The Limits of Rahmism  —  AS A DOZEN or so top White House officials gathered in Rahm Emanuel's corner West Wing office one morning in early January, the president's political director, Patrick Gaspard, reported on the latest poll numbers in Massachusetts.  With less than two weeks until …

Sarah Palin heads north.  Er, south.  Er, to Calgary.  —  It was little surprise that Sarah Palin's first visit to our home and native land (of public health care and gay marriage) would be in Calgary.  It also shouldn't be surprising that she was able to curry favour with the local crowd …

The ‘al-Qaeda seven’ and selective McCarthyism  —  Would most Americans want to know if the Justice Department had hired a bunch of mob lawyers and put them in charge of mob cases?  Or a group of drug cartel lawyers and put them in charge of drug cases?  Would they want their elected representatives …

Conservative California state senator comes out  —  California State Sen. Roy Ashburn, a conservative Republican with a solidly anti-gay voting record, came out as gay today on a Bakersfield radio station talk show.  Ashburn's sexual orientation had been the talk of Sacramento since …

Obama-Bush Same Mistakes: President Repeats Stumbles  —  Who would have thought that one of Barack Obama's biggest missteps as President would be repeating some of the bad habits of George W. Bush?  No single factor was more instrumental in Obama's 2008 victory than his pledge to completely reverse …

The story behind Oscar's “Kanye moment”  —  We talk to the two filmmakers whose personal fight became one of the ceremony's weirdest moments … People are already saying you “pulled a Kanye.”  What happened?  —  BURKETT: What happened was the director and I had a bad difference …

Obama warns staff: Ignore palace intrigue  —  The spate of news stories delving into West Wing palace intrigue has become so relentless that President Barack Obama warned his team against fueling the blaze.  —  “Don't get absorbed in the Washington finger-pointing and intrigue,” …

Obama's “Closing Argument” on Health Care Reform  —  At Arcadia University, outside Philadelphia, President Obama launched what his aides call the “closing argument” in his push for health care reform.  Two hours away from a Washington he says is “obsessed by the sport of politics,” …

Illinois Democrat Lipinski Will Switch from Yes to No if Health Bill Lacks Stupak Amendment  —  Add Congressman Dan Lipinski of Illinois to the coalition of pro-life Democrats standing firmly with Bart Stupak in the fight over taxpayer-funding of abortion in the health care bill.

THE GOP STILL JUST DOESN'T LIKE THE UNEMPLOYED.... It's astounding, but in the midst of an unemployment crisis, prominent Republicans continue to castigate those struggling to find jobs.  —  Yesterday, for example, disgraced former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) argued that unemployment benefits …

Where are Obama's foreign confidants?  —  I recently asked several senior administration officials, separately, to name a foreign leader with whom Barack Obama has forged a strong personal relationship during his first year in office.  A lot of hemming and hawing ensued.

Déjà vu all over again … A Republican on Capitol Hill points out that we're going through a health care press coverage time warp.  In each of the following four headline pairs, one is from this morning.  The other is from last year.  See if you can guess which is which.

Program Will Pay Homeowners to Sell at a Loss  —  In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration has been trying to keep defaulting owners in their homes.  Now it will take a new approach: paying some of them to leave.  —  This latest program, which will allow owners …

Mass-Market Epiphany  —  Mysticism is dying, and taking true religion with it.  Monasteries have dwindled.  Contemplative orders have declined.  Our religious leaders no longer preach the renunciation of the world; our culture scoffs at the idea.  The closest most Americans come …