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 …

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 Says Bipartisanship, But What He Wants Is GOP Surrender  —  Posted by Mark Knoller Unannounced, President Obama took to the lectern in the White House briefing room today to give a personal readout of his meeting earlier with congressional leaders of both parties.

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 " …

Brilliant: ‘Vagina Monologues’ Creator Tells Palin to Look at ‘Earthquakes and Tsunamis’ for Global Warming Proof  —  No matter what former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin does, she's not going to win any friends in the mainstream modern feminism activist movement in the United States.  But that might not be a bad thing.

Paterson says criticism is racially motivated  —  In the midst of swirling rumors of a soon-to-be published bombshell story, New York Gov. David Paterson (D) said Wednesday that criticism of him has been motivated by his race.  —  Paterson, who is black and blind, said on Imus in the Morning …

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.

First Lady Links Childhood Obesity to National Security in Launch of 'Let's Move' Campaign  —  (CNSNews.com) - At a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the 'Let's Move' campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States …

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 …

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.

Michigan Rep. Vern Ehlers retires  —  Michigan Rep. Vern Ehlers announced his retirement this morning, becoming the 17th Republican to decide against seeking re-election to the next Congress.  —  “I don't want to stay in office so long that people will say you should have left five years ago,” Ehlers said.

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 …

Carl Levin: Filibuster Could Fall ‘After Massive Conflict On The Floor’  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Senate Republicans made a persuasive case for abolishing or reforming the filibuster on Tuesday night when they blocked a routine nomination to the National Labor Relations Board that had been held up since April.

Mass. Sen. Brown writing a book about his life  —  WASHINGTON — A can't miss rung on the ladder to celebrity status in Washington: Newly seated Sen. Scott Brown will write a book about his life leading up to his upset election to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

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 …

Pam Geller tries to tell Ron Reagan Jr. she knows better what his father would think of Palin  —  If you ever needed evidence that right-wingers have no boundaries — in terms logic, ethics, or basic decency — that they will not trample all over in the defense of conservative “values” …

Caged Panther investigation  —  The Democratic Congress is shirking its oversight responsibility  —  In their bid to protect President Obama's liberal political appointees at the Justice Department, congressional Democrats are surrendering their responsibility to keep a presidential administration honest.

Conservative Activists Rebel Against Fox News: Saudi Ownership Is ‘Really Dangerous For America’  —  Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns a 7 percent stake in News Corp — the parent company of Fox News — making him the largest shareholder outside the family of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch.

Everything Is in Place in Vancouver, Except Snow  —  WEST VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The steady roar of a helicopter dumping snow on the Olympic snowboard halfpipe and a caravan of trucks hauling more snow from hundreds of miles away are creating a defining image of the Vancouver Games before the competitions even begin.

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?

Reuters photographer says reborn after freed by U.S.  —  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military freed a Reuters photographer in Iraq on Wednesday, almost a year and a half after snatching him from his home in the middle of the night and holding him without charge.