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.

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 …

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.

Congressional Democrats point finger of blame at Rahm Emanuel on healthcare  —  Democrats in Congress are holding White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel accountable for his part in the collapse of healthcare reform.  —  The emerging consensus among critics in both chambers is that Emanuel's lack …

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.

Shelby not done blocking nominations  —  Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) may have dropped his holds on President Barack Obama's nominees, but he's more than willing to keep blocking nominations if he doesn't get his way.  —  “The process goes on every day,” Shelby told POLITICO.  “There are other appointments.

Stocks Rally on Hopes of Greek Bailout  —  Wall Street tried to emerge from a spell of uncertainty on Tuesday as investors grew more hopeful that Greece would be saved from its debt troubles, helping quell fears of a turbulent global recovery.  —  Stocks rallied broadly amid reports …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

Brown opposes Obama in first big vote  —  Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) cast his first major vote today, helping Republicans maintain a filibuster against President Obama's nominee to the National Labor Relations Board.  —  Brown opposed ending debate on the nomination of Craig Becker …

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.

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.

Commented: Don't let the achievable be the enemy of the perfect  —  Commenter Burndtdan wasn't impressed with my post this morning arguing that you can't confused fantasy plans with realistic legislation. … I actually agree with much of this, which is why I tried hard to highlight Ryan's proposal …

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 …