GOP should take on Palin  —  Republicans have a problem.  The most-talked-about figure in the GOP is a reality show star who cannot be elected.  And yet the same leaders who fret that Sarah Palin could devastate their party in 2012 are too scared to say in public what they all complain about in private.

Where we and Democrats can work together  —  When congressional leaders of both parties meet at the White House today, all of us will have an opportunity to show the American people that we got the message of the elections earlier this month.  —  Republicans heard the voters loud and clear.

Senate votes down ban on earmarks  —  The Senate on Tuesday morning defeated a proposal from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to ban congressional earmarks.  —  In a 39-56 vote, members defeated a temporary ban on the appropriations procedure.  The moratorium was offered as an amendment …

In slideshow, Rep. Joe Barton declares war on the Obama administration  —  If the Obama administration was hoping to see hints of bipartisanship from the Hill, it might want to skip over the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  —  The committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Joe L. Barton …

The WikiLeaks effect  —  Prominent pundits of Mideast affairs have argued Israel alone was pushing for military attack on Iran, WikiLeaks debunked these theories.  —  Talkbacks (5)  —  In recent years, prominent pundits of Middle East affairs such as Foreign Policy's Marc Lynch …

WikiLeaks founder could be charged under Espionage Act  —  Federal authorities are investigating whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange violated criminal laws in the group's release of government documents, including possible charges under the Espionage Act, sources familiar with the inquiry said Monday.

Tea Party Nation President Says It ‘Makes A Lot Of Sense’ To Restrict Voting Only To Property Owners  —  Every week, the Tea Party Nation hosts a weekly radio program, calling itself a “home for conservatives.”  Two weeks ago, Tea Party Nation President Judson Phillips hosted the program …

Comcast Busted: New Tolls for Netflix Aren't All You Should Worry About  —  What's Your Reaction:  —  In the past 24 hours Comcast has been exposed committing blatant abuses of its power over all things media.  —  The New York Times reported last night that the cable giant has threatened …

Senate Passes Overhaul of Food Safety Regulations  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday passed a sweeping overhaul of the nation's food-safety system, after recalls of tainted eggs, peanut butter and spinach sickened thousands and led major food makers to join consumer advocates in demanding stronger government oversight.

Judge Reinhardt Is Obligated To Disqualify Himself from Prop 8 Appeal  —  Judge Stephen Reinhardt, the arch-activist selected to be one of the three members of the Ninth Circuit panel hearing the appeal in the Prop 8 case, is obligated to disqualify himself from participation in the case.  —  Why?

Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves  —  ATLANTA — The Civil War, the most wrenching and bloody episode in American history, may not seem like much of a cause for celebration, especially in the South.  —  And yet, as the 150th anniversary of the four-year conflict gets under way …

'Don't ask, don't tell' report: Little risk to enlisting gays  —  The Pentagon's long-awaited report on gays in the military concludes that repealing the 17-year-old “don't ask, don't tell” law would present only a low risk to the armed forces' ability to carry out their mission …

Where Anonymity Breeds Contempt  —  THERE you are, peacefully reading an article or watching a video on the Internet.  You finish, find it thought-provoking, and scroll down to the comments section to see what other people thought.  And there, lurking among dozens of well-intentioned opinions, is a troll.

Suspect in sex assault case won pardon in 2008  —  Cleared by a panel that included Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Jeremy Giefer is now accused of assaulting a second girl hundreds of times before and after he received his pardon.  —  Two years ago, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and two other officials pardoned Jeremy Giefer …

Wonkbook: Dem compromise would extend 90% of Bush tax cuts; food-safety bill comes to vote; federal-pay freeze  —  President Obama is meeting with the Republican congressional leadership today, but it's hard to imagine much progress being made at the powwow: Obama has already embraced …

Has NASA discovered extraterrestrial life?  —  Here's a curious press release from NASA: … I did a little research on the news conference participants and found:  —  1. Pamela Conrad (a geobiologist) was the primary author of a 2009 paper on geology and life on Mars

Yodelling offends praying Muslims, say judges  —  An Austrian has been fined for yodelling while mowing his lawn, according to a report.  —  The Kronen Zeitung newspaper claims Helmut G. was told by a court in Graz, Styria, that his yodelling offended his next-door Muslim neighbours.

Economists' Grail: A Post-Crash Model  —  Physicist Doyne Farmer thinks we should analyze the economy the way we do epidemics and traffic.  —  Psychoanalyst David Tuckett believes the key to markets' gyrations can be found in the works of Sigmund Freud.  —  Economist Roman Frydman thinks …

Rep. Shadegg Scoffs At The Fact That Jobless Benefits Are A Benefit To The Economy: 'No, They're Not!'  —  Unless Congress acts today, unemployment benefits will expire for 2.5 million Americans, with unemployment above nine percent and five unemployed workers competing for every available job opening.

Patty Murray to be DSCC Chair  —  Washington State Sen. Patty Murray will be the next chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.  AP Photo/Ted S. Warren  —  Washington State Sen. Patty Murray is expected to accept the chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today …

Triangles Are Two Dimensional  —  Something that I think should be understood about the idea of “triangulating” via a proposal to freeze federal salary is that triangles are two dimensional objects.  To triangulate properly you can't simply occupy a point between where the left and right poles are, you need to also move off the line.

Jeb Bush: Obama Should Take ‘A Three-Month Vacation’  —  How can America cure its economic recession?  —  One solution, according to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is for President Barack Obama to “just chill” and take “a three-month vacation.”  —  In a wide-ranging interview …