Lieberman jokes about waterboarding at black-tie dinner.»  —  At last night's black-tie dinner at Washington's Alfalfa Club, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) couldn't resist cracking a joke about torture.  Politico's Mike Allen reports: … Last year, Lieberman, who has voted against banning waterboarding …

SHLAES STRIKES AGAIN.... Over the summer, the Washington Post ran a piece from conservative writer Amity Shlaes, explaining that the national economy was fine, there was no recession, and that Phil Gramm was right to call us a “nation of whiners.”  —  Undeterred, in early December …

Obama preserves renditions as counter-terrorism tool  —  The role of the CIA's controversial prisoner-transfer program may expand, intelligence experts say.  —  Reporting from Washington — The CIA's secret prisons are being shuttered.  Harsh interrogation techniques are off-limits.

McConnell: Gregg Appointment Will Not Change Senate Make Up  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he is confident the expected appointment of Republican Senator Judd Gregg (R-NY) as Secretary of Commerce would “have no impact on the [Senate's] balance of power,” on “Face the Nation” this morning.

Obama remakes political rules  —  Three months after his election, President Barack Obama continues to remake the political landscape—and there's no clearer example than Friday's election of Michael Steele as the Republican National Committee's first black chairman.

Daschle Tax Story - Reeking Of BS  —  The NY Times lets a Tom Daschle spokesflack present his version of the tax cover-up:  —  A spokeswoman for Mr. Daschle, Jenny Backus, said Mr. Daschle became concerned last June that he might owe taxes on the car and driver, and instructed his accountant to investigate.

14-times Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps caught with cannabis pipe  —  THIS is the astonishing picture which could destroy the career of the greatest competitor in Olympic history.  —  In our exclusive photo Michael Phelps, who won a record EIGHT gold medals for swimming at the Beijing games last summer, draws from a bong.

Robert E. Lee, confused  —  Obama appears tonight at the Alfalfa Dinner, a gathering of Washington's elite with Confederate roots, a fact on which the president remarked, according to excerpts from his prepared remarks:

GOP traitors appoint Black racist as Chairman of the Republican Party  —  Listen to Dr. David Duke's Message to the Republican Party!  —  “I strongly support affirmative action” - Michael Steele (The Washington Post, October 30, 2006)  —  To Hell with the Republican Party!

AP Investigation: Banks sought foreign workers  —  SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Banks collecting billions of dollars in federal bailout money sought government permission to bring thousands of foreign workers to the U.S. for high-paying jobs, according to an Associated Press review of visa applications.

THE RUSH REVIVAL  —  DERANGED DEMS' OBSESSION WITH LIMBAUGH WILL BE THEIR UNDOING  —  President Obama is throwing a bipartisan Super Bowl party Sunday at the White House.  But one leading conservative football fan won't be in attendance: Rush Limbaugh.  The much-heralded new era of outreach …

Putnam set to give up seat  —  Rep. Adam Putnam, the third-ranking Republican in the House until he relinquished that post late last year, will give up his House seat to pursue a bid as the next agriculture commissioner of Florida.  —  His decision to make this run has been the source …

Another temporary misunderstanding  —  Brad DeLong links to Megan McArdle saying something wrong about the effects of a temporary increase in government spending.  But he fails to note that it's not just wrong, it's 180 degrees wrong: a temporary increase in government spending …

Foreign Radicals Can Be Reasoned With, But Not Domestic Ones?  —  Kay Steiger writes: … It's kind of funny how, when it comes to domestic politics, many liberals employ assumptions about human naturethat are wildly at odds with the assumptions they use about human nature when it comes to foreign policy.

Life after ice storm dire, getting worse in spots  —  MARION, Ky. - In some parts of rural Kentucky, they're getting water the old-fashioned way — with pails from a creek.  There's not room for one more sleeping bag on the shelter floor.  The creative are flushing their toilets with melted snow.