Roland Burris, resign  —  The benefit of the doubt had already been stretched thin and taut by the time Roland Burris offered his third version of the events leading to his appointment to the U.S. Senate.  It finally snapped like a rubber band, popping him on that long Pinocchio nose of his, when he came out with version four.

Nutroots suddenly hypersensitive about Nazi/president comparisons  —  For eight years, we've heard “Bushitler” invoked endlessly.  —  Again:  —  And again.  —  And again.  —  And again.  —  And again:  —  Now, the tables have been turned.  Some folks are invoking Nazi allusions against Barack Obama.

GM to End Brands, Cut 47,000 More Jobs  —  Saturn, Hummer Could Be History by 2011 as GM Plans to Slash Dealers; Chrysler Mentions Bankruptcy Option for First Time  —  General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC on Tuesday told the federal government they need at least $21.6 billion more combined …

Cheney and the Goat Devil  —  I was dubious about Will Ferrell doing his Bush impersonation one more time on Broadway.  —  As we lurch through the disasters bequeathed by W. — the economy tanking, 17,000 more troops going to Afghanistan, Chrysler pleading for a total of $9 billion …

Obama's war: Deploying 17,000 raises stakes in Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — Barack Obama, whose presidential ambitions were launched by his opposition to one war, moved Tuesday to expand the U.S. deployment in another.  —  In his first such action as president, Obama ordered an additional 17,000 combat troops to Afghanistan.

Bank nationalisation gains ground with Republicans  —  Long regarded in the US as a folly of Europeans, nationalisation is gaining rapid acceptance among Washington opinion-formers - and not just with Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve chairman.  Perhaps stranger still …

Dem exclusive?  Reporters jump ship  —  In three months since Election Day, at least a half-dozen prominent journalists have taken jobs working for the federal government.  —  Journalists, including some of those who've jumped ship, say it's better to have a solid job in government than a shaky job …

Michele Bachmann: “We're Running Out Of Rich People In This Country”  —  In an interview with a conservative talk show host, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has once again embarrassed herself.  Posted by the blog Dump Bachmann and picked up by the MN Progressive Project, the clip …

California budget negotiations hit a new snag  —  Senator Dave Cox talks on the cell phone in the senate chambers as lawmakers prepare for another late night at the State Capitol in Sacramento  —  Senate Republicans oust their leader, who had joined with Democrats to forge a budget package containing higher taxes.

RAHM'S ‘RENT’ IS JUST THE TIP OF ETHICS ICEBERG  —  NEWS broke last week that Rahm Emanuel, now White House chief of staff, lived rent- free for years in the home of Rep. Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.) - and failed to disclose the gift, as congressional ethics rules mandate.

Howard Jacobson: Let's see the ‘criticism’ of Israel for what it really is  —  Emotions have run high over recent events in Gaza.  And in this impassioned and searching essay, our writer argues that just below the surface runs a vicious strain of ancient prejudice

Help Is on the Way?  Obama to Outline Mortgage Plan  —  President Will Unveil a Plan Today to Stop the Flood of Foreclosures  —  Perhaps no one word has defined this recession better than “foreclosure.”  —  In the last year, banks started foreclosure proceedings on more than 2.3 million households …

Apocalypse now  —  Everyone should be paying attention to the political/fiscal catastrophe now unfolding in California.  Years of neglect, followed by economic disaster — and with all reasonable responses blocked by a fanatical, irrational minority.  —  This could be America next.

Palin to pay tax on past per diem  —  EXPENSES: Governor received meal money while living in Wasilla.  —  ldemer@adn.com  —  Gov. Sarah Palin must pay income taxes on thousands of dollars in expense money she received while living at her Wasilla home, under a new determination by state officials.

Bailout Likely to Focus on Most Afflicted Homeowners  —  The long-awaited housing bailout will finally be announced on Wednesday.  —  In a speech in Phoenix, a signature real estate boomtown gone bust, President Obama will explain his plan to reduce foreclosures.

Did World War II end the Great Depression?  —  Commenter Matt Steinglass takes me to task for this claim.  I suppose it depends on what you mean by ending the Great Depression.  —  The Great Depression indisputably ended during World War II, which is when the output gap closed.  But was it causal?

Back Home in Alaska, Palin Faces Scrutiny and Second-Guessing From All Sides  —  Scrutiny Has Been Intense Since Election  —  JUNEAU, Alaska — A couple of weeks before the Alaska legislature began this year's session, a bipartisan group of state senators on a retreat a few hours from here invited Gov. Sarah Palin to join them.