The Jindal Phenomenon  —  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — selected to deliver the Republicans' Fat Tuesday response to President Obama — might also be voted the man least likely to let the good times roll.  Slight, earnest, deeply religious and supremely wonkish, Jindal resembles neither …

Michelle Obama: White House Dog Coming Soon!  —  Michelle and Barack Obama with daughters Malia, left, and Sasha  —  The whole world, it seems, wants to know: What kind of dog are the Obamas getting and, for goodness sake, when?  —  Speaking to PEOPLE at the White House recently …

Byrd: Obama in power grab  —  Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest serving Democratic senator, is criticizing President Obama's appointment of White House “czars” to oversee federal policy, saying these executive positions amount to a power grab by the executive branch.

Gov. Jindal Follow-up: What Is ‘Volcano Monitoring’?  —  After President Obama's speech on the economy last night, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal criticized government spending in the stimulus bill, citing examples including “$140 million for something called ‘volcano monitoring.’”

“A Major Doctrinal Shift for Republicans”  —  Chief Political Correspondent  —  I just got off the phone with a very plugged-in Republican strategist who told me that Republican reaction to President Obama's speech, which the party will roll out in the next few days, will mark the beginning …

Poll: Positive Reception For Obama Address  —  UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULTS CBS News and Knowledge Networks held a nationally representative poll of 534 people who watched President Obama give his address to Congress to gauge their reaction in the minutes after the president's speech.

Some Dems balk at controversial budget maneuver  —  A growing group of Senate Democrats said they would oppose the use of budget process rules to ram climate change legislation and other hot-button items past Republican filibusters.  —  The group, which includes Sens. Robert Byrd (W.Va.) …

Chas Freeman Is Bigoted And Out Of Touch  —  Here is the most stunning prospective appointment of the Obama administration as yet.  Not stunning as in “spectacular” or “distinguished” but stunning as in bigoted and completely out of synch with the deepest convictions of the American people.

DC Statehood  —  Ryan Avent writes about the country's abhorrent treatment of residents of the capital: … A few points about this.  To actually admit DC as a state of the union would only require a majority vote in both houses of congress.  To meet the constitutional requirements …

The Insular President  —  It wasn't a State of the Union speech, so perhaps it is understandable that the president did not dwell on foreign policy.  And it is true that the economy takes front and center these days.  But as Bill Kristol notes, the president was so perfunctory in his remarks on national security as to be unserious.

Will's “final thought” on Obama speech: “I don't know when men started to hug each other, but hug they do, and look at that”

Exclusive: Lawyer says Guantanamo abuse worse since Obama  —  LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards “get their kicks in” before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.

America invented everything  —  Two of Obama's claims from the SOTU: … and … After a period of prolonged study and meditation (ie, I consulted Wikipedia for 45 minutes after the speech), I have concluded that these claims are questionable at best and false at worst.

United Pilot Insults Sully  —  I just flew on United Airlines Flight 918 from Dulles to Heathrow.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the pilot interrupted the display of airspeed, altitude, and temperature on the backs of the seat in front of passengers.  What I expected to be the usual welcome …

Justices Rule Sect Cannot Force Placing of Monument  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday, in one of the most closely watched free speech decisions in years, that a tiny religious sect could not force a Utah city to let it erect a monument to its faith in a public park.

Group of Rich Americans Sues UBS to Keep Names Secret in Tax Case  —  UBS was sued on Tuesday in a Swiss federal court by wealthy American clients seeking to prevent the disclosure of their identities as part of a tax-evasion investigation by the United States Justice Department.

The Climate Change Lobby Explosion  —  WILL THOUSANDS OF LOBBYISTS IMPERIL ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING?  —  In his address to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama pledged nothing less than a transformation in the way America uses energy in order to “save our planet from the ravages …

The Age Of Obama  —  WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 24: U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress February 24, 2009 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.  Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.  —  And so it begins.  The contrast between Barack Obama last night and George W Bush was striking.

Setbacks for Coleman grow at Senate recount trial  —  Attorneys for Norm Coleman conferred Tuesday during the recount trial in St. Paul.  Tony Trimble is at left, Ben Ginsberg is at right and Joe Friedberg has his back to the camera.  —  Judges allowed marks to be removed and heard other ballots were properly rejected.

What Obama really meant  —  President Obama's maiden speech to Congress was loaded with durable lines, many aimed with precision at specific audiences or political objectives.  As is often the case, the most memorable lines were often written with subtlety and delicacy to keep the speech above petty politics and blame-casting.

The Decline of Los Angeles  —  Next week, Antonio Villaraigosa will be overwhelmingly re-elected mayor of Los Angeles.  Do not, however, take the size of his margin - he faces no significant opposition - as evidence that all is well in the city of angels.  —  Whatever His Honor says to the media …