Obama Orders Treasury Chief to Try to Block A.I.G. Bonuses  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama vowed to try to stop the faltering insurance giant American International Group from paying out hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to executives, as the administration scrambled to avert …

Gridiron singed by Obama no-show  —  No offense intended, says the Obama White House.  —  None taken, say the esteemed leaders of the Gridiron Club.  —  Still, in Washington, a slap does not have to be officially labeled as such for its sound to echo — and its sting to be felt.

Obama's Approval Rating Slips Amid Division Over Economic Proposals  —  GOP Congressional Leaders' Ratings Hit New Low - 28%  —  President Barack Obama's approval rating has slipped, as a growing number of Americans see him listening more to his party's liberals than to its moderates …

Obama to Appear on ‘Tonight Show’  —  Barack Obama appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in 2007 when he was running for president.  —  President Obama will be making a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Thursday, a White House official said …

Why the GOP Can't Win With Minorities  —  Today conservatism is stigmatized in our culture as an antiminority political philosophy.  In certain quarters, conservatism is simply racism by another name.  And minorities who openly identify themselves as conservatives are still novelties, fish out of water.

Dramatic Advances Sweep Iraq, Boosting Support for Democracy  —  ABC News/BBC/NHK National Survey of Iraq  —  Dramatic advances in public attitudes are sweeping Iraq, with declining violence, rising economic well-being and improved services lifting optimism, fueling confidence in public institutions …

Rendell: I've Tried To Get Specter To Switch — And So Has Joe Biden  —  Ed Rendell told RNN-TV, a regional cable news channel in the Northeast, that he has in fact tried to talk GOP Senator Arlen Specter into switching to the Democrats — oh, and so have some other important people, who Rendell probably shouldn't have mentioned.

A Continent Adrift  —  I'm concerned about Europe.  Actually, I'm concerned about the whole world — there are no safe havens from the global economic storm.  But the situation in Europe worries me even more than the situation in America.  —  Just to be clear, I'm not about to rehash …

Why Khatami Withdrew  —  With 87 days to go before Iran's presidential elections, the air is already thick with excitement.  Usually, big events happen within a month before elections.  But this time, we are witnessing them almost three months prior to the big day.

An Immigration Glitch for Gay Couples Is Unjust  —  THE UNITING American Families Act would allow gay and lesbian Americans and permanent residents to sponsor their foreign-born partners for legal residency in the United States.  The bill, introduced last month in the Senate by Patrick Leahy …

U.S. Military Confirms It Shot Down Iranian Drone  —  Last month, a U.S. fighter aircraft tracked and shot down an Iranian drone.  Details — first reported by Danger Room — have been elusive, but the U.S. military has now confirmed the incident.  —  Multinational Forces Iraq spokesman …

Compare And Contrast  —  From the Red Cross's summary of Bush-Cheney torture techniques: … The Gestapo's list of torture techniques that fit into their “enhanced interrogation program” - a torture regime designed to avoid too-obvious or incriminating physical scars:

FIRST THOUGHTS: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** Rage against the machine: Anger at Wall Street and at America's financial institutions has been simmering for a while now — the numerous bailouts, Bernie Madoff, and Jon Stewart vs. CNBC have been just a few examples.

Sexual Politics  —  How long has it been since a First Couple seemed to want each other?  —  Look, Ma, no hands!  Only one cool forehead and some extra-strength hairspray touch, and yet everything combusts in this Inauguration Night photo.  Not since Doris Day and Rock Hudson split a pair of pajamas …

Steele's Tour-De-Force: Compares Obama To Nixon, Declares “Ultimate Political Armageddon,” Backs Challenges Against Republicans  —  Read More: Michael Steele, Radio Host, Steele Amragedon, Steele Bill Bennett, Steele Global Warming, Steele Greenland, Steele Nixon, Steele Obama Nixon.

Fareed Zakaria  —  PostGlobal co-moderator Fareed Zakaria is editor of Newsweek International, overseeing all Newsweek's editions abroad.  He writes a regular column for Newsweek, which also appears in Newsweek International and often The Washington Post.  He is a member of the roundtable of ABC News' …

My last words ...  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  No one sane ever went into journalism for the money, and neither did I — which was a good thing.  I've made my first million as a professional newspaper writer/editor but it took nearly 36 years.  —  Like many in my financially and technologically battered business …

3 Percent  —  Ta-Nehisi links to the latest numbers on HIV in DC.  This commenter's response is worth pondering.  It's not a matter of resources.  It's a matter of finding a way to reach the most beleaguered and at-risk population: African-American men who have sex with men (and then women).

Free Larry Summers  —  Why the White House needs to unshackle its economic oracle.  —  On a typical day, Larry Summers, the top White House economic adviser, sits in his office overlooking the Rose Garden and receives a near-endless succession of aides working on a stunning variety of issues.