Clueless  —  I'm with Simon Johnson here: how is it possible, at this late date, for Obama to be this clueless?  —  The lead story on Bloomberg right now contains excerpts from an interview with Business Week which tells us: … Oh.  My.  God.  —  First of all, to my knowledge …

PRESS ROOM LAUGHTER DIES DOWN  —  The White House press room was a jovial place to be in the early days of President Barack Obama's presidency.  But times have changed.  —  Back in May, POLITICO analyzed the press briefings and found that the instances of laughter — as indicated by " …

Palin's bigger blunder  —  Last weekend, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate gave the keynote speech at the first National Tea Party Conference.  It was a speech carried by many news channels and one that is still receiving a lot of attention.

JOHN EDWARDS ASKS MISTRESS RIELLE HUNTER TO MARRY HIM!  —  John Edwards has proposed to his mistress Rielle Hunter, and is buying a luxury $3.5 million beachfront home where they can live happily ever after with their love child, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively.

Charlie Wilson dies  —  LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) - Former longtime East Texas congressman Charlie Wilson has died.  Staff at Lufkin Memorial Hospital confirmed the report.  He was 76.  —  According to a Memorial Hospital press release, Wilson died after suffering from cardio pulmonary arrest.

What Obama could learn from Bush  —  Last night, Craig Becker's nomination to the National Labor Relations Board was approved, with 52 senators voting in favor of Becker and 33 voting against him.  —  Wait, sorry, I got that wrong.  It was rejected with 52 senators voting in favor of Becker and 33 voting against.

Rep. Watson to retire  —  Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) is set to announce her retirement, according to Democratic sources.  —  Watson's central Los Angeles district isn't expected to be competitive in the general election, as it carries a distinct Democratic advantage as a majority-minority district.

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.

Snowstorm: East Coast Blizzard Tied to Climate Change  —  As the blizzard-bound residents of the mid-Atlantic region get ready to dig themselves out of the third major storm of the season, they may stop to wonder two things: Why haven't we bothered to invest in a snow blower, and what happened to climate change?

A First Look at Palin's Primary Math  —  If Sarah Palin runs for the Republican nomination in 2012 — and I've been on record for some time as predicting that she will — what are likely to be her best and worst states?  And how do these strengths and weaknesses square with the Republican primary calendar?

gingrichbamboozlefail  —  Classic moment last night on The Daily Show when Newt Gingrich explained that it was okay to mirandize “shoe bomber” Richard Reid and not Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab because Reid, unlike Abdulmutallab, is a US citizen.  —  Only, of course, Reid is a British citizen.

Think big with a gig: Our experimental fiber network  —  Imagine sitting in a rural health clinic, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web and discussing a unique condition with a specialist in New York.  Or downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes.

Iran Authorities Brace for Protests  —  BEIRUT—Iranian authorities deployed in force across Tehran Wednesday to conduct last-minute security sweeps and warn residents to refrain from joining antigovernment protests planned for Thursday.  —  The government typically orchestrates large …

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.

Arab ambassador discovers bride is bearded and cross-eyed behind veil  —  An Arab ambassador has called off his wedding after discovering his wife-to-be who wears a face-covering veil is bearded and cross-eyed.  —  The envoy had only met the woman a few times, during which she had hidden …

SEVEN  —  Left seat Pilot Thomas Sonne; Right seat: Major Bill Tice.  —  Kandahar, Afghanistan  —  10 February 2010  —  American forces are stationed at bases far and wide around Afghanistan.  Some bases are like towns, such as Camp Bastion, Kandahar Airfield, and Bagram Airfield.

Human microchips seen by some in Virginia House as device of antichrist  —  The House of Delegates is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill that would protect Virginians from attempts by employers or insurance companies to implant microchips in their bodies against their will.