Martha Coakley Is Not Just Wrong on Terror War - She's Dangerous (Must-See Video)  —  There are no terrorists in Afghanistan?  —  On Wednesday December 30 Jordanian doctor and Al-Qaeda blogger Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi killed 7 CIA officers in a suicide bomb attack at an outpost in southeastern Afghanistan.

Ford: I'm gearing up for Senate race  —  It's true: I am strongly considering running for the United States Senate.  —  I do so because our best as a nation has always come when we test our ideas and ourselves, and when we trust competition to refine the steel of our convictions and the truth of our arguments.

Reporters (Mostly) Barred From Tea Party Convention  —  For a while, I've been calling and emailing the organizers of the National Tea Party Convention with some basic logistical questions, to no avail.  Kevin Diaz explains why: the convention, held in Nashville next month, will be closed to all but “selected” members of the press.

Ensign: Lay off Reid  —  Washington (CNN) - Sen. John Ensign, himself no stranger to controversy, is breaking with other Republicans to defend his fellow Nevada Sen. Harry Reid for describing President Obama as “light skinned” and “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans  —  Over the past decade or so, divorce has gradually become more uncommon in the United States.  Since 2003, however, the decline in divorce rates has been largely confined to states which have not passed a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.

McCain on claims of campaign's lax vetting of Palin: 'I wouldn't know.'  —  Buzz up!  —  An interview on “The Today Show” this morning became contentious when host Matt Lauer questioned Sen. John McCain about allegations in a new book that his campaign did little background research …

CNN Poll: Americans split on success of Obama presidency  —  Washington (CNN) - Americans are giving Barack Obama a split decision on his first year in office, according to a new national poll.  —  Forty-eight percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday …

Tax on Investment Income Is Weighed  —  Health-Bill Negotiators Consider Extending Medicare Levy as They Face Pressure to Ease Proposed Hit on Generous Insurance Plans  —  WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators are considering applying for the first time the Medicare payroll tax …

Obama to address House GOP  —  President Barack Obama will address House Republicans next week at their annual retreat in Baltimore, deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton said Tuesday afternoon.  —  It's a show of bi-partisanship after a year rife with tumult in the relationship between …

Federal Reserve earned $45 billion in 2009  —  Wall Street firms aren't the only banks that had a banner year.  The Federal Reserve made record profits in 2009, as its unconventional efforts to prop up the economy created a windfall for the government.  —  The Fed will return about $45 billion …

Conan O'Brien Says He Won't Host ‘Tonight Show’ Following Leno  —  Conan O'Brien released a statement Tuesday saying he no longer wants to host NBC's “Tonight Show” and intends to seek a way to end his contract with the network.  —  The host, who saw his brief run at host of “Tonight” …

Sources: Hickenlooper intends to enter governor's race  —  Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has told top Democrats he intends to run for governor, sources tell The Denver Post.  —  Hickenlooper has been meeting with key advisers since Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter last week unexpectedly announced he was dropping his re-election bid.

Prop 8: Liveblogging Perry v. Schwarzenegger - Day Two (part 2)  —  [Ed. note: You can find today's earlier thread, day one's liveblog, and the rest of FDL's extensive team coverage at our dedicated Prop 8 trial hub.]  —  Defendant-intervenors counsel Thompson resumes cross examination of Professor Cott …

Strange reunion  —  Why would a former Guantanamo Bay prison guard track down two of his former captives - two British men - and agree to fly to London to meet them?  —  “You look different without a cap.”  —  “You look different without the jump suits.”  —  With those words, an extraordinary reunion gets under way.

Peer-to-Peer Review (Part III): How ‘Climategate’ Marks the Maturing of a New Science Movement  —  PART III - A global warming skeptic receives the leaked files from an anonymous “Deep-Climate” insider.  Release of files exposes gatekeeping and leads to the maturing of a new science movement - that of peer-to-peer review.

Blacks Upbeat about Black Progress, Prospects  —  A Year After Obama's Election  —  Overview  —  Despite the bad economy, blacks' assessments about the state of black progress in America have improved more dramatically during the past two years than at any time in the past quarter century …