Full text of Obama's speech to Congress and the nation  —  Here is the text of President Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress, as released by the White House moments ago:  —  Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the First Lady of the United States:

Jindal accuses Obama of pessimism  —  The early excerpts of Bobby Jindal's response to Obama's State of the Union are largely standard fare, but the conclusion strikes an interesting note — one hinted at recently by Bill Clinton — accusing the president, basically, of pessimism.

OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE PLAN EXPECTS AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE.  —  I've now been able to confirm with multiple senior administration sources that the health care proposal in Obama's budget will have a mandate.  Sort of.  —  Here's how it will work, according to the officials I've spoken to.

Obama Claim: Done More in 30 Days Than Other Presidents  —  Economy Will Dominate Obama Speech Tonight  —  The Obama administration is going into tonight's pivotal speech to Congress with the belief that President Obama has accomplished more in the first 30 days in office than any modern president.

Matthews Not Tingly for Jindal  —  Listen closely as Jindal approaches the mic and Matthews let's out an exasperated “oh God” before he even opens his mouth.

Soldier doubts eligibility, defies president's orders  —  ‘As an officer, my sworn oath to support and defend our Constitution requires this’  —  A U.S. soldier on active duty in Iraq has called President Obama an “impostor” in a statement in which he affirmed plans to join as plaintiff …

JINDAL BLOGGING  —  “Pre-existing condition”?  Is it just me or is this absolutely cringeworthy?  I mean, I really don't like Jindal.  But this is awful.  —  10:26 PM ... Is he going to talk about his work as an exorcist?  —  10:28 PM ... Katrina as metaphor for opposing the Stimulus Bill.

Fox Panel's Verdict On Jindal's Speech: ‘Childish,’ ‘Amateurish,’ ‘Not Exactly Terrific’  —  Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) response to President Obama's speech tonight received a universal thumbs down from the Fox News panelists, who are traditionally conservatives' most gentle critics:

Officials: Most troops out of Iraq in 18 months  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama plans to remove all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August 2010, administration officials said Tuesday, ending the war three months later …

Killing (or Maiming) a Sacred Cow: Home Mortgage Deductions  —  Edward L. Glaeser is an economics professor at Harvard.  —  The Great Depression provided an opportunity to rethink old policies in a major way.  In the current morass, everything should, once again, be open for debate.

Join Us Tuesday Night for O-BINGO!  —  On Tuesday at 9:00 PM Eastern, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress.  To help get you through the 50-minute speech, use our handy Bingo card to check off terms and phrases likely to be used.  As a bonus, print out the different versions …

Not a War President  —  What can we learn from the few sentences President Obama devoted to foreign policy in his speech to Congress tonight?  —  The main lesson is how very few the sentences were.  Yes, this was a speech focused on the economy.  But it was also Obama's first address to Congress …

The Region: America, look behind you!  Turn around!  Turn around!  —  America: A freight train is heading your way and you're standing right on the tracks, looking in the wrong direction.  —  Or perhaps it is like a horror film in which the killer sneaks up behind the hapless victim while the movie audience yells: “Turn around!

Northern Trust defends spending on PGA event, parties  —  Rep. Barney Frank said he's going to ask for the money back.  —  Phil Mickelson of USA plays his approach shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club February 22, 2009 in Pacific Palisades, California.

WBAL-TV fires reporter over prank  —  John Sanders inserted a graphic phrase in a faked video that ended up on YouTube  —  WBAL-TV has fired a reporter who inserted a graphic phrase in a video for a prank — only to have the doctored version surface on Web sites nationwide.

Likely Obama Appointee Had Ties to Bin Laden Family  —  Blogs and Stories  —  Charles Freeman, Obama's reported pick for chairman of the National Intelligence Council, talked business with the Bin Laden family even after September 11.  —  Amid the criticism that has already emerged …

A bitter-Tweet night for the GOP  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  As President Barack Obama delivered his unofficial State of the Union address Tuesday night, some Republicans at the Capitol and elsewhere provided harsh reviews by Twitter - at least until they did a 180 to adopt a more respectful tone.

Scandal-plagued Republican says Burris should resign  —  Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (R), who survived a 2007 sex scandal, called on Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) to resign Tuesday for his ethical shortcomings.  —  Vitter was connected with a prostitution ring two years ago and dismissed …

Politics in the Guise of Pure Science  —  Why, since President Obama promised to “restore science to its rightful place” in Washington, do some things feel not quite right?  —  First there was Steven Chu, the physicist and new energy secretary, warning The Los Angeles Times that climate change …

Commerce Pick Carries Lengthy China Résumé  —  SEATTLE — Top slots in the Obama administration were filling up fast when Gary Locke was asked by a friend several weeks ago whether he expected to get a job offer from the new president.  —  “He mentioned that he hadn't gotten …

Why Obama's Deficit-Spending Plan Will (Probably) Work  —  Will the Obama deficit-spending plan work?  Will throwing $800 billion—$500 billion in extra government spending, and $300 billion in tax cuts—at the economy produce a world in which production and employment are higher …

Armed guards pulled from Cicero polls  —  Cook County Sheriff's police ordered armed security personnel hired by Cicero President Larry Dominick to leave polling places during today's primary election, according to the Cook County Clerk David Orr.  —  Cicero President Larry Dominick inside his election headquarters today.

Kenneth Jindal  —  Close your eyes and think of Kenneth from 30 Rock.  I can barely count the number of emails making that observation.  I'm told Olbermann's open mic got it right: Jindal's entrance reminded one of Mr Burns gamboling toward a table of ointments.

Live Blogging Obama's Speech  —  Click below for live commentary on Obama's address to Congress, beginning Tuesday at 9:00 PM EST.  —  Obama's Address to Congress

Palin to reimburse state for family travel  —  Gov. Sarah Palin has agreed to reimburse the state for the costs of nine trips for her children.  An agreement announced today settles an ethics complaint filed in October.  —  The charges that Palin has agreed to reimburse include the cost …

BARACK'S MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR  —  President Obama announced tonight that “our day of reckoning has arrived.”  How will our new president respond to this epoch-making challenge?  If tonight's speech is any indication, he will respond with wishful, and indeed magical, thinking.

Hearst seeks changes at Chronicle  —  (02-24) 14:30 PST NEW YORK — The Hearst Corp. today announced an effort to reverse the deepening operating losses of its San Francisco Chronicle by seeking near-term cost savings that would include “significant” cuts to both union and non-union staff.