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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

Obama seeks assessment on gays in military  —  No rush to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'  —  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is telling the Pentagon and gay-rights advocates that it will have to study the implications for national security and enlist more support in Congress before trying …

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.

Ex-Journalists' New Jobs Fuel Debate on Favoritism  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans have long accused mainstream journalists of being on the payroll of President Obama and the Democratic Party, a common refrain of favoritism especially from those on the losing end of an election (see Bush vs. Gore, Clinton vs. Bush and Bush vs. Dukakis).

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 …