Chuck Grassley Fundraises Against Health-Care Reform  —  Chuck Grassley is facing a potentially difficult primary challenge in 2010.  As such, he's been working hard to cover his right flank.  That would all be fine except for one thing: As ranking member of the Finance Committee …

George Will calls for pull-out  —  George F. Will, the elite conservative commentator, will call in his next column for U.S. ground troops to leave Afghanistan, according to publishing sources.  —  “[F]orces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy …

Governor sets date for special Senate election, presses for interim appointment  —  Governor Deval Patrick continued today to press for a change to state law to allow him to appoint an interim replacement for Senator Edward M. Kennedy as he announced that a special election for the seat will be held on Jan. 19.

Experts see double-digit Dem losses  —  After an August recess marked by raucoustown halls, troubling polling data and widespread anecdotal evidence of a volatile electorate, the small universe of political analysts who closely follow House races is predicting moderate to heavy Democratic losses in 2010.

EXCLUSIVE: Carrie Prejean Takes Legal Action Against Miss California USA Officials  —  RANCHO SANTA FE, CA - Carrie Prejean's attorney, Charles S. LiMandri announced today that the former Miss California USA is filing a complaint in the Superior Court of California against Miss California USA …

As Banks Repay Bailout Money, U.S. Sees a Profit  —  Nearly a year after the federal rescue of the nation's biggest banks, taxpayers have begun seeing profits from the hundreds of billions of dollars in aid that many critics thought might never be seen again.

ABC News Exclusive: National Security Adviser Says President Obama Is Having Greater Success Taking Terrorists Out of Commission Than Bush Did  —  Responding to criticism from former Vice President Cheney that President Obama is making the nation more vulnerable to terrorism …

The Courtship  —  The story behind the Obama-Brooks bromance.  —  In the spring of 2005, New York Times columnist David Brooks arrived at then-Senator Barack Obama's office for a chat.  Brooks, a conservative writer who joined the Times in 2003 from The Weekly Standard, had never met Obama before.

A Different Kind of Liberal  —  Only 13 days separated the passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics, from the death of her brother Ted last week.  But amid the wall-to-wall coverage and the stream of retrospectives for the senior senator from Massachusetts …

Palin gets 1,070+ invitations  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin this week will begin accepting and rejecting the more than 1,070 invitations she has received for paid speeches and political appearances since she resigned as Alaska governor, aides said.  —  Twenty speakers' bureaus made offers to represent her.

Why Don't Markets Clear in Urban Storefronts?  —  Vacant storefront on 1300 block of U Street; good place for a Wendy's? (cc photo by NCinDC)  —  One of the enduring mysteries of urban life is the prevalence of vacant storefronts.  This is understandable in a truly depressed area where the whole local economy has broken down.

Save the Light Bulb!  —  Compact fluorescents don't produce good quality light.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will effectively phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2012-2014 in favor of compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs.

Burner Helping House Liberals Hold Firm on Public Insurance Option  —  An organizer for liberal House Democrats says the bloc “isn't bluffing” as it prepares to take a reputation-defining stand to protect a public insurance option in the health care overhaul.

Organizing Against WorldNetDaily  —  This is just hideously embarrassing for the Right. … In the 1960's, William F. Buckley denounced the John Birch Society leadership for being “so far removed from common sense” and later said “We cannot allow the emblem of irresponsibility to attach to the conservative banner.”

Blue Chip, White Cotton: What Underwear Says About the Economy  —  For one answer to the nation's most pressing economic question — when will the recession end? — just take a peek inside the American man's underwear drawer.  —  There may be some new pairs there, judging by recent reports …

Ridge backpedals on pressure to raise terror alert level  —  WASHINGTON — Former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge, speaking for the first time about accusations made in his new book, says he did not mean to suggest that other top Bush administration officials were playing politics …

Fewer Newspapers Fight to Open Court Proceedings  —  You don't see newspapers fighting to open court proceedings the way they used to, and people are starting to notice.  —  “The days of powerful newspapers with ample legal budgets appear to be numbered,” wrote a public defender in Georgia …

New— Pole Dance Doll For Little Girls & Tassle Tees For Tots  —  It's come to this.  —  New for toddlers—  Now your little toddler can own her first tassle T-shirt (I'm assuming it's for girls?).  —  Stroller Derby reported: … And after she outgrows her tassle-T she'll be old enough …

Key Republican: GOP would repeal health bill if they win in 2010  —  Republicans will repeal healthcare reform legislation if they win control of Congress because of that bill, a key Republican pledged late Sunday.  —  The health bill is “dead on arrival” in Congress, said Rep. Joe Barton …

An Ivy League Huey Long  —  Washington is seriously unserious.  —  From the magazine issue dated Sep 7, 2009  —  In August our ubiquitous president became the nation's elevator music, always out and about, heard but not really listened to, like audible wallpaper.

Dems/unions push new wave of investment taxes  —  American equity investors have suffered a lost decade of portfolio performance — the S&P 500 is about where it was back in 1998 — and trillions of dollars of lost net worth, so it may seem a terrible time to hit them with a $100 billion-a-year investment tax.