The Juiciest Revelations In “Game Change”  —  “Game Change,” the long-awaited and very gossipy chronicle of the 2008 campaign by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, is chock full of revelations that are bound to stir the folks who live within ten miles of the Beltway — and perhaps even reverberate beyond Washington.

Saint Elizabeth and the Ego Monster  —  A candidate whose aides were prepared to block him from becoming president.  A wife whose virtuous image was a mirage.  A mistress with a video camera.  In an excerpt from the new book Game Change—their sweeping account of the 2008 campaign …

Scott Brown swearing-in would be stalled to pass health-care reform  —  It looks like the fix is in on national health-care reform - and it all may unfold on Beacon Hill.  —  At a business forum in Boston today, interim Sen. Paul Kirk predicted that Congress would pass a health-care reform bill this month.

Right-Wing Radio Host Incensed That ‘Butt Sniffer’ Michael Steele Canceled Appearance On Her Show  —  There was significant media speculation yesterday when embattled Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele abruptly canceled a noon interview with ABC News.

Courts Roll Back Limits on Spending in Election Law  —  WASHINGTON — Even before a landmark Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance law expected within days, a series of other court decisions is reshaping the political battlefield by freeing corporations, unions and other interest groups …

Healthcare bill excise tax likely to survive, labor leader says  —  A union-opposed tax on high-cost health insurance will probably remain part of healthcare reform, a prominent labor leader said Friday.  —  Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) …

White House Aides Said to Chafe at Slow Pace of Afghan Surge  —  WASHINGTON — Senior White House advisers are frustrated by what they say is the Pentagon's slow pace in deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and its inability to live up to an initial promise to have all of the forces …

Officials Hid Truth About Immigrant Deaths in Jail  —  Silence has long shrouded the men and women who die in the nation's immigration jails.  For years, they went uncounted and unnamed in the public record.  Even in 2008, when The New York Times obtained and published a federal government list …

The Fall of Mexico … Those famous words came to mind when another man named Díaz offered me an equally concise observation about the realities of life in the country today: “In Mexico it is dangerous to speak the truth.  It is even dangerous to know the truth.”  —  His full name is Fernando Díaz Santana.

Analysis: Obama's buck-stopping goes only so far  —  Buzz up!  —  WASHINGTON - He says “the buck stops with me,” but nearly a year into office, President Barack Obama is still blaming a lot of the nation's troubles — the economy, terrorism, health care — on George W. Bush.

A letter to the White House  —  Umar Abdulmutallab has been provided a lawyer and clammed up in connection with this efforts to take down Northwest Flight 253 as it approached Detroit on Christmas Day.  Yesterday Abdulmutallab was arraigned in federal court in Detroit.

Jean Biden Dead: Joe Biden's Mother Catherine Dies At 92  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Catherine “Jean” Biden died today in Wilmington, Delaware, surrounded by family, according to a statement released by the White House.  —  Born Catherine Eugenia Finnegan, the mother of Vice President Joe Biden was 92.