Vatican Defends Status of WWII Pope  —  ROME — In an effort to calm growing tensions with Jewish groups, the Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Benedict XVI's decision moving the wartime pope Pius XII closer to sainthood was not a “hostile act” against those who believe Pius did not do enough to stop the Holocaust.

Reality Check: For Opponents, It Was Never About the Bill  —  Today's Republican talking point of the day is that the historic health reform bill passed today represents the first major piece of social legislation to be passed without a single vote from across the aisle.  —  Well that may be true.

And the Rest Is Just Noise  —  Why the health care bill is the greatest social achievement of our time.  —  American liberals have a habit of withdrawing into cynicism and ennui at the most inopportune moments.  The 2000 presidential election, and subsequent recount, was one such moment.

Another Bad Argument For Iran Strike: ‘The Worst Might Not Happen!’  —  Today, Iran's leading daily newspaper featured an op-ed by a conservative Iranian university professor insisting that there is only one way to deter the American war on Iran that all serious Iranian analysts believe is coming …

U.S. Uncaps Support for Fannie, Freddie  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury said it would provide capital as needed to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the next three years, effectively opening its checkbook to the government-controlled companies in a bid to reassure investors in their debt.

A Warhol Christmas at the White House  —  When it comes to art, the right-wing anti-Obama crowd hasn't had a very good year.  Repeated efforts to gin up outrage in a manufactured culture war have either fallen flat or proved downright embarrassing.  (You can see some of them here, here and here.)

Watch The Decline: The Media Lowlights Of 2009  —  Climate “scientists” are about as trusted as used-car salesmen or congressmen these days thanks to the beating their profession has taken in the “ClimateGate” scandal.  But give the alarmists their due: They know how to hide the decline.

Keep the Big Tent big  —  The announcement by Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith that he is switching to the Republican Party is just the latest warning sign that the Democratic Party — my lifelong political home — has a critical decision to make: Either we plot a more moderate …

Report: Ohio could lose two seats in Congress  —  Ohio could lose two seats in Congress as a result of waning population growth according to Census numbers.  —  The figures, which were released on Wednesday, show that the Buckeye State's population grew by only 14,573 people over the past decade, or one-tenth of one percent.

This Christmas, 78% of Americans Identify as Christian  —  Over time, fewer Americans identify as Christian; more have no religious identity  —  PRINCETON, NJ — This Christmas season, 78% of Americans identify with some form of Christian religion, a proportion that has been declining in recent decades.

Yemeni air strike kills 30, targets home of cleric linked to Ft. Hood attack  —  SANAA, Yemen — Yemeni forces killed at least 30 suspected militants in an airstrike early Thursday on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout in southeastern Yemen, the second such assault in the past week, according to Yemeni security and government sources.

How Progressives Can Move Obama to the Left  —  There are many debates among progressives now on the true nature of Barack Obama.  Did he mean anything he said on the campaign trail?  Is he really a progressive?  Did he ever mean to challenge the status quo or was he using the word “change” as a campaign gimmick?

No Churchgoing Christmas for the First Family  —  The Senate vote on final passage of health reform almost scuttled their plans, but it looks like the First Family will still make it to Hawaii for Christmas.  They've had a whirlwind holiday season so far, starting with the lighting …

Senate Passes Landmark Health Bill  —  60-39 Vote Is Landmark in Effort to Expand Insurance Coverage  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., center, answered questions outside of the Senate chambers on Capitol Hill.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate approved sweeping health-overhaul legislation …

Census Bureau: Texas Gains the Most in Population  —  Texas gained more people than any other state between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009 (478,000), followed by California (381,000), North Carolina (134,000), Georgia (131,000) and Florida (114,000), according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates