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 …

Understanding Climategate's Hidden Decline  —  Close followers of the Climategate controversy know that much of the mêlée surrounds an email in which Climate Research Unit (CRU) chief Phil Jones wrote about using “Mike's Nature Trick” (MNT) to “hide the decline.”

The Lady and the Tiger  —  They were both elegant and entitled swans, insulated in guarded enclaves, obsessed with protecting and promoting the Brand.  Then trouble trespassed into their privileged worlds and both responded the same foolish way.  —  They presumptuously put themselves beyond authority and …

Gates Expects 2-4 Years of Big Afghan Role for U.S.  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says Americans should expect a significant U.S. military presence in Afghanistan for two years to four years more.  —  Just as in Iraq, the U.S. eventually will turn over provinces …

Were Russian security services behind the leak of ‘Climategate’ emails?  —  Suspicions were growing last night that Russian security services were behind the leaking of the notorious British ‘Climategate’ emails which threaten to undermine tomorrow's Copenhagen global warming summit.

Middle Israel: Obama's naivete will result in isolationism  —  Had there been a type of Moody's rating for world leaders, and had those ratings not been delivered in sterile characters like “BBB+” but in unambiguous terms like “go for it” or “you don't want to go there,” …

Democrats consider new presidential nominating process  —  Washington (CNN) - National Democrats are considering changing the presidential nominating process, by establishing a new primary calendar and deemphasizing the influence lawmakers and political insiders have on choosing the party nominee.

Obama's Logic Is No Match for Afghanistan  —  AFTER the dramatic three-month buildup, you'd think that Barack Obama's speech announcing his policy for Afghanistan would be the most significant news story of the moment.  History may take a different view.  When we look back at this turning point …

Simpsons billionaire gets most write-in votes in NYC mayor race  —  (CNN) - Charles Montgomery Burns, better known as Mr. Burns in the hit animated TV series “The Simpsons”, got the most votes of any write-in candidate during last month's mayoral election in New York City.

Negotiators at Climate Talks Face Deep Set of Fault Lines  —  With the scientific consensus more or less settled that human activity — the burning of fossil fuels, torching of forests, and so forth — is contributing to a warmer and less hospitable planet, one might reasonably ask …

Break-in targets climate scientist  —  New incident raises fears of a smear campaign  —  Attempts have been made to break into the offices of one of Canada's leading climate scientists, it was revealed yesterday.  The victim was Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria scientist …

Sherrod Brown Co-sponsors Coburn-Vitter Public Option Amendment  —  Sherrod Brown explains to David Shuster why he signed decided to co-sponsor Tom Coburn and David Vitter's amendment which would require members of Congress to enroll in whatever version of the public option ends up being passed in the health care bill.