Steele's Campaign Spending Questioned  —  Agents Contact Sister After Ex-Aide's Claims  —  Michael S. Steele, the newly elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, arranged for his 2006 Senate campaign to pay a defunct company run by his sister for services that were never performed …

CRAZY PEOPLE.... Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) gave a speech on the Senate floor yesterday, complaining not only about the government stimulus, but the process by which the stimulus was put together. … Similarly, John McCain said the bill should have been “bipartisan,” and it doesn't count …

Results in on Obama's grassroots appeal: It's a bust  —  WASHINGTON — Few supporters are answering President Barack Obama's call for nationwide house-party gatherings this weekend to build grass-roots support for his economic stimulus plan.  —  A McClatchy survey of sign-up rosters for a score …

Senators Reach Tentative Deal on More Than $800B Economic ‘Spendulus’ Bill  —  Senators Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Susan Collins of Maine have signed onto the bill, giving Democrats enough votes to move it forward.  —  FOXNews.com  —  Senators have reached a tentative deal on a version …

Obama's ‘Naked’ Moment  —  The president stands exposed on the stimulus.  —  Every so often a president finds himself standing completely exposed—naked, so to speak—before the political class.  —  This first happened to George W. Bush in October 2005, when Bush nominated his White House counsel …

Waltzing Among the Rockets  —  War, dining out, a high stakes election: Israeli life is back to normal.  —  Tel Aviv  —  The cover of the January 15-22 issue of Time Out Tel Aviv—a free weekly rundown of culture, dining, and night life—offers a juxtaposition at once incongruous …

Obama's growing pains  —  Next week can't come soon enough as administration learns early lessons  —  WASHINGTON - By this time next week, the White House will have quite an accomplishment topping their list of early victories — passage of a massive economic stimulus package in less than a month.

Why the Innocent Are Punished More Harshly Than the Guilty  —  The AP reports on a really tragic case of wrongful conviction: … The part of the story that caught my eye was the fact that Cole's insistence on his innocence is what led to his imprisonment and prevented his release on parole:

McConnell vs. The New Deal  —  A lot of Republicans have been surgical in their opposition to the stimulus — arguing that it lacks the appropriate mixture of tax cuts or timely, targeted, temporary and truly stimulative spending.  —  But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell …

KBR wins contract despite criminal probe of deaths  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - Defense contractor KBR Inc. has been awarded a $35 million Pentagon contract involving major electrical work, even as it is under criminal investigation …

Latin America poverty ‘may soar’  —  The global financial crisis could cause poverty to rise in Latin America by as much as 15% this year, a senior UN official has warned.  —  Rebeca Grynspan, regional head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said Latin American governments needed to take action urgently.

Gregg mum on Census Bureau  —  MANCHESTER - Sen. Judd Gregg yesterday declined all comment on reports that the White House will strip him of his authority over the federal Census Bureau even before he becomes Secretary of Commerce.  —  Gregg spokesman Laena Fallon said all comment would come from the White House.

List of spending “cuts” in Senate bill  —  A list of programs cut (actually reduced proposed allocations) from the House/Obama bill by Senate negotiators, put together by a Republican leadership aide:  —  $7.5 billion of State Incentive Grants  —  $3.5 billion Higher Ed Construction (Eliminated)

Playbook: Closing in on the stimulus  —  Good Saturday morning.  AP's Ben Feller: “Barack Obama, who has spent most of his nascent presidency in the White House compound, is shifting into travel mode.  The rundown: Saturday and Sunday at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland …