Steele to Rush: I'm sorry  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says he has reached out to Rush Limbaugh to tell him he meant no offense when he referred to the popular conservative radio host as an “entertainer” whose show can be “incendiary.”

Panel Says Ron Kirk Underpaid Taxes  —  (Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)  —  Leaders of the Senate Finance Committee this afternoon revealed that another of President Obama's nominees — U.S. Trade Representative-designate Ron Kirk — has tax problems.

Obama ‘ready to drop shield plans for Russian help on Iran’  —  Washington has told Moscow that Russian help in resolving Iran's nuclear program would make its missile shield plans for Europe unnecessary, a Russian daily said on Monday, citing White House sources.

Obama releases secret Bush anti-terror memos  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration threw open the curtain on years of Bush-era secrets Monday, revealing anti-terror memos that claimed exceptional search-and-seizure powers …

Pelosi's list: Who's on her bad side?  —  Nancy Pelosi likes to keep lists.  —  As a young political protégé of her father, Baltimore Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro, the preteen speaker-to-be would spend hours leafing through the list of voters her father had helped in some way …

Agent says ousted Gov. Blagojevich has book deal, will talk Senate  —  Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has landed a book deal, his publicist said today.  —  The ousted governor will focus on “the discussions, the considerations and the factors involved in picking” …

Upper-Income Taxpayers Look for Ways to Sidestep Obama Tax-Hike Plan  —  President Would Slap More Taxes on Those Who Make Over $250K to Fund Health Care  —  President Barack Obama's tax proposal - which promises to increase taxes for those families with incomes of $250,000 or more …

Limbaugh misquotes Constitution while arguing Obama policies are ‘bastardization’ of Constitution.  —  During his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, Rush Limbaugh got some of his loudest applause when he declared that President Obama's policies represent a “bastardization of the Constitution.”

Web-Savvy Obama Team Hits Unexpected Bumps  —  Issues of Technology, Security and Privacy Slow the New Administration's Effort to Foster Instant Communication  —  The team that ran the most technologically advanced presidential campaign in modern history is finding it difficult to adapt that model to government.

Is Obama embracing the lawless, omnipotent executive?  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  As I detailed over the weekend, the Obama administration — in the case brought by two American lawyers and their charity-client claiming that their conversations were illegally intercepted …

Pelosi Snowed-Out of Global Warming Rally  —  (CNSNews.com) - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had to cancel an appearance Monday at a global warming rally in Washington, D.C., that was hit by a snowstorm because her flight was delayed, her office told CNSNews.com.

Dow Below 6,800; Lowest Close Since '97  —  Stock prices tumbled around the world Monday, amid new evidence that economies were weaker than had been thought.  The losses were especially severe in Europe, where an emergency summit meeting over the weekend ended in bickering and the rejection of a bailout plea from Hungary.