Top House Republicans throw cold water on health-care summit  —  Leading House Republicans raised the prospect Monday night that they might refuse to participate in President Obama's proposed health care summit if the White House chooses not to scrap the existing reform bills and start over.

Robert Gibbs Scrawls Notes on Hand, Mocking Sarah Palin (Video)  —  Posted by Brian Montopoli Following President Obama's surprise appearance at the White House press briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs garnered laughter from the press corps by holding up his hand to reveal that he had written notes on his palm in black marker.

Opposing view: ‘We need no lectures’  —  Administration disrupts terrorists' plots, takes fight to them abroad.  —  Politics should never get in the way of national security.  But too many in Washington are now misrepresenting the facts to score political points, instead of coming together to keep us safe.

Something Much Darker  —  Andrew Sullivan has a serious problem.  —  I.  —  “Trying to explain the doctrine of the Trinity to readers of The New Republic is not easy.”  On June 2, 1944, W.H. Auden penned that sentence in a letter to Ursula Niebuhr.  On January 26, 2010 …

Poll: Bipartisanship popular, compromise tricky  —  Americans spread the blame when it comes to the lack of cooperation in Washington, and, in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, most want the two sides to keep working to pass comprehensive health-care reform.

Michael Steele Suggests Criticism Of His Tenure Motivated By Racism  —  It's been awhile since Michael Steele has landed himself in the news, but this might stir things up again: In a new interview, Steele bluntly suggests criticism of his tenure — and all the media coverage it's garnered — may be motivated by racism.

Exclusive Pics: Lt. Dan Choi back in service?  —  This past weekend at the NGLTF Creating Change conference, there was a notable absence that many have already tweeted and remarked about.  Lt. Dan Choi was supposed to lead a Knights Out sponsored workshop on Friday morning about ending …

Reid to offer jobs bill  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will introduce a jobs bill on Tuesday that he said would have Republican support.  —  Reid told reporters the bill would be introduced on Tuesday, and that it would include an extension of the tax breaks, known as tax extenders, that expired last year.

Wilder: Obama needs to fire DNC Chairman Kaine, W.H. advisers  —  During the 2008 campaign, I strongly endorsed Barack Obama for president.  I did so early, when many Democratic leaders — including many prominent African-American politicians — believed the safe bet was to back then-front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Unemployment taxes slam businesses  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Employers are getting hit with a massive tax hike at a time when they can least afford it.  —  Companies in at least 35 states will have to fork over more in unemployment insurance taxes this year, according to the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

Palin Puts Together A ... Campaign?  —  Sarah Palin is putting together a campaign team, and Washington is taking notice.  Mark Leibovich of the New York Times described her bare-bones political operation.  Here is what I know: she is not worried about fundraising right now.

Palin Advocates War With Iran After Apparently Misunderstanding Buchanan Column (VIDEO)  —  Citing a column by Pat Buchanan that clearly argues against conflict with Iran, Sarah Palin on Sunday suggested that a war with Iran would be good policy and a boon for President Obama's 2012 reelection hopes.

Secret contract, lavish spending push Republican Party of Florida to crisis  —  As a volatile election season gets under way, the Republican Party of Florida is facing its biggest crisis of confidence in decades.  —  Donors and party activists are livid over newly revealed records …

Pamela Geller Destroys Ron Reagan Jr. on Joy Behar Show (Video)  —  The great Pamela Geller from Atlas Shrugs destroyed Ron Reagan Jr., Joy Behar and her other hateful liberal guest on the Behar Show last night.  Geller gave Ron Jr. the spanking he never had, but needed.

Defiant Paterson reports on Times interview: ‘No such questions’  —  David Paterson called a press conference (nominal subject: snow) after his interview this afternoon with The New York Times's Albany bureau, effectively to declare an end to the speculation that the Times is about to break …

Felony Snowball Tossing Charges Lodged  —  Cops: Virginia college students pelted city plow, unmarked police car  —  Felony snowball throwing charges have been leveled against two Virginia college students for allegedly pelting a city plow and an undercover police car during Saturday's blizzard.

Republicans — Not Obama — More Often on Wrong Side of Public Opinion  —  One of the more commonplace assertions among pundits on the center-right — made rather carelessly by Victor Davis Hanson and more thoughtfully by Jay Cost, is that agenda put forward by Obama and the Democrats …

‘Miss Me Yet?’  Billboard With Photo Of Bush Is Real; Not An Internet Trick  —  Internet chatter had led to speculation that it might be an urban myth — nothing more than clever digital trickery spreading via the Web.  —  But our friend Bob Collins at Minnesota Public Radio assures us he's seen it with his own eyes:

‘The Limits of Blaming Bush’ — By: Veronique de Rugy  —  President Obama never tires of blaming President Bush for the deficit our nation faces.  Tobe sure, the Bush-era deficits were bad.  I spent a great deal of time in the last eight years protesting our last president's lack of fiscal responsibility (here and here, for instance).