Dems' ethical troubles reminiscent of GOPers' headaches as majority  —  Despite President Obama's repeated pledge to usher in a new, more ethical climate in Washington, House Democrats' ethical troubles have begun to resemble those the GOP had when it occupied the majority just three years ago.

Hillary's incredible, shrinking role  —  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is finding that her job description is dissolving under her feet, leaving her with only a vestige of the power she must have thought she acquired when she signed on to be President Obama's chief Cabinet officer.

Will Geert Wilders Be Arrested at Heathrow?  —  This morning Lord Malcolm Pearson, a member of the British House of Lords, announced that he has invited Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament, to show the movie Fitna (see it here) in a committee room of the House of Lords next Thursday (12 February).

Group pledges to fight GOP senators who support stimulus  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — An influential conservative political action committee is pledging to support primary challenges to any Republican senator who backs the economic stimulus package — the latest public show of dissatisfaction …

The Treasury's Financial Stability Plan  —  Here's my two cents on the latest two trillion.  —  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner began his remarks to the Senate Banking Committee this morning as follows: … To which I responded, Amen!  And Amen!  And I continued reading:

A rocky first few weeks  —  Obama sputters out of the gate — but don't fear yet.  Plus: Buxom foodies, frocks for the ages, and the eternal appeal of Mary McCarthy and Justin Timberlake.  —  Money by the barrelful, by the truckload.  Mountains of money, heaped like gassy pyramids in the national dump.

CONGRESS $HOPPING CARTS  —  WASHINGTON - “Fore!”  —  The federal government is preparing to spend millions to purchase a fleet of small electric vehicles that critics compare to golf carts.  —  The $838 billion economic stimulus bill that passed the Senate yesterday contains $300 million …

10-Year-Old Spaniel Completes Comeback  —  At 10 years old, Stump the Sussex spaniel should be well into his dotage.  Instead, the dog who technically retired four years ago took home Best in Show on Tuesday at the 133rd Annual Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Garden, becoming the oldest to win the award.

The president ran his prime-time press conference like a grad-school class.  —  The East Room of the White House has to be the fanciest room in which Professor Obama has ever held class.  But for an hour Monday night, he didn't seem to notice as he held a graduate seminar on the first 20 days …

For senators, tax questions are taxing  —  When Timothy Geithner appeared before the Senate Finance Committee last month, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) accused the soon-to-be treasury secretary of “dancing around” questions about his taxes.  —  When news broke that Tom Daschle had failed …

As Mainstream Exits D.C., Niche Media Tide Rises  —  The growing exodus of mainstream reporters from the nation's capital has ceded much of the turf to a new, more specialized kind of journalism.  —  Just as newspaper, magazine and television bureaus here are shrinking or shutting …

“War of Northern Aggression”?  —  According to Republican State Rep. Bryan Stevenson, the proposed pro-choice “Freedom of Choice Act” is the biggest federal power grab since the “War of Northern Aggression.”  —  And I thought Scott Rupp was overly dramatic.

Where does the conservative movement go from here?  —  ANALYSIS/OPINION:  —  The conservative movement has a simple and almost certainly successful future if it does three things:  —  1. Advocate first principles with courage, clarity, persistence and cheerfulness.

Agent Claims Evidence on Stevens Was Concealed  —  WASHINGTON — An F.B.I. agent who worked on the investigation of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who was convicted on ethics charges, has said in a stunning formal complaint that a fellow agent and prosecutors contrived to improperly conceal evidence from the court and the defense.

Suicide Attackers Storm Kabul Justice Ministry  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Attackers firing automatic rifles and apparently wearing explosive vests stormed the Justice Ministry in central Kabul on Wednesday while others burst into another government building, triggering chaos as ministry workers fled …

How to Save the Suburbs: Solutions from the Man Who Saw the Whole Thing Coming  —  For a half century, it's been easy to mock suburbia for being too comfortable, white-bread and conformist.  That's all changed in the last 18 months as many suburbs have abruptly taken on a sense of tragedy …

Exclusive: Leahy Talks To White House About Investigating Bush  —  Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and White House Chief Counsel Greg Craig discussed on Tuesday the Senator's proposal to set up a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate potential crimes of the Bush administration.

On War Criminals' Trail, NBC News Stirs Criticism  —  NBC News, which teamed up with local police officers to trap sex offenders for its successful but scandalous “To Catch a Predator” series, is now using similar tactics to hunt bigger game: war criminals.  —  But one of the first efforts …

The Money Liberal Conspiracy At Work  —  As promised, here are the gory mechanics of the liberal conspiracy to expand welfare rolls through an insufficiently publicized provision in the stimulus bill: … The major difference between the House and Senate versions of this deeply troubling provision …

About Bailout Nation . . .  Alternative title: Adventures in Publishing  —  Since the news came out today, I might as well spill the details about my battle with McGraw Hill over the content in the book.  —  I did not release this news.  I got a message this morning (apparently left last night) …

Because They Hate Shepard Smith and Want Him to Fail  —  Shep Smith leads the happy warriors of Fox News into a new political age.  —  Shepard Smith has a face made for television, a face seemingly created not just for the cameras but by them, a brand-name face that could be made into a mask and worn on Halloween.

Will You Help Me With My Next Film? ...a request from Michael Moore  —  I am in the middle of shooting my next movie and I am looking for a few brave people who work on Wall Street or in the financial industry to come forward and share with me what they know.