Lynch Will Appoint Republican If Obama Nominates Gregg  —  Gov. John Lynch (D-NH) indicated today he'll appoint a Republican to replace Sen. Judd Gregg if Obama nominates the New Hampshire senator to be Secretary of Commerce.  In a statement, Lynch said that Gregg made it clear …

Senate confirms Holder as first black AG  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - Eric Holder won Senate confirmation Monday as the nation's first African-American attorney general, after supporters from both parties touted his dream resume …

US-IRAQ: Generals Seek to Reverse Obama Withdrawal Decision  —  CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, supported by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months at an Oval Office meeting Jan. 21.

The LA Times takes a cheap shot at Dr. Jill Biden.  —  In an article portraying Jill Biden - who is teaching at a community college in Virginia, though she could doubtless land a gig at Georgetown or GW if she chose - as pompous, the Los Angeles Times falsely suggests her use of the title “Doctor” is fraudulent.

STRAIGHT OUTTA HOOVERVILLE  —  It gets better.  The latest from RNC Chair Michael Steele: “Not in the history of mankind has the government ever created a job.”  —  This is such transparent nonsense it's hard to know where to start; but I guess it builds on the DeMint nonsense.

Sarah Palin endorses Texas Gov. Rick Perry for re-election  —  wslater@dallasnews.com  —  AUSTIN - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed Rick Perry for re-election, calling him the “true conservative” in a primary election showdown with fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Joe the Plumber advises GOP-ers  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  Fresh off his stint as a war correspondent in Gaza, Joe the Plumber is now doing political strategy with Republicans.  —  When GOP congressional aides gather Tuesday morning for a meeting …

HAMAS RALLIES AT MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL  —  On January 5, representatives of Hamas and Fatah rallied on the steps of the Minnesota state capitol in St. Paul.  Their purpose was to condemn Israel, and an Israeli flag was burned.  Mostly, though, the rally turned into a confrontation between …

Cramer on Obama's Anti-Wall Street Comments: ‘We Heard Lenin’  —  ‘Mad Money’ host compares new president's attack on corporate profits to rhetoric from Russian communist.  —  Business & Media Institute  —  With all the populist sentiment generated from the economic slowdown by politicians …

Is Coleman Aiming for a Do-Over Election?  —  The Coleman team appears to be laying out a continued strategy of casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Minnesota election result by pointing to a fundamental underlying idea of this dispute: The margin of error is simply too big in a race this close.

Daschle — And Solis, Too  —  While everyone is looking at Tom Daschle's tax problems (I am too, working on a story for tomorrow morning), a new issue has arisen concerning another Obama cabinet nomination, that of Rep. Hilda Solis to be Secretary of Labor.  —  Solis had a rough hearing …

A free speech killer  —  UN warns: Don't defame religions, especially Islam  —  On Inauguration Day, after it got the United Nations to pass a gag rule on insulting religions, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) told our new president in a New York Times ad that Muslims …

Americans Approve of Most Obama Actions to Date  —  Widespread support for decisions on ethics reform, interrogations, fuel standards  — USA - Government and Politics - Presidential Ratings - The Presidency - Americas - Northern America  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Of seven actions Barack …

India to launch credit crunch £7 laptop, world's cheapest computer  —  The credit crunch computer is set to arrive tomorrow in India when officials unveil the 500 rupee (£7.25) laptop.  In an attempt to bridge the “digital divide” in the country between rich and poor …

Peanut Product Recall Took Company Approval  —  WASHINGTON — Even though federal health officials have begun a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America deliberately sold contaminated products, the government still needed the company's permission last week before announcing a huge recall of its products.

Report: Obama advisors have been meeting with Iran, Syria since before the election  —  Ed asked this morning if any “preparations” have been made for that meeting of the minds Obama's planning with Chavez.  Given this bombshell, a better question might be just how long The One's been “preparing.”

How Quickly Will the Stimulus Kick In?  —  You may recall how, the week before last, Republicans were up in arms over a CBO report showing that under 40 percent of the estimated $350 billion in stimulus spending projects would hit the economy in the first two years.