Hollow victory: Republicans deliver slap in the face to Barack Obama  —  President Barack Obama got the $825 (or $1.2 trillion over a decade) stimulus package through the House of Representatives but the 244 to 188 vote is a hollow victory indeed.  Without a single Republican voting for the bill …

White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code  —  WASHINGTON — The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket.  There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.

Revealed: the letter Barack Obama's team hope will heal Iran rift  —  Officials of Barack Obama's administration have drafted a letter to Iran from the president aimed at unfreezing US-Iranian relations and opening the way for face-to-face talks, the Guardian has learned.

My Bipartisan Stimulus  —  Let's cut taxes, as I want, and spend more, as Obama would like.  —  There's a serious debate in this country as to how best to end the recession.  The average recession will last five to 11 months; the average recovery will last six years.

WHAT A GUY  —  Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) revealed more of himself than anyone cared to see, at the expense of Salon's Joan Walsh, this evening on “Hardball.”  In a debate with Walsh over tax policy, Armey let loose with this chauvinistic gem: “I am so damn glad …

GOP Congressman Intros ‘Rangel Rule,’ Eliminating IRS Late Fees  —  The Texas Republican introduced a bill Wednesday to eliminate all IRS penalties and interest for paying taxes past due.  —  FOXNews.com  —  Americans may be able to rest a little easier this April if Congressman John Carter, R-Tex. gets his way.

Dems have early lead in 2010 congressional race  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — The 111th Congress is just a few weeks old, but both parties are already planning their fight for the 112th — and a new national poll suggests Democrats may have the upper hand.  —  Forty-six percent of those questioned …

Nuclear checkout  —  I think California may be past the point of no return:  —  Berkeley's public library will face a showdown with the city's Peace and Justice Commission tonight over whether a service contract for the book check-out system violates the city's nuclear-free ordinance.

REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News  —  As Media Matters has documented, during the Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives.

Geithner Says Plan for Banks Is in the Works  —  WASHINGTON — As lawmakers pressed the Obama administration for details of how it would assist financial firms that have been rapidly deteriorating, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said Wednesday the administration is working on a comprehensive plan to …

The defense doesn't rest  —  Blagojevich pulls surprise, will go today to deliver closing argument at trial  —  SPRINGFIELD — His career tattered but his dramatic flair intact, Gov. Rod Blagojevich reversed course Wednesday and accepted the Illinois Senate's challenge to explain in person …

Iraq to Deny New License To Blackwater Security Firm  —  U.S. Embassy's Preferred Contractor Accused of Killings  —  The Iraqi government has informed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that it will not issue a new operating license to Blackwater Worldwide, the embassy's primary security company …

Alba schools Fox's O'Reilly in WW II history  —  Plus: Simpson won't spin weight loss; Anderson finds trailer-park love  —  Jessica Alba is setting the record straight: Sweden was neutral during World War II.  —  Alba and Fox TV show host Bill O'Reilly traded punches last week after the presidential inauguration.

With Al Due Respect, We're Doomed  —  The lawmakers gazed in awe at the figure before them.  The Goracle had seen the future, and he had come to tell them about it.  —  What the Goracle saw in the future was not good: temperature changes that “would bring a screeching halt to human civilization …

The Fate of Culture11  —  Sometimes there are simple stories.  Culture11's is one of them.  We raised a certain amount of money last year predicated on the assumption we would raise more money last year.  Then the Fall's fall occurred and we stretched money as long and far as we could without incurring any debts.

ABC Said to Consider ‘Kimmel’ in ‘Nightline’ Slot  —  ABC's television entertainment division has held discussions about moving its late-night comedy star Jimmy Kimmel to the 11:35 time period now occupied by the ABC News program “Nightline” to compete directly with Conan O'Brien …

House defeats bill to delay digital TV transition  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Bucking the Obama administration, House Republicans on Wednesday defeated a bill to delay the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — leaving an estimated 6.5 million U.S. households unprepared for the switchover.