Blago hit up Burris for cash  —  Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post — something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show.

NOW THAT IT'S PASSED, REPUBLICANS LIKE THE SPENDING.... As you may have heard, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) rushed back to Capitol Hill last night, giving the economic stimulus bill its 60th vote, and sending the package to the White House.  The final vote on the $787 billion measure broke down exactly as expected.

Stimulus Plan Places New Limits on Wall St. Bonuses  —  WASHINGTON — A provision buried deep inside the $787 billion economic stimulus bill would impose restrictions on executive bonuses at financial institutions that are much tougher than those proposed 10 days ago by the Treasury Department.

Public still sky-high on Obama ‘brand’  —  With Barack Obama's victory in passing a massive stimulus package marred by days of bad press—as not a single House Republican backed the bill, his Health Czar went down in flames and his second pick for Commerce Secretary walked away …

Obama Scores Early Victory of Historic Proportions  —  Twenty-four days into his presidency, Barack Obama recorded last night a legislative achievement of the sort that few of his predecessors achieved at any point in their tenure.  —  In size and scope, there is almost nothing in history …

Lieberman Stepped Up Role As Talks Ebbed  —  Sen. Ben Nelson spent the last two weeks either surrounded by reporters or huddled with centrist members of both parties, hashing out a deal to move the president's stimulus through the chamber.  —  On the way to the most critical of those meetings …

F-Bomb Free Or Die!  —  It's kind of hard to tell from this Portsmouth Herald article.  But it sounds like your right to remove signs other people have planted without authority on your property, and to do so without interference from busybodies, and to express yourself when those things have transpired …

Obama Levitates  —  But the train goes off the rails.  —  One of many highlights of the stimulus bill the Democrats just rammed through Congress is $8 billion for high-speed rail.  What makes this appropriation special is that there was no money for high-speed rail in the original House legislation.

Muslim girl in baptism row was fleeing an arranged marriage … The foster mother struck off for allowing a Muslim girl to convert to Christianity took the child in after she was threatened with an arranged marriage.  —  The woman, a devout Christian, was asked to care for the teenager …

Recount trial: Coleman dealt blow, but no knockout  —  In a blow to Coleman, recount trial judges ruled out most rejected absentee votes.  —  Dealing a blow but not a knockout to Republican Norm Coleman's hopes, the judges in the U.S. Senate election trial on Friday tossed out most of the 19 categories …

Here's What $800 Billion Buys Today  —  The final version of the stimulus bill is ready to be voted on by the House and the Senate.  —  Here's the good news: The $246 million tax credit to Hollywood that made its way to the initial House bill and was removed in the Senate version didn't make it to the final bill.

Ford Still (or Again) a Candidate to Head Commerce Department  —  As the Memphis Flyer noted first, as long ago as January 15 ("Ford's Future"), Harold Ford Jr. may be in line to become Commerce Secretary in the Obama administration.  The admirable Chuck Todd of NBC and MSNBC is the latest …