Austerity is first order for Boehner's installation as House speaker  —  Nancy Pelosi brought camera crews and dignitaries into her childhood Baltimore neighborhood where a street was being renamed in her honor, while John Boehner is bringing his 11 siblings from working-class Ohio to Washington for a private reunion.

Darrell Issa reveals list of investigations  —  Rep. Darrell Issa is aiming to launch investigations on everything from WikiLeaks to Fannie Mae to corruption in Afghanistan in the first few months of what promises to be a high-profile chairmanship of the top oversight committee in Congress.

Obama Said to Consider William Daley for Top White House Post  —  President Barack Obama is considering naming William Daley, a JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive and former U.S. Commerce secretary, to a high-level White House post, possibly as his chief of staff, people familiar with the matter said.

Cops: Former Bush Aide Murdered, Found in Landfill  —  A man who fought to get the Vietnam Veterans Memorial built and served in two Bush administrations was murdered, Delaware police say.  —  John P. Wheeler III, 66, was found dead in a Delaware landfill, and his death has been ruled a homicide by Newark, Del., police.

Of course, let's blame the Jews; UPDATED  —  Islamic Jihad (Hat Tip: Elder of Ziyon), Iran's Press TV and a top Lebanese Shiite Muslim leader (Hat Tip: Jihad Watch) have all blamed ‘Zionists’ for the car bombing at a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt late Friday night.  This is from the second link.

Majority of RNC against Michael Steele  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele faces an all-but-impossible path to reelection this month, as a majority of the RNC's 168 members indicate that they will not support the controversial chairman for another term.

Lindsey Graham Joins the Loonies  —  The U.S. appears to be the only country in the developed world that forbids its government from accumulating debt without authorizing legislation.  And that's led to some scary moments, including one that the economist Henry Aaron shared with me recently.

The Unborn Paradox  —  The American entertainment industry has never been comfortable with the act of abortion.  Film or television characters might consider the procedure, but even on the most libertine programs (a “Mad Men,” a “Sex and the City"), they're more likely to have a change of heart than actually go through with it.

Allen West Says New Congress Should Prioritize Threat Of ‘Infiltration Of The Sharia Practice’ In U.S.  —  Rep. Allen West (R-FL), a newly-elected member who has loudly scapegoated Muslims and campaigned on a promise to oppose religious diversity, appeared on Frank Gaffney's radio program last week.

There's One Huge State Budget Crisis That Everyone Is Refusing To Talk About  —  You know the story and you know the names: states like Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and California are supposed to be in huge financial trouble thanks to bloated governments, business-unfriendly regulations, and strong public sector unions.

He Entered Congress Swinging, and Exits That Way  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — He has zero faith in the incoming speaker of the House, John A. Boehner, whom he calls a “tool of special interest.”  —  He derides the Tea Party's successes as “bought and paid for by the enormously rich and the selfish.”

How O'Donnell Brought Down the Delaware GOP  —  The FBI is investigating whether Christine O'Donnell misused campaign funds during her Senate run.  While we wait to find out whether she's guilty on that count, we already know that she is guilty in another way: for destroying and cannibalizing the Republican Party in Delaware.

Chewing Gum for Terrorists  —  DID former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Tom Ridge, a former homeland security secretary, and Frances Townsend, a former national security adviser, all commit a federal crime last month in Paris when they spoke in support …

President's Re-Election Transition Begins With OFA Layoffs  —  The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America has started laying off staff in multiple states as the first phase of a restructuring before the official kickoff of President Barack Obama's re-election bid.

Conservative Seeks Balance on His Way to Senate  —  ZIONSVILLE, Pa. — Patrick J. Toomey was elected to the Senate in November as part of the Republican revolution, with a big assist from Tea Party activists, an endorsement from Sarah Palin and the expectation that he would join …

John Roberts To Join Fox News Channel  —  Former CNN “American Morning” anchor John Roberts is expected to join FOX News Channel as a senior national correspondent, based in Atlanta.  —  He will be reporting on major domestic and international stories for the network.  —  Update: FNC has made it official.

Pence for President  —  If confession is good for the soul, let me pour out my soul for you.  As I stood at the beginning of 2008, I find myself in the same position here as we now begin the very real discussions of who should be the candidate for the GOP in 2012.