Barack Obama ‘too tired’ to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown  —  Barack Obama's offhand approach to Gordon Brown's Washington visit last week came about because the president was facing exhaustion over America's economic crisis and is unable to focus on foreign affairs, the Sunday Telegraph has been told.

Obama's Interview Aboard Air Force One  —  President Obama spoke in a 35-minute interview aboard Air Force One on Friday afternoon as he traveled from Columbus, Ohio to Andrews Air Force Base.  This is an edited transcript, as recorded by The New York Times.

Chas Freeman and 9/11  —  How important has resentment of Israel been to Al Qaeda's terrorism?  Here is one side of the argument, by an American who knows Saudi Arabia well: … And here is the opposing view, by an American who knows the Kingdom equally well: … So now you've heard two sides of the debate.

Reid, Pelosi Swearing Match Over Omnibus  —  Politico: Heated, Profane Exchanges Took Place Between Democrats After Spending Bill Didn't Reach 60 Votes In Senate  —  Page 1 of 2  —  (The Politico) This story was written by David Rogers.  —  After an angry, swearing late night meeting …

‘Shut up about Chavez the killer’ Venezuelan co-star tells Sean Penn  —  The saccharine conventions of showbusiness were thrown out of the window last week, when the Hollywood actress Maria Conchita Alonso was collared by paparazzi and asked if she was pleased about her former co-star Sean Penn's recent Oscar victory.

Hillary Clinton left red-faced by Moscow gift translation gaffe  —  Russian media have been poking fun at the US secretary of state over a translation error on a gift she presented to her Russian counterpart.  —  Hillary Clinton gave Sergei Lavrov a mock “reset” button, symbolising US hopes to mend frayed ties with Moscow.

Yes, We Did Plan for Mumbai-Style Attacks in the U.S.  —  Why the latest assault on Bush antiterror strategy could make us less safe.  —  Suppose al Qaeda branched out from crashing airliners into American cities.  Using small arms, explosives, or biological, chemical or nuclear weapons …

Stark's hottest job: Janitor  —  Lack of work.  —  How hungry are people for work in today's sinking economy?  —  Nearly 700 people have applied for a single job as a school custodian.  —  Perry Local Schools have an open position — full time with benefits — at Edison Junior High School after its afternoon janitor retired.

Specter faces make-or-break shift as challenge looms  —  Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) does not have the fall-back option of running as an independent should he lose his 2010 primary election, giving the senior lawmaker strong incentive to abandon his party this year.

George W. Obama?  —  Washington has spent the past couple of weeks debating whether Barack Obama's ambitious agenda and political strategy are more comparable to those of Franklin Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan.  Oddly, hardly anyone is talking about the ways in which Obama is beginning to resemble the man who just vacated the White House.

The Case for Progressive Growth  —  Someone emailed me this Will Wilkinson post which I find interesting because his description of what progressives think about the economy has basically zero points of contact with what I think about the economy.  It's especially interesting …

Iran and Hamas back Sudan's Bashir  —  A delegation of senior Middle Eastern leaders has travelled to Sudan to express international support for Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, who is accused of war crimes in Darfur.  —  Officials from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah joined Syria's parliament speaker …

Nine-Year-Old's Abortion Outrages Brazil's Catholic Church  —  Demonstrators hold a banner during an antiabortion march in Brasília  —  The case of the pregnant 9-year-old was shocking enough.  But it was the response of the Catholic Church that infuriated many Brazilians.

Obama to visit Turkey in next few weeks  —  ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) — President Obama plans to visit Turkey in about a month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday.  —  Clinton was holding talks in Ankara with officials “to emphasize the work the United States and Turkey must …