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.

New York Senate Expels Monserrate Over Assault  —  ALBANY — The State Senate on Tuesday expelled a senator convicted of domestic assault, the first time in nearly a century that the Legislature has forced a member from office.  —  The Senate voted 53-to-8 to immediately oust the senator …

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 …

In poll, Republicans gaining political ground on Obama  —  Republicans have significantly narrowed the gap with Democrats on who is trusted to deal with the country's problems and have sharply reduced several of President Obama's main political advantages, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Reid: Jobs bill to come with Republican help  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pledged Tuesday to pass a $104 billion jobs bill with the support of Republicans.  —  That vote is expected after next week's recess, as the Senate will be closed on Wednesday and no more votes …

New Wind Farms in the U.S. Have Not Led to Jobs  —  Millions Have Been Invested in Wind Farms, but That Hasn't Brought Jobs  —  Despite all the talk of green jobs, the overwhelming majority of stimulus money spent on wind power has gone to foreign companies, according to a new report …

Anti-Tea Party Web Site Part of Scheme to Funnel Funds  —  A new Web site targeting the tea parties is a part of a complex network of money flowing from the mountainous coffers of the country's biggest labor unions and trickling slowly into political slush funds for Democratic activists.

Revised Baseline Scenario: February 9, 2010  —  Caution: this is a long post (about 3,000 words).  The main points are in the first few hundred words and the remainder is supportive detail.  This material was the basis of testimony to the Senate Budget Committee today by Simon Johnson.

Obama Doesn't ‘Begrudge’ Bonuses for ‘Savvy’ Blankfein, Dimon  —  Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama said he doesn't “begrudge” the $17 million bonus awarded to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon or the $9 million issued to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. CEO Lloyd Blankfein …

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.

Exposed: Naked Body Scanner Images Of Film Star Printed, Circulated By Airport Staff  —  Authorities' claim that virtual strip search pictures immediately destroyed proven fraudulent - use of devices needs to be halted now  —  Claims on behalf of authorities that naked body scanner images …

Sen. Jim DeMint twitters: D.C. snow will continue ‘until Al Gore cries uncle’  —  Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Tuesday used the D.C. snowstorm to make a political jab, saying that it provides evidence for global warming skeptics.  —  The conservative senator took to Twitter on Tuesday amid reports …

Target Toyota: Why the Recall Backlash Is Overblown  —  Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood testifies during the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell/Getty Images)  —  To judge by press accounts and statements

Burka-wearing gunmen raid French bank  —  Two burka-wearing bank robbers have pulled off a heist near Paris using a handgun concealed beneath their full Islamic veil.  —  Employees let the pair through the security double doors of the banking branch of a post office, believing them to be Muslim women.

Heart of Redness  —  [Ungawa!  The Tea Party natives are restless, sparking alarm among the civilized panjandrums of the coastal media Raj.  Who are these mysterious Fly-Over savages?  What do they want?  Conjectures abound, but only a few brave souls have dared strap on the pith helmet and safari into the belly of the beast.

The Trucking Index of GDP  —  USA Today highlights a new measure of economic activity that is based on truckers' use of diesel fuel.  This is an interesting way to try to get an up-to-date measure of the production and sale of goods in the economy.  By contrast GDP numbers only come …

The campus intifada, cont'd  —  When Israel's Ambassador Michael Oren took the stage to speak at the University of California, Irvine, on Monday night, the audience was salted with apparent students who were determined not to let him speak.  According to the Jerusalem Post report …