Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani expected to announce Tuesday he will not run for U.S. Senate  —  So long, Rudy.  —  Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce Tuesday he is not running for U.S. Senate or anything else in 2010, effectively ending his storied - and often stormy - electoral career, The Daily News has learned.

Jane Hamsher's 10 reasons to kill the bill  —  I've gotten a lot of requests to respond to Jane Hamsher's list of 10 reasons to kill the Senate bill.  At this point, I'm not sure there's much in the way of productive dialogue to be had here.  Some of the list is purposefully misleading …

Exclusive: ACORN Qualifies for Funding in Senate Health Care Bill  —  Senator Roland Burris is claiming credit for a provision in Harry Reid's “manager's amendment,” unveiled Saturday morning, that could funnel money to ACORN through the health care bill.  —  On December 9, Burris …

Why I Left the Right, Exhibit P for Pawlenty  —  Newsweek has an interview with Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, the very model of a modern GOP candidate, considered by many as a possible front runner for the Presidency in 2012: Anti-science and anti-gay. … Is this a kind of “moderate” creationism?

States' jobless funds are being drained in recession  —  The recession's jobless toll is draining unemployment-compensation funds so fast that according to federal projections, 40 state programs will go broke within two years and need $90 billion in loans to keep issuing the benefit checks.

The Protocol Society  —  In the 19th and 20th centuries we made stuff: corn and steel and trucks.  Now, we make protocols: sets of instructions.  A software program is a protocol for organizing information.  A new drug is a protocol for organizing chemicals.  Wal-Mart produces protocols for moving and marketing consumer goods.

MSNBC Libtalker: ‘Morning Joe’ Team Takes Direction From WH  —  STATE CONTROL?  —  Schultz: WH Contacts Team ‘Joe’ Directly During Program!  —  For anyone wondering why an increasing number of conservatives now use the term “state-controlled media” (which originated with Rush Limbaugh) …

Obama signs Franken's anti-rape amendment into law.  —  The White House Press Office sent out a statement today announcing that President Obama signed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 into law on Saturday: … Within the Appropriations Act is Sen. Al Franken's (D-MN) …

Mexico City backs gay marriage  —  Lawmakers in Mexico City have become the first in Latin America to legalise gay marriage.  —  City legislators passed the bill 39-20, with five abstentions.  The city's mayor is now widely expected to sign the bill into law.

TV show exposes China's race issue  —  Shanghai, China (CNN) — It all started with the lure of the glitz, the glamour and the dream of being China's next pop star.  But, as with many reality shows, Lou Jing's instant fame came with unanticipated consequences.

Obama's Engagement Fallout: Lebanon Surrenders  —  This past weekend, one of the genuine triumphs of American foreign policy in the past decade was officially reversed.  When Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Harriri went to Damascus to pay tribute to his country's Syrian overlord, the 2005 Cedar Revolution was buried.

Democrats Face Challenge in Merging Health Bills  —  WASHINGTON — Even as the Senate took a significant step toward passing its version of a sweeping overhaul of the health insurance system before Christmas, Democrats were grappling Monday with deep internal divisions over abortion …

Obama to name Howard Schmidt as cybersecurity coordinator  —  Seven months after President Obama vowed to “personally select” an adviser to orchestrate the government's strategy for protecting computer systems, the White House will name a former Bush administration official to the job Tuesday.

CRIME RATES FALL  —  In the First Half of 2009  —  For the third year in a row, our Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report shows that violent crime, property crime, and arson have decreased.  The latest report compares January-June 2009 figures with the same time period in 2008.

Listicle of the Day: Worst Washington Post Columnists of the Zeroes  —  It's beginning to feel a lot like listicle time: … I want to keep the explication to a minimum, but this is an award for the aggregate badness of one's Washington Post columns, not a holistic judgment of the character …

Copenhagen: well that made us think, didn't it?  —  Agreement was always going to be almost impossible.  But it wasn't a waste of time: it gave us a crash course eco-education  —  My Copenhagen reverie stopped the moment that I heard a man with an Australian accent casting his vote …

McCain: Ted Kennedy Would Have Been Disappointed Because Health Care Bill Isn't Bipartisan  —  Now that Senate Dems have voted for cloture on the health care bill, passing the major hurdle on the road to making reform a reality, Republicans have already rolled out their response …

Lieberman: Obama Never Pressed Me On Public Option  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) insists that the White House did not pressure him to get in line behind either a public health insurance option or a Medicare buy-in compromise during the health care debate this year.

A Bill Well Worth Passing  —  The health care reform bill that Senate Democratic leaders have cobbled together to win support from all 60 members of their fractious caucus — the filibuster-proof majority needed to ensure passage — has drawn scornful attacks from a united Republican opposition.

Former speaker gets pricey perks  —  U.S. taxpayers are spending more than $40,000 per month on office space, staff, cell phones and a leased SUV for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, even as he works as a lobbyist for private corporations and foreign governments.

CNN Poll: 6 point jump in support for health care bill  —  Washington (CNN) - Support for the health care reform bill that Democrats are pushing through the Senate has risen six points since early December, according to a new national poll, and although a majority of Americans still oppose its passage …

35 Ways to Fix the Bad Senate Health Bill  —  This Senate bill is bad and there are many ways to improve it.  Right now, it is not real reform-it is only a corporate giveaway that might trickle down to help a few Americans.  The ideas listed here are a guide to transform this legislation into real reform.

Right-Wing Hoping Robert Byrd Dies in Time to Block Health Reform  —  Given that the GOP has basically been checkmated on health reform, I found myself wondering yesterday why they're persisting with obstruction tactics.  Surely letting the Democrats just pass the bill and then everyone gets …