Rush Job: Inside Dems' Limbaugh plan  —  Top Democrats believe they have struck political gold by depicting Rush Limbaugh as the new face of the Republican Party, a full-scale effort first hatched by some of the most familiar names in politics and now being guided in part from inside the White House.

McCain, Dowd Substitute Mockery for Understanding  —  You understand why politics might get up to dumb gimmicks.  They're trying to get press, they're trying to get elected, whatever.  But even though lots of people do it, I genuinely don't understand why someone would go into political journalism despite …

Thomas Friedman's Five Worst Predictions  —  In this morning's New York Times, columnist Thomas Friedman makes a grave prediction regarding Obama and the ongoing financial crisis: “I fear that his whole first term could be eaten by Citigroup, A.I.G., Bank of America, Merrill Lynch …

Miami abortion clinic owner threw live baby away, prosecutors say  —  MIAMI - An abortion clinic owner is accused of delivering a live baby during a botched procedure and then throwing the infant away.  —  Belkis Gonzalez, 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with practicing medicine without …

What Obama Could Learn from Watchmen  —  Ana Marie Cox does a webchat for The Washington Post: … I like the idea of the Ozymandias reference, but I'm not sure that I actually get it.  By contrast, though you shouldn't click the links unless you want an implicit Watchmen spoler …

Ex-Bush lawyer talks about torture memos  —  Visiting Chapman professor wrote opinions on interrogation methods.  —  Recommend  —  ORANGE - John Yoo has brought attention to the Chapman University School of Law, where he is a distinguished visiting professor, with his experiences in the Office …

Cap-and-trade plan will sink Michigan  —  President Barack Obama's proposed cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gas emissions is a giant economic dagger aimed at the nation's heartland — particularly Michigan.  It is a multibillion-dollar tax hike on everything that Michigan does, including making things, driving cars and burning coal.

FIRST THOUGHTS: A TALE OF TWO PARTIES  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** A tale of two parties: To paraphrase Dickens, the last six weeks have been the best of times for Obama and the Democrats, and the worst of times for the Republicans.

The Pursuit of Social Democracy  —  Barack Obama won the 2008 Presidential election on an agenda that tilted him further leftward than most recent Democratic nominees on nearly every issue.  The one big exception was taxes, where he ran to the center, offering what was arguably …

Union official: Franken 60th vote on card-check  —  Al Franken could be the missing piece of the puzzle for passage of the labor movement's No. 1 legislative priority this Congress, a senior union official said Wednesday.  —  Once seated, the Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate …

Merrill's $10 Million Men  —  Top 10 Earners Made $209 Million in 2008 as Firm Foundered  —  As bad as 2008 was for Merrill Lynch & Co., it was very good for Andrea Orcel, the firm's top investment banker.  Although Merrill's net loss ballooned to $27.6 billion last year, Mr. Orcel …

Bayh: Why Spending Bill Should Fail  —  A Democratic senator says no to a huge federal spending bill.  —  This week, the United States Senate will vote on a spending package to fund the federal government for the remainder of this fiscal year.  The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 is a sprawling …

Voter's Remorse  —  I should have known better.  —  For those of you who have been following me, most of you know that I grudingly voted for Obama last November.  It was a ticket-splitting vote: voted for Obama and then voted GOP down the line.  I noted that I was going to cast my vote with some trepidation:

Hidden Pension Fiasco May Foment Another $1 Trillion Bailout  —  The Chicago Transit Authority retirement plan had a $1.5 billion hole in its stash of assets in 2007.  At the height of a four-year bull market, it didn't have enough cash on hand to pay its retirees through 2013, meaning it was underfunded to the tune of 62 percent.

Ted Kennedy to be knighted  —  Comment Central: (Sir) Teddy...and Alan...and Bill...  Ted Kennedy, one of the leading members of the family dynasty that dominated American politics in the final decades of the last century, is to receive an honorary knighthood.

Whitehouse: ‘Blanket immunity’ that prevents prosecution of Bush officials is a ‘mistake.’  —  Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the creation of a “truth commission” to investigate Bush administration wrongdoings.  Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) has suggested that the commission may grant …

Krauthammer's Take  —  From last night's All Stars.  —  On President Obama's secret letter to Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev proposing a deal on missile defense: … On the president's proposed cap-and-trade plan:

House Judiciary Committee Secures Rove and Miers Testimony in U.S. Attorney Firings  —  WASHINGTON (DC) - In an agreement reached today between the former Bush administration and Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Karl Rove …

ICC issues a warrant of arrest for Omar Al Bashir, President of Sudan  —  Today, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for the arrest of Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, President of Sudan, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Wyeth v. Levine - First Real Thoughts  —  First, a minor correction.  We lost by 6-3, not 6-2 (when you're typing fast you're all thumbs).  We lost Kennedy, Thomas, and Breyer.  We needed to win at least two of them.  —  The court relied on two facts established by the trial: (1) …

Bair Says Insurance Fund Could Be Insolvent This Year  —  Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Sheila Bair said the fund it uses to protect customer deposits at U.S. banks could dry up amid a surge in bank failures, as she responded to an industry outcry against new fees approved by the agency.

Mad Max's Justice Department  —  The scary post-9/11 thinking of the Bush legal team  —  IMAGINE A PLACE where soldiers are entitled to burst through doors without warrants and citizens can be locked away without trial.  Imagine that the leader of this place has the power to silence dissenters …

Marriage rally draws 1,000  —  Aim is to stir support for an amendment that would ban same-sex marriage  —  RALEIGH — More than 1,000 people, many from Baptist churches across the state, stood on the ice-covered lawn outside the Legislative Building on Tuesday to demand that state legislators give …

President Barack Obama just plain rude to Britain.  Don't call us in future.  —  Why couldn't President Obama have put on more of a show for his British guests?  He looked like he simply couldn't be bothered.  —  Gordon Brown and Barack Obama  —  Number 10 may be content …

UK mulls lifting ban on Hezbollah  —  Britain is considering dropping a ban on contact with the political wing of the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, a British minister has confirmed.  —  The government has had no official talks with Hezbollah since 2005.