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.

NEVADA U.S. SENATE POLL: Reid hits new low in poll  —  Rating is worst in R-J's surveys for 2010 election  —  More than half of Nevadans are unhappy with Sen. Harry Reid, according to a new poll commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  It's the worst “unfavorable” …

Unions Oppose Possible Health Insurance Tax  —  When millions of blue-collar workers were leaning toward John McCain during the 2008 campaign, labor unions moved many of them into Barack Obama's column by repeatedly hammering one theme: Mr. McCain wanted to tax their health benefits.

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 …

Loud Protests on NPR's ‘Tea Party’ Cartoon  —  For nearly two months, the animated political cartoon sat on npr.org virtually unnoticed.  And then someone discovered it, was disgusted and launched it into the blogosphere — making it a raucous rallying point for conservatives.

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.

Where U.S. Health Care Ranks Number One  —  Isn't ‘responsiveness’ what medicine is all about?  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Last August the cover of Time pictured President Obama in white coat and stethoscope.  The story opened: “The U.S. spends more to get less [health care] than just about every other industrialized country.”

Krauthammer's Take — By: NRO Staff  —  On President Obama's speech yesterday:  —  I thought it was rather appalling.  I find it mind-numbingly bureaucratic, flat, bloodless.  It was almost inside baseball describing how bureaucracies work.  —  And his conclusions?

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.

Judge tosses out most evidence on Gitmo detainee  —  Buzz up!  —  WASHINGTON - A federal judge has tossed out most of the government's evidence against a tarrorism detainee on grounds his confessions were coerced, allegedly by U.S. forces, before he became a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.

What the GOP Can Learn from a Pizza Chain  —  America is about second acts.  We love contrition and redemption.  —  This is one of those rare moments when the conventional wisdom in Washington is right.  The Democrats are poised to have a bad year; the only argument is over how bad it will be.

G.O.P. Grief and Grieving  —  The attack on the Republican establishment by the tea party folks grabs the gaze like a really bad horror flick — some version of “Hee Haw” meets “28 Days Later.”  It's fascinating.  But it also raises a serious question: Are these the desperate thrashings …

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 …

Steele: ‘I Wrote This Book Before I Became Chairman’ (Um, Really?)  —  Appearing today on Laura Ingraham's radio show, RNC chairman Michael Steele said that he wrote his book Right Now before he became chairman.  The problem is, the book itself doesn't read like it could have possibly …

Ford Says He Won't Be Bullied by Allies of Gillibrand  —  Under assault from allies of Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, former Congressman Harold E. Ford Jr. fired back on Friday afternoon, saying he would be not be “bullied or intimidated” by “party bosses” as he considers challenging her in this fall's Democratic primary.