Why WikiLeaks Is Unlike the Pentagon Papers  —  Everyone knows that Daniel Ellsberg leaked top-secret government documents about the Vietnam War.  How many remember the ones he kept secret, or why?  —  In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg decided to make available to the New York Times …

Lunchbox mix-up leads to charges for Sanford teen  —  SANFORD, N.C. — An athletic and academic standout in Lee County said a lunchbox mix-up has cut short her senior year of high school and might hurt her college opportunities.  —  Ashley Smithwick, 17, of Sanford, was suspended …

Feds investigate Christine O'Donnell spending  —  BALTIMORE — A person with knowledge of the investigation says federal authorities have opened a criminal probe of Delaware Republican Christine O'Donnell to determine if the former Senate candidate broke the law by using campaign money to pay personal expenses.

Tucker Carlson: “I Think Personally [Michael Vick] Should Have Been Executed”  —  Tucker Carlson again filled in for Sean Hannity on Hannity tonight, and couldn't resist, as others already had, delving into the issue of President Obama praising Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie …

CNN Poll: Plurality say Obama's policies will likely fail  —  Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama enters the new year with a growing number of Americans pessimistic about his policies and a growing number rooting for him to fail, according to a new national poll.  —  Full poll results [pdf]

Mother Nature vs. Nanny  —  The blizzard is definitely a force for conservatism, and not only because it has had the global-warming crowd scrambling for explanations.  The blizzard reveals something basic: Liberals in government want to tell us what to eat, counsel us about how and when to die …

If Christians Were Treated Like Muslims  —  Few Americans would deny that Judeo-Christian beliefs and values informed the Founding of this country and that they continue to shape much of American life today.  Nor would many of us deny that Americans who embrace Islamic values are a distinct minority here.

Exclusive: Merle Haggard on His Kennedy Center Honor, Meeting Obama and Oprah and More  —  The singer, who received a lifetime achievement award, takes us behind the scenes of Tuesday's broadcast  —  Merle Haggard is no stranger to the White House: He was a guest of both Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan …

Top NRSC official: Several Senate Dems up in '12 in ‘serious trouble’  —  Washington (CNN) - The number two man at the National Republican Senatorial Committee says he thinks several Democratic senators facing re-elections in 2012 are in “serious trouble.”  —  But NRSC Executive Director Rob Jesmer …

The Road to 2012: The New New Hampshire  —  Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP field are about to find a whole new set of players standing between them and first-in-the-nation primary victory  —  For Mitt Romney and other likely presidential contenders, 2011 will be a busy year of campaigning …

Soon To-Be Ex-Congressman John Hall Warns Against Creeping Fascism  —  In a wide-ranging interview before he prepares to leave the House of Representatives, Hudson Valley Congressman John Hall warned that the nation could quickly descend into Fascism if more is not done to curb the influence of corporate money in politics.

Social Conservatives Boycotting CPAC Over Gays  —  Two major conservative groups are sitting out the year's most important conference for their ideological allies—attendance is a near-requirement for GOP presidential contenders—because a gay Republican organization has been invited.

Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain  —  Political opinions are considered choices, and in Western democracies the right to choose one's opinions — freedom of conscience — is considered sacrosanct.  —  But recent studies suggest that our brains and genes may be a major determining factor in the views we hold.

Kucinich worries his district will be eliminated  —  (CNN) - The state of Ohio will lose two congressional seats thanks to the latest U.S. Census figures, and liberal stalwart Dennis Kucinich is worried his seat is on the chopping block.  —  In an e-mail to supporters Wednesday …

Response to Wired's accusations  —  (updated below)  —  As noted above, the principal tactic of Wired.com Editor-in-Chief Evan Hansen and Senior Editor Kevin Poulsen in responding to my criticisms is to hurl a variety of accusations at me as a means of distracting attention from the issue that matters.

THE AYN RAND DISCIPLE LEADING THE HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE.... In my circle of friends growing up, I can think of quite a few folks who, between the ages of 16 and 22, briefly fell under the spell of Ayn Rand.  Someone loaned them a copy of Atlas Shrugged; they were convinced it was brilliant …

GARY SHILLING: And Now House Prices Will Now Drop Another 20%  —  In October, Gary Shilling of A. Gary Shilling & Co., predicted that house prices would fall another 20%.  —  In the two months since, house prices have resumed their decline.  Below, Gary outlines why he thinks the recent drops are just the beginning.

Monetary policy in fiction  —  “It's too bad, ” writes Matthew Yglesias, that “'You Shall Know Our Velocity' isn't a novel about monetary policy.”  —  That got me wondering about whether there are any novels about monetary policy.  Some believe ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ is an allegory …

House Republicans Could End Lame Duck Sessions  —  Little-noticed over the holiday week: Rep. Lynn Jenkins tweeting this promise. … Jenkins linked to a story by David Farenthold explaining that the 20th amendment was supposed to end lame duck sessions by truncating the life of expired Congresses …

GOP Shifts on Fannie, Freddie Overhaul  —  Republicans Say Quickly Privatizing Mortgage Giants Would Squeeze Access to Home Loans and Depress Sales, Prices  —  Earlier this year, leading House Republicans proposed to privatize mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac or place them in receivership starting in two years.