Obama's Nobel Remarks  —  Following is the prepared text of President Obama's speech at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday, as released by the White House:  —  Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world:

Limbaugh vs. McConnell: GOP leader targeted by conservative groups  —  Rush Limbaugh and conservative interest groups are criticizing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for not putting up a strong enough fight to stop the Democratic healthcare legislation.

Nielsen folds Editor & Publisher and Kirkus Reviews  —  Nielsen Business Media Update  —  Today, we announced that Nielsen Business Media has reached an agreement with e5 Global Media Holdings, LLC, a new company formed jointly by Pluribus Capital Management and Guggenheim Partners …

The Joys of Political Sex  —  It's time for political sex scandals to reclaim their rightful place in our national discourse.  The way things have been going lately, you'd think extramarital sex only happened to professional athletes.  —  Consider the case of Senator Max Baucus of Montana.

Emerging Medicare buy-in proposal could have costly unintended consequences  —  THE ONLY THING more unsettling than watching legislative sausage being made is watching it being made on the fly.  The 11th-hour “compromise” on health-care reform and the public option supposedly includes …

Americans Want Government to Spend for Jobs, Send Bill to Rich  —  Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) — Americans want their government to create jobs through spending on public works, investments in alternative energy or skills training for the jobless.  —  They also want the deficit to come down.

“This Terrible Bill”  —  Rick Warren disowns the new Uganda bill designed to inform on, round up, imprison, forcibly submit to “psychological cures”, and execute homosexual Ugandans:  —  This is an extremely positive if overdue development.  I remain deeply concerned that Uganda's public policy …

Exclusive Interview: Andrew Breitbart Announces Launch of New “Big” Sites  —  When Andrew Breitbart launched Big Government in September, we asked if he was gearing up to be the next Arianna Huffington: An opinion blog rainmaker with a one-stop digital powerhouse, but presented from the opposite end of the political spectrum.

In Shift, Oren Calls J Street ‘A Unique Problem’ … Published December 09, 2009, issue of December 18, 2009.  —  Breaking with his previous restraint, Israel's ambassador to the United States delivered an unprecedented blast against J Street, the new dovish Israel lobby that has made waves …

How liberal is Obama?  —  It's not every day that Christian conservative Ross Douthat enthusiastically recommends people read social democrat Tony Judt: … The first year of the Obama presidency has been a long tutorial on the difference between liberal ends and liberal means.

Writing Is On Wall: Pelosi Softens On Public Option  —  In yet another sign that the writing is on the wall for the public option, Nancy Pelosi repeatedly refused to say today that a bill without one could not pass the House, backing away from a marker she'd laid down in the past.

Send Us Your Tired, Your Poor, But Only if They're ‘Culturally Unique’  —  Immigration Caseworker AA0089 Has Some Thoughts About What Is Art  —  LOS ANGELES — When Jordan Peimer booked an Argentine band that fuses Jewish Klezmer music with tango, he thought he had the perfect act to headline his “Fiesta Hanukkah” concert.

Reid Asks Republicans for Weekend Off, Has Big Easy Fundraiser to Get To  —  ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: Senators and staffers watched CSPAN breathlessly from their offices Wednesday evening as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated they might not have to work this weekend.

Copenhagen climate conference: Met Office predict 2010 will be warmest on record  —  Next year will be the hottest on record, the Met Office has predicted, as scientists released the latest figures supporting evidence for climate change.  —  A new forecast for 2010 predicted it will be almost 1F …

The Cost of No Deal  —  Two reports last night of what the GOP's “No, no, no” policy has wrought:  —  1) Instead of a healthcare reform to slow cost increases, Democrats in the Senate seem to be converging upon an expansion of Medicare to include age 55-64 year-olds and an expansion in Medicaid …

Poll: 39% of Israelis believe Obama is ‘Muslim’  —  The New America Foundation's poll of Israelis, released today, contains a finding suggesting campaign-trail rumors about Barack Obama's religion penetrated deeply in the Jewish state.  —  The survey, by Jim Gerstein, asked Israelis …