Cheney's Excuse For Economic Failures Under His Watch: ‘Stuff Happens’  —  During an interview with Dick Cheney this morning, CNN host John King asked the former vice president why “we should listen to you” for economic advice.  To make his case, King noted the following statistical changes …

WITH REPUBLICAN FRIENDS LIKE THESE ...  THE MEDIA LOVES CONSERVATIVES, BUT ONLY IF THEY HATE REPUBLICANS  —  Dear Mainstream Media:  —  I'm a conservative who believes that other conservatives are fat, drug-stuffed, money-grubbing warthogs like Rush Limbaugh, or scary inbred backwoods retards like Sarah Palin.

Administration Is Open to Taxing Health Benefits  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system.

AIG to Pay $450 Million in Bonuses  —  American International Group Inc. will pay $450 million in bonuses to employees in its financial products unit.  That division was at the heart of AIG's collapse last fall, which compelled the U.S. government to provide $173.3 billion in aid to keep it running.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS NOT DUE.... Wall Street had a nice little rally this week, but former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino hopes President Obama doesn't get too much credit. … I see.  Just so we're clear, here's a helpful guide to the rules of market watching, as they relate to partisan politics:

Pakistan ex-PM ignores ‘arrest’  —  Nawaz Sharif's car set off in a convoy of vehicles  —  Pakistan opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has defied an apparent bid to put him under house arrest in Lahore ahead of a “march” on the capital Islamabad.  —  Thousands of supporters joined …

Mideast Publications Question Obama Over Top Intelligence Pick's Withdrawal  —  Top Intelligence Pick's Pullout Blamed on ‘Pro-Israel Hawks’  —  The Middle East press has questioned President Obama's authority over Arab-Israeli issues since Charles W. Freeman Jr.'s withdrawal from his appointment to a senior intelligence position.

Some strings attached  —  Is the stimulus law constitutional?  —  Last month, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, popularly called “the stimulus plan.”  It gives billions of dollars to the states, but the gift has strings attached.  One of its unique provisions changes state constitutions!

Goodwin: More than a bad day  —  Not long ago, after a string of especially bad days for the Obama administration, a veteran Democratic pol approached me with a pained look on his face and asked, “Do you think they know what they're doing?”  —  The question caught me off guard because the man is a well-known Obama supporter.

Is anti-Zionism hate?  —  Yes.  It is more dangerous than anti-Semitism, threatening lives and peace in the Middle East.  —  By Judea Pearl  —  In January, at a symposium at UCLA (choreographed by the Center for Near East Studies), four longtime Israel bashers were invited to analyze …

Start smoking: It just may save a child's life!  —  I do realize that most people don't smoke and so they ignore all of the attacks on smokers.  It's not you, and you hate those pesky smokers, anyway.  They're always polluting your lungs!  —  I'm a smoker, I guess.

At Least 3 Percent of D.C. Residents Have HIV or AIDS, City Study Finds; Rate Up 22% From 2006  —  Considered a ‘Severe’ Epidemic, Every Mode of Transmission Is Increasing, City Study Finds  —  At least 3 percent of District residents have HIV or AIDS, a total that far surpasses …