Palin cracks wise at Gridiron dinner  —  In an 11-minute speech before Washington's Gridiron Club at its Winter Dinner, Sarah Palin tossed a few barbs at the gathering of journalists, comparing them to “death panels.”  —  “Sometimes you got to trust your instincts, and if you don't …

Lieberman's onto reason #7  —  LIEBERMAN'S ON TO REASON #7.... Regular readers may have noticed that I've been keeping track of Joe Lieberman's evolving rationales for opposing a public option.  The Connecticut senator is so opposed to letting some consumers choose between competing public …

Climategate Professor to Skeptic on Live BBC TV: ‘What an Assh*le’  —  Professor in at University in Center of Climategate Loses Cool on Live BBC TV Debate  —  A professor who is accusing global warming skeptics of engaging in “tabloid-style character assassination” of scientists caught …

Apple's Game Changer, Downloading Now  —  IAN LYNCH SMITH, a shaggy-haired ball of energy in his late 30s, beams as he ticks off some of the games that Freeverse, his little Brooklyn software company, has landed on the iPhone App Store's coveted (and ever-changing) list of best-selling downloads …

How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — On the afternoon he held the eighth meeting of his Afghanistan review, President Obama arrived in the White House Situation Room ruminating about war.  He had come from Arlington National Cemetery, where he had wandered among …

The Gambler Who Blew $127 Million  —  LAS VEGAS — During a year-long gambling binge at the Caesars Palace and Rio casinos in 2007, Terrance Watanabe managed to lose nearly $127 million.  —  The run is believed to be one of the biggest losing streaks by an individual in Las Vegas history.

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles elects openly gay bishop  —  The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles today elected the first openly gay bishop since the national church lifted a ban that sought to bar gays and lesbians from the church's highest ordained ministry.

The True Administration of Justice is the Firmest Pillar of Good Government  —  About an hour ago I was holding an umbrella against the wind and rain, in the outer skirts of the crowd that had gathered on Foley Square, Manhattan, to protest Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's impending civil trial.

Obama supporters get a dose of reality  —  Some parishioners in the Church of Obama discovered last week that their spiritual leader is a false prophet.  —  Consider the blow suffered by the liberal filmmaker Michael Moore, who issued a plaintive plea to the president on the eve of his announcement …

Watergate redux: Break-ins reported at another climate research center.  —  Burglars and hackers have attacked the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, apparently in an attempt to further the “Climategate” intimidation of global warming researchers.

Report: CNBC Was Considering Hiring Dobbs Until Latino Groups Pushed Back  —  This past Wednesday, CNBC dispelled rumors that were circulating throughout the week that former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs would be joining the business network.  Meanwhile, Dobbs affirmatively told Fox Business News shock jock Don Imus …