Winners and losers from Evan Bayh's retirement  —  Indiana Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh's decision not to run for re-election is a massive shock to the political system, the full ramifications of which won't be fully known for weeks or months.  —  But, Bayh's retirement did produce its fair share …

IN Dem Misses The Deadline  —  Restaurant owner Tamyra d'Ippolito (D) has enough signatures to make the ballot in the race to replace Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), she told Hotline OnCall in a brief interview, but an official in a key district says she has failed to reach the threshold.

Tea Party Lights Fuse for Rebellion on Right  —  SANDPOINT, Idaho — Pam Stout has not always lived in fear of her government.  She remembers her years working in federal housing programs, watching government lift struggling families with job training and education.

Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander  —  WASHINGTON — The Taliban's top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.

Excise Tax Loses Support Amid White House Push  —  WASHINGTON — An agreement to tax high-cost, employer-sponsored health insurance plans, announced with fanfare by the White House and labor unions last month, is losing support from labor leaders, who say the proposal is too high a price …

Sens. seek Obama boost on campaign trail  —  GOP hopes to see him on stump  —  President Obama kicks off what might be called his “Save the Senate” tour this week, heading west to campaign for two embattled Democrats trailing badly against Republican challengers - including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Does Dick Cheney Want to Be Prosecuted?  —  After he was indicted for the murder of Alexander Hamilton, vice president Aaron Burr fled to South Carolina, to hide out with his daughter.  Another vice president, Spiro Agnew, kept completely silent before pleading nolo contendere on corruption charges.

What's the Deal?  —  One of the most intriguing news stories of the past week is the murder of Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.  The team that carried out the assassination allegedly included eleven members, ten men and a woman.  They were evidently traveling on fake passports …

Oh, Canada for HRC if Pres. Palin?  —  From NBC's Courtney KubeSecretary of State Hillary Clinton could not escape U.S. politics during her trip to Saudi Arabia.  Early this morning during a town hall meeting with students at Dar Al Hekma College, a student asked Clinton if she thinks Sarah Palin …

Election 2010: California Governor  —  California Governor: Brown 43%, Whitman 43%  —  Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman now runs dead even with likely Democratic nominee Jerry Brown in California's gubernatorial contest.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely California …

Most Americans think Congress should start over on healthcare reform, poll says  —  In a brutal assessment of the Democratically authored healthcare reform bills pending in Congress and the party's approach to healthcare, more than half of the respondents to a new Zogby International-University …

Milbank writing Beck book: ‘Tears of a Clown’  —  Dana Milbank recently wrote how a Fox News star has really “captured the moment,” before posing the question: “Is Glenn Beck America?”  —  Milbank, who only had about 750 words to tackle that question in his Washington Post column …

Lake Erie Frozen over; First Time in 14 Years  —  Following a cold snap in the Northeast, Lake Erie's surface is virtually frozen over for the first time in about 14 years.  —  The ice ranges in thickness between paper thin along the northern shore and several inches along the southern shore, where many people are ice skating.

CNN Poll: Anti-incumbent fever at record high  —  Some career politicians are under attack because many think they just don't get it.  AC360 asks if they're “Not Republican Enough or Not Conservative Enough,” Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.  —  Washington (CNN) — Only a third of U.S. voters …

Another case of TSA overkill  —  Just when I thought I was out of the Transportation Security Administration business for a few columns, they pull me back in.  —  Did you hear about the Camden cop whose disabled son wasn't allowed to pass through airport security unless he took off his leg braces?

Healthcare reform and reconciliation a bad mix, ex-parliamentarian says  —  The budget reconciliation process, with its arcane rules and potential for political chicanery, is not suited to healthcare reform, according to the Senate's former parliamentarian.  —  Reconciliation is enormously appealing …

In Bid to Revive Nuclear Power, U.S. Is Backing New Reactors  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama told an enthusiastic audience of union officials on Tuesday that the Energy Department had approved a loan guarantee intended to underwrite construction of two nuclear reactors in Georgia, with taxpayers picking up much of the financial risk.

Beware fear's racist temptation  —  Don't blame your fear of the future on Obama's skin color  —  SPECIAL COMMENT  —  Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on this Presidents' Day celebrating George Washington, and the Founding Fathers he represents and Abraham Lincoln, and the Emancipation he represents.

Bayh for President!  —  To state what I think should be obvious, talk of Evan Bayh somehow challenging Barack Obama for the 2012 Democratic nomination is bizarre.  No incumbent president has ever been defeated in a primary.  And the only “close calls” came in a tightly bunched historical period …