BREAKING: Gregg withdraws  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire released a statement Thursday withdrawing from consideration to be President Obama's Commerce Secretary.  —  Full statement follows:  —  “I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce.

Press, Milbank Protest David Plouffe's Speech  —  Barack Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, is slated to appear at the National Press Club to deliver the keynote speech for the Georgetown University and Politico sponsored event “Transition 2009.”  Except, before he even took the stage, things started to unravel.

Juan Williams, NPR and Fox News  —  Juan Williams.  —  NPR has more than 400 reporters, editors, producers and analysts on its news team, and none is more of a lightning rod than Juan Williams.  But it's usually not for anything he says on NPR.  —  Williams joined NPR in 2000 …

Pelosi's Office: Conservative Talking Point About $30 Million For Mice Is “Fabrication”  —  Is there really $30 million in the new stimulus package devoted to saving the salt marsh mouse in Nancy Pelosi's district?  —  That's what some conservatives are now charging, and the claim seems …

Joe The Plumber Conducts Live Hearing On Long-Term Economic Ramifications Of Stimulus Bill  —  I guess those clowns at Pajamas Media are gluttons for ridicule (beginning of video here).  —  After it's over, you must watch Joe's “investigation” of the stimulus bill, in which he shares priceless insights such as,

No Mandate for Criminal Probes of Bush Administration  —  Most favor investigations into controversial terror techniques, possible abuse of Justice Dept.  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Earlier this week, Sen. Patrick Leahy called for a special commission to investigate possible government wrongdoing …

Congressional Offices Don't Have the Stimulus Bill, Lobbyists Do  —  We're receiving E-mails from Capitol Hill staffers expressing frustration that they can't get a copy of the stimulus bill agreed to last night at a price of $789 billion.  What's more, staffers are complaining about who does have a copy: K Street lobbyists.

Greenspan Says He Was Mystified by Subprime Market  —  Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, told CNBC in a documentary to be shown Thursday night that he did not fully understand the scope of the subprime mortgage market until well into 2005 and could not make sense …

True Cost of Stimulus: $3.27 Trillion  —  All of the major news outlets are reporting that the stimulus bill voted out of conference committee last night has a meager $789 billion price tag.  This number is pure fantasy.  No one believes that the increased funding for programs the left loves …

Runaway Stimulus  —  The president, convinced that the only thing America has to fear is an insufficiency of fear, has warned that “disaster” and “catastrophe” are the certain alternatives to swift passage of the stimulus legislation.  One marvels at his certitude more than one envies his custody of this adventure.

Obama is headed for a one-term presidency  —  Well, that didn't take long.  —  Less than a month ago, Barack Obama was sworn-in as chief executive amid historic promises of “change we can believe in.”  But there won't be a second Obama term if he doesn't admit that, no matter how adroitly …

GREGG?  —  Huh, I guess that didn't work out.  —  This is extremely weird.  Gregg is out at Commerce, withdrawing for what he appears to be calling irreconcilable differences on Stimulus and the Census.  —  Now, the Census is one thing because Census administration is a pretty touchy issue between …

More Employers Fight Unemployment Benefits  —  In Record Numbers, Employers Move to Block Unemployment Payouts  —  It's hard enough to lose a job.  But for a growing proportion of U.S. workers, the troubles really set in when they apply for unemployment benefits.

Here it is: All 1,434 pages of the porkulus conference report; Detailed spending tables added; More paper waste to come; Update: Look what's back  —  Scroll for updates...updated with more details, docs...  Okay, people.  Now, hurry up and digest this entire 1,434 legislative text …

Senator Charles Schumer in Hot Water With Local Arts Organizations  —  Arts organizations were hoping for some help from the economic-stimulus package.  But they may be left empty-handed, and they're blaming Senator Schumer, though Schumer's office says he was “not aware” …

Gregg  —  It's hard to know what to make of this right away - so take this post in that instant spirit.  The notion that Gregg couldn't possibly have foreseen a stimulus package of $800 billion (including almost $400 billion in tax cuts) seems implausible to me.  I mean: we've known this was coming for months.

Bill Ayers has an idea for Palin  —  (CNN) - Sarah Palin once accused Barack Obama of “palling around with terrorists,” a catchphrase intended to highlight Obama's connection to former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers.  —  Now that the campaign rhetoric has subsided, Ayers has an idea for a new show starring his Alaskan nemesis.

Economists' Hopes for Second-Half Recovery Fade, Survey Finds  —  Prospects for an economic recovery this year are fading.  —  Economists in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey, while still mostly projecting growth in the U.S. gross domestic product by the third quarter …

White House may move to buy mortgages  —  New proposal could break logjam of foreclosure relief efforts  —  The White House is considering a proposal to head off potentially millions more home foreclosures by using federal funds to buy up at-risk loans and then refinance them with more affordable terms.

Hoyer: GOP can't write half of every bill  —  House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Thursday dismissed Republican complaints about not being able to “write exactly half of every bill” as a “deeply elitist idea.”  —  Speaking at a forum sponsored by Georgetown University and Politico …

Facebook Removes Conservative Group's Anti-Stimulus Petition  —  (CNSNews.com) - Facebook, one of the Internet's top social networking sites, has kicked out a conservative group's Web site —"NoStimulus.com" — from its paid advertising space.  —  NoStimulus.com, which is promoting a petition …

FIRST THOUGHTS: STIMULUS WINNERS, LOSERS  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** Stimulus winners and losers: For the fourth-consecutive day, President Obama hits the road to sell his stimulus — this time visiting Caterpillar in Peoria, IL, before heading to Springfield …