Freeman speaks out on his exit  —  Retired Amb.  Chas Freeman, who said today that he no longer accepts an offer to chair the National Intelligence Council, has just sent this message: … More to come.

Heads should roll  —  President Obama's clumsy, smirky staff is sinking him — and resurrecting a deflated GOP!  Plus: Lay off Rush!  And a Brazilian diva, up close and electric  —  View a slide show of Daniela Mercury at the 2009 carnival in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.  —  Free Barack!

The new left-wing conspiracy  —  The vast new left-wing conspiracy sets its tone every morning at 8:45 a.m., when officials from more than 20 labor, environmental and other Democratic-leaning groups dial into a private conference call hosted by two left-leaning Washington organizations.

Pelosi Made Repeated Requests for Military Aircraft, Documents Show  —  Representatives for Judicial Watch, which obtained e-mails and other documents showing the requests, say House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has treated the Air Force as her “personal airline.”  —  FOXNews.com

Obama gets omnibus and earmark fight  —  A $409.6 billion omnibus appropriations bill cleared Congress Tuesday even as the White House pursued new steps to try to pare back the level of parochial spending projects attached to the budget each year.  —  President Barack Obama is poised to sign …

ZOMBIE LIES THAT WILL NOT DIE.  —  We're not even going to talk about the tendentious Matrix analogy laced into this column Amity Shlaes wrote for Bloomberg.  Not.  Even.  Going.  To.  Talk.  About.  It.  I already read the thing for you.  I refuse to relive it.

A Turning Tide?  —  Obama still has the approval of the people, but the establishment is beginning to mumble that the president may not have what it takes.  —  Surfer that he is, President Obama should know a riptide when he's in one.  The center usually is the safest, most productive place in politics …

Chuck Norris claims thousands of right wing cell groups exist and will rebel against U.S. government  —  The call by some right wing leaders for rebellion and for the military to refuse the commander in chief's orders is joined by Chuck Norris who claims that thousands of right wing cell groups …

Can America be saved?  —  So I read this: … and I wonder if this country can handle the crisis we're in.  Remember, John Boehner is, in effect, the second-most influential member of the GDP (after Rush Limbaugh).  And while Democrats hold a majority, it's not enough of a majority to make the minority party irrelevant.

The President Politicizes Stem-Cell Research  —  Taxpayers have a right to be left out of it.  —  Yesterday President Barack Obama issued an executive order that authorizes expanded federal funding for research using stem cells produced by destroying human embryos.

S.C. Guv to Obama: Thanks, But No Thanks  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis reports:  —  South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) has completed his review of the recently enacted stimulus package and will be sending President Obama a letter in the next few days asking for permission to apply a quarter …

Conrad: Obama budget lacks votes  —  Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said Tuesday that President Obama's budget plan doesn't have enough support from lawmakers right now to win approval.  —  Conrad said that he has spoken to enough colleagues with reservations …

McCain Prepping ‘Contract With America’ Style Economic Plan  —  Sen. John McCain is putting together a major economic plan that will be structured, in some ways, off of Newt Gingrich's famous Contract With America.  —  In an email obtained by the Huffington Post, the Arizona Republican's chief of staff …