Car Dealer in Chief  —  Some companies are in the steel business, some are in the cookie business, but General Motors is in the restructuring business.  For 30 years, G.M. has been restructuring itself toward long-term viability.  —  For all these years, G.M.'s market share has endured a long, steady slide.

Most Americans Don't Blame Obama for Economy, Poll Finds  —  The number of Americans who believe that the nation is headed in the right direction has roughly tripled since Barack Obama's election, and the public overwhelmingly blames the excesses of the financial industry, rather than the new president …

Beyond AIG: A Bill to let Big Government Set Your Salary  —  It was nearly two weeks ago that the House of Representatives, acting in a near-frenzy after the disclosure of bonuses paid to executives of AIG, passed a bill that would impose a 90 percent retroactive tax on those bonuses.

Obama's new GM CEO: You know, bankruptcy looks really good now  —  The man now running General Motors after Barack Obama demanded the resignation of former CEO Rick Wagoner wants to thank America for all the cash.  Really, he does.  Fritz Henderson just doesn't think it will help …

Nicolas Sarkozy's threat to walk out of global summit  —  Anglo-Saxon gibe strains relations with Obama  —  Charles Bremner in Paris and Philip Webster  —  President Sarkozy yesterday threatened to wreck the London summit if France's demands for tougher financial regulation are not met.

Financial Rescue Approaches GDP as U.S. Pledges $12.8 Trillion  —  The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or guaranteed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year, to stem the longest recession since the 1930s.

Beware the cult of Obama  —  You've met them.  They may be friends of yours, or family members.  You may even be one of them (in which case you'll hate this column).  I'm referring to those who've heard the Call of Obama.  —  Tucker Carlson compares it to a dog whistle: Inaudible to most, but irresistible to those who can hear it.

Netanyahu to Obama: Stop Iran—Or I Will  —  In an interview conducted shortly before he was sworn in today as prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu laid down a challenge for Barack Obama.  The American president, he said, must stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons—and quickly …

Bashing J Street  —  Follow the Jewish Week on Twitter!  Click here to start.  And we're on Facebook; become a fan today.  —  What is about J Street, the pro-peace process lobby and political action committee, that has the leaders of major Jewish groups in such a snit?

NANNY STATE: GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO WARN OF SADNESS/CRYING OVER ECONOMY  —  The U.S. government is set to offer an online emotional rescue kit!  —  “Getting Through Tough Economic Times” will launch Tuesday with a media push across all platforms.  —  The site is meant to help people identify …

Special Election in New York Is a Special Case  —  WASHINGTON — Voters in a House district in New York will elect a replacement on Tuesday for Kirsten E. Gillibrand, the Democrat tapped to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate after she became Secretary of State.

Afghan leader accused of bid to ‘legalise rape’  —  UN and women MPs say Karzai bowed to Islamic fundamentalists before poll  —  Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which “legalises” rape, women's groups and the United Nations warn.  Critics claim the president helped rush …

Life in Mendota, Calif., where the jobless rate is 41 percent  —  MENDOTA, Calif. — The customer seemed interested in a black blouse offered for $1 at the thrift store.  But instead of buying it, she set it on the front counter.  —  Maybe tomorrow, she told the cashier, she would have the money.

Commentary: War on drugs is insane  —  Editor's note: Jack Cafferty is the author of a new book, “Now or Never: Getting Down to the Business of Saving Our American Dream.”  He provides commentary on CNN's “The Situation Room” daily from 4 to 7 p.m. ET.  You can also visit Jack's Cafferty File blog.

Crumb to publish Bible satire  —  Cartoonist Crumb's vision of the first book of the Bible said to be a ‘complex, even subversive narrative that calls for a re-examination of its role in our culture’  —  The famously subversive US cartoonist Robert Crumb has announced the completion of his long-awaited take on the Book of Genesis.

Chairmen Waxman, Markey Release Discussion Draft of New Clean Energy Legislation  —  Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee today released a draft of clean energy legislation that will create jobs …

Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fell by a Record 19%  —  Home prices in 20 U.S. cities fell 19 percent in January from a year earlier, the fastest drop on record, as demand plummeted and foreclosures rose.  —  The S&P/Case-Shiller index's decrease was more than forecast and compares with an 18.6 percent decrease in December.

Microsoft bridge slammed as waste of stimulus  —  REDMOND, Washington (CNN) — Should a bridge that would connect two campuses at Microsoft's headquarters be funded with $11 million from the federal stimulus package?  —  Critics of using stimulus money for the bridge say it would give the software giant a break on a pet project.

‘Toilet row’ lowers morale on space station  —  The International Space Station, once a place where astronauts would share food and facilities, is said to be embroiled in a Cold War-like stand-off.  —  A Russian cosmonaut has complained he is no longer allowed to use a US toilet as well as a US exercise bike.

Hodes/Sununu 2010 US Senate Ballot  —  The following results are based on 535 completed telephone interviews among a statewide random sample of adults registered to vote in New Hampshire.  Of the 535 interviews, 155 were among Republicans, 161 were among Democrats, and 219 were among undeclared voters.

Rallying in the Name of the Unkindest Cut?  —  Sharp Rhetoric Abounds In Circumcision Debate  —  In the shadow of the nation's most recognizable phallic symbol, they gather and march.  There are about 50 of them, all ages, both sexes, nearly all white, smiling, quiet …

Nominee For Treasury's Number Two Helped Draft Legislation Deregulating Banks  —  Hmmm.  This isn't exactly confidence inspiring.  —  Tim Geithner's new nominee for number two at the Treasury Department, Neal Wolin, played a key role in drafting legislation in the late 1990s deregulating …

Matthews: Palin like a “mail-order bride”  —  Remember when Hillary Clinton supporters accused Chris Matthews and MS-NBC of sexism in their coverage of the Democratic primaries, as the network became the Barack Obama Channel in 2007?  Matthews has apparently decided to pick an easier target …

El Rushbo to New York: Drop Dead  —  BEGIN TRANSCRIPT  —  RUSH: Now, let's see.  In New York, they've been going back and forth at the state level on budgets.  They are over-budget.  They have a deficit in the double-digit billions, and they've been going back and forth in the State Assembly in New York over whether to raise taxes.