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 …

In Albany, a Rumor of a Rumor Catches Fire  —  Albany — long a place of scandal, the rumor of scandal and the echoing talk about the rumor of scandal — has had a week a bit unlike any other.  Newspapers, blogs, reputable outfits and fringe gossip sites have worked themselves into a frenzy …

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 …

Cantor On The Summit: We'll Be There!  —  It's on!  Eric Cantor, on Fox News just now, made it official: Count Republicans in.  —  Cantor had written a letter with John Boehner yesterday to the White House, apparently laying down some preconditions for attending the White House's health care summit.

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.

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.

Lawmakers Expel N.Y. State Senator Over Assault  —  ALBANY — The New York State Senate on Tuesday night expelled a senator convicted of assaulting his companion, the first time a member of the Legislature was forced from office in nearly a century.  —  Hiram Monserrate, a Democrat from Queens …

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 …

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.

The Obama Obesity Proposals: The Good, The Bad, The Missing  —  With a flourish of his pen, President Obama signed an executive order this morning creating yet another national anti-obesity strategy.  He was flanked by gaggle of usual suspects — and his wife, Michelle Obama, for whom combating childhood obesity is a cause.

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.

China PLA officers urge economic punch against U.S.  —  BEIJING (Reuters) - Senior Chinese military officers have proposed that their country boost defense spending, adjust PLA deployments, and possibly sell some U.S. bonds to punish Washington for its latest round of arms sales to Taiwan.

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.