Issa says Obama administration is ‘one of most corrupt’  —  The Republican congressman who is taking over responsibility for congressional oversight called President Obama's administration “one of the most corrupt administrations” on Sunday and predicted that the investigations he is planning …

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.

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.

DeMint wants ‘big showdown’ with Dems over debt ceiling  —  Republicans should prepare for a “showdown” with President Obama and congressional Democrats over raising the debt ceiling, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said Monday.  —  DeMint, a de-facto leader of Senate conservatives and many Tea Party senators …

Deep Hole Economics  —  If there's one piece of economic wisdom I hope people will grasp this year, it's this: Even though we may finally have stopped digging, we're still near the bottom of a very deep hole.  —  Why do I need to point this out?  Because I've noticed many people overreacting to recent good economic news.

Mossad behind Egypt church blast  —  The explosion at a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, which left 21 people killed and another 80 Muslims and Christians wounded, raises one question: Who was behind the blast?  —  Although, at first glance, the finger is pointed at extremist Wahabi …

The Febraury 2011 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll  —  Americans are numerically at a loss after a trillion.  To balance the budget, most of them would choose to tax the rich.  And as far as memories go, they'd prefer to keep them.  (All of them.)  —  Numbers games this month: What comes after a trillion?

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.

European nations begin seizing private pensions  —  Hungary, Poland, and three other nations take over citizens' pension money to make up government budget shortfalls.  —  People's retirement savings are a convenient source of revenue for governments that don't want to reduce spending or make privatizations.

Garbage pile saves Vangelis (Angelo) Kapatos, 26, who tried to commit suicide in midtown  —  A suicidal man plummeted nine stories and survived in midtown Sunday when he landed on a mountain of trash that had piled up since last week's blizzard, officials said.

Is Charlie Crist a potential VP Pick...for Obama?  —  In spite of assertions made to the contrary by Vice President Joe Biden, speculation continues to swirl around the possibility that President Obama will replace Biden on the 2012 Presidential ticket for someone with less of a propensity …

Female Navy Flier: Videos Taken Out of Context  —  Raunchy Videos Made Aboard the USS Enterprise Could Cost Commander His Job  —  A series of raunchy videos created and distributed aboard an aircraft carrier have been taken out of context, a former female Navy pilot said today.

Freshman Picks Dentist With Sarah Palin Ties as Chief of Staff  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's endorsement helped Rep.-elect Paul Gosar (R) win a seat in Congress, and now he's rewarding the man who introduced the pair with a plum staff position.  —  Gosar, who unseated Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick …

Goldman Invests in Facebook at $50 Billion Valuation  —  Facebook, the popular social networking site, has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, according to people involved in the transaction.

Outlawed, Cellphones Are Thriving in Prisons  —  ATLANTA — A counterfeiter at a Georgia state prison ticks off the remaining days of his three-year sentence on his Facebook page.  He has 91 digital “friends.”  Like many of his fellow inmates, he plays the online games FarmVille and Street Wars.