Well, That Certainly Didn't Take Long  —  On 9/11, President Bush learned of disaster while reading “The Pet Goat” to grade-school kids.  On Tuesday, President Obama escaped from disaster by reading “The Moon Over Star” to grade-school kids.  —  “We were just tired of being in the White House …

Cheney warns of new attacks  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned that there is a “high probability” that terrorists will attempt a catastrophic nuclear or biological attack in coming years, and said he fears the Obama administration's policies will make it more likely the attempt will succeed.

Senate Lacks Votes to Pass Stimulus  —  Democrats Trying to Trim $900 Billion Plan to Gain GOP Support  —  Senate Democratic leaders conceded yesterday that they do not have the votes to pass the stimulus bill as currently written and said that to gain bipartisan support …

U.S. Plans $500,000 Cap on Executive Pay in Bailouts  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is expected to impose a cap of $500,000 for top executives at companies that receive large amounts of bailout money, according to people familiar with the plan.  —  Executives would also be prohibited …

The Impending Obama Meltdown  —  Some of us have been warning that it was not healthy for the U.S. media to have deified rather than questioned Obama, especially given that they tore apart Bush, ridiculed Palin, and caricatured Hillary.  And now we can see the results of their two years of advocacy rather than scrutiny.

Cooper: Obama staff encouraged defiance of Pelosi  —  Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) — one of the lead Blue Dogs — made a startling admission to lefty Liberadio on Sunday, suggesting the White House quietly encouraged him to buck House leadership on the stimulus.  —  Cooper was one of 11 Dems to vote no — joining every GOP House member.

Analysis: Daschle debacle humbles Obama  —  WASHINGTON - Two weeks into his presidency, Barack Obama proved that even a clearly gifted politician cannot escape the gravitational pull of Washington forces that have humbled many of his predecessors.  —  The new president, seen by some as arrogant, was anything but on Tuesday.

Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental  —  He's the cheapskate of staff.  Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama's right-hand man, lives in a basement apartment on Capitol Hill rented to him by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.  Just one problem: He's not allowed to live there.

IBM Offers To Move Laid Off Workers To India  —  Big Blue wants to help redundant U.S. employees relocate to developing markets, according to an internal document.  —  The climate is warm, there's no shortage of exotic food, and the cost of living is rock bottom.

The Bad Bank Assets Proposal: Even Worse Than You Imagined  —  Dear God, let's just kiss the US economy goodbye.  It may take a few years before the loyalists and permabulls throw in the towel, but the handwriting is on the wall.  —  The Obama Administration, if the Washington Post's latest report …

Kristol: New Poll Shows Stimulus Support Sags  —  THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned that later this morning Rasmussen Reports will release new survey data showing that a plurality of Americans now oppose the stimulus package (37-43%); two weeks ago, support for the legislation stood at 45-34%.

Mark Halperin, Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper Skew Obama Ratings … It all started with Mark Halperin's brief note in Time Magazine, http://thepage.time.com/2009/02/03/ poll-obama-approval-rating-drops/ , which stated “Poll: Obama Approval Rating Drops”.

California farms, vineyards in peril from warming, U.S. energy secretary warns  —  'We're looking at a scenario where there's no more agriculture in California,' Steven Chu says.  He sees education as a means to combat threat.  —  Reporting from Washington — California's farms and vineyards …

India warns Obama over Kashmir  —  India has warned US President Barack Obama that he risks “barking up the wrong tree” if he seeks to broker a settlement between Pakistan and India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.  —  MK Narayanan, India's national security advisor …

In Attack on Kennedy, Echo of a Spitzer Tactic  —  ALBANY — An administration leaks damaging information about a political figure.  The leak is denounced by the governor, who says that he had nothing to do with it.  —  This is what happened during the tenure of Gov. Eliot Spitzer …

Stimulus Debate: Democrats “Do Not Have The Votes”  —  Media reports suggest Senate Republicans have become a key focus of stimulus talks, an acknowledgement that they appear to hold the balance of power in that chamber despite having only 41 seats to the Democrats' 58.

EXCLUSIVE: Obama backs out on Iraq appointment  —  The Obama administration asked retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni to be U.S. ambassador to Iraq but abruptly withdrew the appointment without explanation, Gen. Zinni said Tuesday.  —  Gen. Zinni, a former commander of Central Command …

Democrats' call for civility 8 years late  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  The day before Barack Obama's inauguration as president, “Purple Nation” columnist Lanny Davis pleaded on this page for a return to civility in our nation's politics.  —  Mr. Davis, a proudly self-professed liberal Democrat …

My Economic Wish List  —  The House plan doesn't spend fast enough.  —  While wiping my desk lamp the other day, a genie appeared, offering me — you guessed it — three wishes.  I first asked him to restore my portfolio to its former glory.  He demurred: “No, I only grant wishes for the national economy.

Phelps Takes a Hit  —  It's hell being a celebrity, especially if you're young and find yourself at a party, where marijuana and cameras should never mix.  —  And it's not exactly heaven being sheriff of a county with escalating drug crimes and pressure to treat all offenders equally.

Border-Fence Project Hits a Snag  —  Opposition From Environmentalists, Property Owners Slows Construction of Final Leg  —  Construction of the final stretch of a 670-mile security fence along the southern U.S. border has hit a series of legal, political and engineering obstacles that are slowing completion of the yearlong project.

Obama campaign manager getting 7-figure book deal  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Obama campaign manager David Plouffe has agreed to a seven-figure deal to write a book about last year's presidential election.  —  “The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory” will be published by Viking next fall.