Limbaugh Defends Jindal, Warns Conservatives They Are ‘Making A Real Mistake If They Go After’ Him  —  The response across the political spectrum to Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R-LA) speech last night has been overwhelmingly negative.  Even the most enthusiastic conservative talkers had harsh words …

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 …

What should government do?  A Jindal meditation  —  What is the appropriate role of government?  —  Traditionally, the division between conservatives and liberals has been over the role and size of the welfare state: liberals think that the government should play a large role in sanding off …

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.

“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 …

Reid: Congressional Budget Increased To Pay GOP Staffers  —  A ten percent increase in the budget for Congressional operations was needed because Senate Republicans wanted to retain previous staff levels despite having lost roughly 20 percent of their ranks in the 2008 elections, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Wednesday.

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.

Muslim Publics Oppose Al Qaeda's Terrorism, But Agree With Its Goal of Driving US Forces Out  —  Support for Including Islamist Groups in Elections  —  A study of public opinion in predominantly Muslim countries reveals that very large majorities continue to renounce the use of attacks …

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.

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”

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Schultheis: HIV testing for pregnant moms rewards ‘sexual promiscuity’  —  State Sen. Dave Schultheis, a Colorado Springs Republican (Photo/Bob Spencer, The Colorado Independent)  —  Democrats were outraged Wednesday morning when Republican state Sen. Dave Schultheis said he planned to vote …

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.

I Ponied Up for Sheryl Crow?  —  Talk about being teed off.  —  The economy is croaking and bankers are still partying at a golf tournament here on our dime.  —  It's a good argument for nationalization, or better yet, internationalization.  Outsource the jobs of these perfidious …

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 …

Joe Biden's number: 'I'm embarrassed'  —  The president may be a BlackBerry fanatic, but the vice president is having a little trouble with his Web-sites - the one, indeed, which the president set up to track all the stimulus spending.  —  And Vice President Joe Biden is the one charged …

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 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 …

Democratic governor may reject stimulus funding  —  Phil Bredesen may become the first Democratic governor to reject some funding earmarked for his state in the stimulus package.  —  Tennessee Gov. Bredesen, who is reported to be on the shortlist to take over the Department of Health and Human Services …

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.

Bank Stress Test Details Unveiled  —  WASHINGTON — U.S. officials unveiled details Wednesday of how they plan to convert preferred shares the U.S. Treasury holds in hundreds of financial institutions into common stock that would help banks survive an even worse-than-projected economic downturn.