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 …

President Obama: ‘Put Aside Matter of Party’ of Jobs Bill, Health Care  —  During Surprise Press Conference, Obama Condemns ‘Obstinacy,’ Outlines Proposal for Health Care Summit This Month  —  President Obama appealed for bipartisanship from the podium of the White House briefing room today …

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.

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.

Berlin looks to build Greek ‘firewall’  —  Financial markets surged on Tuesday on hopes of a European rescue plan for Greece, as officials in Berlin admitted it was looking at how to construct a “firewall” to prevent the debt crisis spiralling out of control.

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.

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.

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.

‘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).