Steele: Harry Reid should step down from leadership role for ‘Negro’ remark  —  The chairman of the Republican National Committee called Sunday for Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to step down as Majority Leader in the wake of revelations that he used the term “Negro” when discussing President Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy.

Captain Obvious Learns the Limits of Cool  —  Our president came down from the mountaintop.  —  He had applied the freshness of his independent thought to the critical matters at hand.  He had convened his seminar, reviewed the reviews, analyzed the intelligence every which way …

Senate poll: Coakley up 15 points  —  AG viewed as stronger on most issues, Globe survey finds, but Brown has gained traction, too  —  Democrat Martha Coakley, buoyed by her durable statewide popularity, enjoys a solid, 15-percentage-point lead over Republican rival Scott Brown as the race …

The Other Plot to Wreck America  —  THERE may not be a person in America without a strong opinion about what coulda, shoulda been done to prevent the underwear bomber from boarding that Christmas flight to Detroit.  In the years since 9/11, we've all become counterterrorists.

Boehner chief of staff dies at 46  —  Paula Nowakowski, the longtime chief of staff to House Republican Leader John Boehner, died suddenly Saturday night, according to the leader's office.  She was 46.  —  “It is with profound sadness and shock that I announce the passing of Paula Nowakowski …

‘Jihad’ jitters at Met  —  Mohammed art gone  —  Is the Met afraid of Mohammed?  —  The Metropolitan Museum of Art quietly pulled images of the Prophet Mohammed from its Islamic collection and may not include them in a renovated exhibition area slated to open in 2011, The Post has learned.

White House Economic Adviser: Jobs Picture is ‘Still Terrible’  —  Council of Economic Advisers chief Christina Romer said it's devastating that some workers have been unemployed for two years and that job losses were continuing nearly a year after passage of the so-called stimulus bill.

US official: Mitchell didn't threaten Israel  —  Following Mideast envoy's remark in television interview that United States maintains right to delay loan guarantees to Israel, senior American official clarifies to Ynet, ‘It was not a threat and not an implied threat’  —  WASHINGTON - Attempt to soften message?

The mini ice age starts here  —  The bitter winter afflicting much of the Northern Hemisphere is only the start of a global trend towards cooler weather that is likely to last for 20 or 30 years, say some of the world's most eminent climate scientists.  —  Their predictions …

Liz Cheney Airs Hypocritical Attack Ad On Obama For Waiting ‘100 Hours’ To Respond To Terror Plot  —  In their eagerness to place blame on President Obama for the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack, Republicans have argued that the president waited too long to talk publicly about the matter.