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 …

Obama meets with Republicans to bridge partisan divide  —  President Obama brought Republicans to the negotiating table on Tuesday, hoping to stem a steady deterioration in relations between the two parties that has brought business in Washington to a standstill, left the Democratic agenda …

Palin headlines birther conference; press pretends not to notice  —  If you don't think there's a media double standard that favors Republicans over Democrats, then let's play a game of what-if.  —  What if, in 2006, at Yearly Kos, the first annual convention of liberal bloggers and their readers …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

Blogging the Snowpocalypse  —  You will probably have noticed that I did not post this morning.  That's because sometime before 8 am, I decided that I should get to the grocery store and pick up my lung medicine in the hiatus between snows.  —  Four hours later, I returned with a trunk full …

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 …

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 …