Freezing Out Hope  —  After the Democratic “shellacking” in the midterm elections, everyone wondered how President Obama would respond.  Would he show what he was made of?  Would he stand firm for the values he believes in, even in the face of political adversity?

Disappointing Job Growth in U.S. as Jobless Rate Hits 9.8%  —  In a significant setback to the recovery and market expectations, the United States economy added just 39,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent, according to the Department of Labor.

Deficit panel's plan goes down to defeat  —  In an 11-7 vote, President Obama's fiscal commission on Friday failed to adopt a sweeping plan for reining in the federal budget deficit.  —  The panel had been working since February on a plan that would cut almost $4 trillion in deficit spending …

Mr. Olbermann—Sorry We Can't All Be As Perfect As You  —  Recently, a left wing commentator named Keith Olbermann attacked me for being a spokesperson for abstinence education and for being an Ambassador for the Candies Foundation, which promotes teen pregnancy awareness and prevention education.

Rangel: I don't deal in average American citizens  —  One might have thought, given all of the handwringing from Capitol Hill last night over the horrors of censuring, that Charlie Rangel would have learned a little humility from the process.  For instance, on CNN moments after Nancy Pelosi read aloud …

President Obama Makes Surprise Trip to Afghanistan, Sources Tell ABC News  —  Visit Comes Amid Backdrop of Wikileaks Report Highlighting Afghan Corruption  —  President Obama is in Afghanistan on a surprise visit, sources told ABC News' Martha Raddatz.  —  Obama's surprise trip comes …

The Mystery of John McCain  —  I have been on the road, got home late tonight (while my wife is traveling elsewhere), and amused myself with.... the C-SPAN rebroadcast of today's Don't Ask Don't Tell Senate hearings.  Yes, this is exciting life for a member of The Atlantic's team.

Wave goodbye to Internet freedom  —  FCC crosses the Rubicon into online regulation  —  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is poised to add the Internet to its portfolio of regulated industries.  The agency's chairman, Julius Genachowski, announced Wednesday that he circulated draft rules …

Hillary Clinton says she in her last public job  —  (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton said on Friday that her current job as U.S. secretary of state was probably her last public position and that she would in future return to her roots as an advocate for women.  —  Clinton, who has repeatedly …

Arizona Cuts Financing for Transplant Patients  —  PHOENIX — Even physicians with decades of experience telling patients that their lives are nearing an end are having difficulty discussing a potentially fatal condition that has arisen in Arizona: Death by budget cut.

Helen Thomas is At it Again-Says Those Rich Jews Control America  —  Proving once again that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, former White House Correspondent Helen Thomas told an anti-Arab-Bias workshop in Dearborn Michigan that she absolutely stands by her ugly comments about Jews …

Julian Assange answers your questions  —  The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, answers readers' questions about the release of more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables  —  Fwoggie … Julian Assange:  —  I am an Australian citizen and I miss my country a great deal.

Feds Warrantlessly Tracking Americans' Credit Cards in Real Time  —  Federal law enforcement agencies have been tracking Americans in real-time using credit cards, loyalty cards and travel reservations without getting a court order, a new document released under a government sunshine request shows.

The Mind in Motion  —  Going through one of Martin Luther King's assessments of Black Power, and I came across this quote: … King doesn't retreat from his ultimate belief that Black Power is a “nihilistic philosophy.”  But what I love here is that there's actual movement in King's writing …

A Tax Reform Vision  —  I have a vision.  —  Sometime over the next couple of weeks, President Obama issues a statement that reads: “Over the past several months, Republicans and Democrats have been fighting over what to do with the Bush tax cuts.  I have my own views …

Are we freezing because of global warming?  —  Climate change could bring Britain ever more extreme weather, says Roger Highfield.  —  As a blanket of snow settles across the country, train services grind to a halt and roads become impassable, you could be forgiven for thinking that global warming seems more remote than ever.

Military Chiefs Parade Disagreements Over Don't Ask, Don't Tell  —  Military leaders paraded their differences over whether gays should serve openly in the military during a Senate hearing Friday.  —  The chiefs of the military services most directly involved in the Afghanistan war voiced opposition …

WHITE HOUSE SPEECHWRITER WINS COMEDY PRIZE  —  Sparked by an impeccable impersonation of Arianna Huffington, White House speechwriter Jon Lovett took home the top honors at Washington's annual “Funniest Celebrity” competition Thursday night.  —  “Sarah Palin as the next president of the United States?” asked Lovett.

House ethics probe to investigate whether Finance committee withheld records  —  House ethics investigators have begun a probe into why the powerful House Financial Services Committee did not fully comply with its promise to turn over all documents pertinent to an investigation …

Reid Backs Legalizing Web Poker  —  Staffers for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are circulating a bill to legalize poker playing on the Internet that's backed by large casino interests.  —  The Nevada casino companies pushing the measure were among the Democrat's biggest donors during his fierce re-election fight.