Dems launch defense to save Reid  —  Democrats are preparing to throw the race card back in the laps of Republicans as part of a counter attack designed to help save Harry Reid's political career.  —  First, Reid's allies plan to distribute the NAACP vote ratings of Republican senators who have scolded him.

Massachusetts Polls: Divergent Results But One Clear Finding  —  We have two new polls out in Massachusetts on the January 19 special election to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, and their results could not be more different.  The new survey conducted Saturday through Wednesday last week …

Now Harold Ford Jr. backs gay marriage  —  In what will likely be read as another sign of his interest in running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in this year's Democratic primary, ex-Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. publicly said for the first time that he was in favor of same-sex marriage.

McCain aide: Palin believed candidacy 'God's plan'  —  WASHINGTON — Sarah Palin believed that Sen. John McCain chose her to be his running mate in 2008 because of “God's plan,” according to a top political strategist in the Arizona Republican's campaign.  —  In an interview with the CBS news magazine …

Afghans optimistic, poll reveals  —  Most Afghans are increasingly optimistic about the state of their country, a poll commissioned by the BBC, ABC News and Germany's ARD shows.  —  Of more than 1,500 Afghans questioned, 70% said they believed Afghanistan was going in the right direction - a big jump from 40% a year ago.

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 …

Learning From Europe  —  As health care reform nears the finish line, there is much wailing and rending of garments among conservatives.  And I'm not just talking about the tea partiers.  Even calmer conservatives have been issuing dire warnings that Obamacare will turn America into a European-style social democracy.

The Notorious Blago  —  The former Illinois governor has a new dog (Skittles), a new source of income (Elvis impersonations) and — despite an old worry (prison) — a confounding optimism.  You have to read this.  —  From the February 2010 “People Who Matter” issue — on sale this week

Two Ideological Foes Unite to Overturn Proposition 8  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The last time David Boies and Theodore B. Olson battled in a courtroom, the presidency hung in the balance as they represented opposite sides arguing the fate of the 2000 election.  —  So Mr. Boies, who worked for Al Gore …

The Most Stunning (and Uncommented on) Revelation in Too Big Too Fail  —  Although I read it two months ago, I haven't made much in the way of comments on Andrew Ross Sorkin's Too Big Too Fail, figuring the ground was well plowed by others.  However, the bit that I found the most shocking …

TSA nominee in 2008: Alliances with Israel, France make us subject to terror attack  —  Erroll Southers, President Obama's nominee to head the Transportation Safety Administration, said in a 2008 web interview on terrorism that America is subject to terror attacks because of its alliances with countries like Israel and France.

Gingrich to attend SRLC  —  Washington (CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is slated to speak at a high-profile Republican conference with 2012 implications, organizers announced Monday.  —  The Southern Republican Leadership Conference announced Monday morning that Gingrich will address the event …

The Bogus Flight 253 ‘One-Way Ticket’ Meme: Anatomy Of A Myth  —  In a remarkable example of how bad information can travel far and wide, dozens of media outlets around the world have said Umar Abdulmutallab was traveling on a one-way ticket to Detroit when he allegedly tried to blow up Flight 253 …

No one punished under congressional ethics rules  —  WASHINGTON — Nearly three years after Congress approved sweeping ethics rules to “drain the swamp,” as incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, no member of Congress has been punished for wrongdoing.  —  In that time, allegations …

Brian Williams: Why Jon Stewart Is Good For News … text sizeAAA  —  For decades, young reporters would ask themselves, “What would Walter think?”  Nowadays, it's not the memory of Walter Cronkite or even Edward R. Murrow that motivates some reporters — it's more often the fear …

A STUDY OF THE NEWS ECOSYSTEM OF ONE AMERICAN CITY  —  Where does the news come from in today's changing media?  —  Who really reports the news that most people get about their communities?  What role do new media, blogs and specialty news sites now play?