Palin resigns, blasts press, ‘starlets’  —  FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin resigned here Sunday with a blast at the media that reflected the frustrations that led her to leave office a year-and-a-half before her term expired.  But speaking in a style that her fans see as plain talk …

An Incoherent Truth  —  Right now the fate of health care reform seems to rest in the hands of relatively conservative Democrats — mainly members of the Blue Dog Coalition, created in 1995.  And you might be tempted to say that President Obama needs to give those Democrats what they want.

Pelosi unpopular?  'I don't care'  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the most despised political figures in the country.  —  And, frankly, she doesn't give a damn.  —  “No, I don't care,” Pelosi told POLITICO last Thursday, laughing heartily as she walked beneath the Capitol dome and plunged into a crowd of tourists.

GOP headache: The birther issue  —  So far, Hoekstra hasn't faced any such questions.  —  “When you're in a state with 15.2 percent unemployment,” he said, “most people have other things on their mind than this.”  —  But as if to illustrate the touchiness of the subject, Hoekstra quickly added: “Not that this isn't important.”

‘Impeach Obama’ bumper stickers spark a shopping mall protest  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While protesters rallied in his support, the owner of a Concord Mills kiosk that sells conservative merchandise said he met with the mall's manager Sunday to see what arrangements can be made for him to remain after his lease expires Friday.

Sorry to State the Obvious, But ...  For all the obvious reasons, I hesitate to even enter this discussion.  But (famous last words) I can't help myself.  —  As you know, high on the list of current right-wing conspiracy theorizing (and sort of a stalking horse for underlying beliefs …

Climate study puts Incas' success down to 400 years of warm weather  —  Supreme military organisation and a flair for agricultural invention are traditionally credited for the rise of the Incas.  However, their success may have owed more to a spell of good weather — a spell that lasted for more than 400 years.

Five Reasons Why ‘Gates-Gate’ Matters  —  This incident was, to put it mildly, exactly what Obama didn't need.  —  The president's decision to weigh in on the arrest of his Harvard law professor friend Henry Louis Gates Jr., who mouthed off to a Cambridge cop threw a grenade …

US Senator mistakenly calls India a security threat, apologizes  —  WASHINGTON: Just how bad is the economic pain and job loss in the United States?  Bad enough for an Indophile Senator to get New Delhi and Beijing mixed up in his mind.  ( Watch )  —  A key US Senator who has extensively …

Journalists' own hard luck tales help them tell those of others — Connie Schultz  —  Bloggers like to depict veteran newspaper journalists as has-beens and never-gonna- be's.  They call us “old media,” as if we were dinosaurs wheezing toward extinction.  —  Graves aren't dug yet, but shovels are standing by.

Clown of ‘Morning Joe’ Gets a Show of His Own  —  Willie Geist, who starts a predawn shift on MSNBC on Monday, likes to joke that his viewers will be insomniacs, drug dealers and drunks.  —  But more people are awake at 5:30 a.m. than he might think.  His new program, “Way Too Early,” …

Finally, Action on Gay Soldiers  —  Blogs and Stories  —  The Daily Beast has learned that the Senate, prompted by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, will hold hearings on “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”—a first since 1993, despite Obama's campaign promises.  —  After determining she didn't have enough votes …

Virginia Race for Governor Acquires Washington Backdrop  —  McDonnell Taps Anxiety Over National Issues to Woo Moderates Away From Deeds  —  Republican Robert F. McDonnell made a bet at his first debate in the Virginia governor's race Saturday: that turning the contest into a referendum …