: Minute-By-Minute  —  Overall Grade: B+  —  Detail Evasion Technique: 7 out of 10.  —  Telegeniousity: 10/10.  The accent kills.  The suit was nice.  Pointing technique was sharp.  —  Strength of opinion; tenacity; obstinacy: 9 out of 10.  —  Timing: 10 minutes late.

Local Defense Contractor Raided By FBI, IRS  —  WINDBER, Pa. — Federal agents raided Kuchera Industries, an area defense contractor located in Windber.  —  The entrance of the building was blocked by state and federal authorities.  One by one, Kuchera employees drove off the property.

Secretary of State Clinton Arrives at Foggy Bottom  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived for her first day of work at the State Department Thursday, assuming the mantle of the nation's chief diplomat and preparing to name a pair of renowned diplomats to serve as special emissaries to the Middle East and South Asia.