Private Sector Improves Jobs Picture Only Moderately  —  The United States economy ended the year by adding 103,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department said Friday, a number that missed expectations.  In addition, the unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent last month from 9.8 percent.

In U.S., 46% Favor, 40% Oppose Repealing Healthcare Law  —  Three-quarters of Republicans favor repeal; 64% of Democrats oppose it  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans do not strongly endorse the new Republican House majority's efforts to repeal the landmark healthcare legislation passed last year.

Rudy gearing up for DC run  —  Confident that he'd have a chance to win, Rudy Giuliani is rounding up his top political advisers for a possible 2012 presidential run, sources tell Page Six.  —  Sources say the tough-talking former mayor “thinks the Republican race will be populated …

Obama mouthpiece Robert Gibbs was forced out by new henchman William Daley  —  I wondered yesterday whether Robert Gibbs jumped or was pushed and noted that President Barack Obama's words indicated that it was “not an entirely voluntary departure”.  —  It's being reported by John King …

The Texas Omen  —  These are tough times for state governments.  Huge deficits loom almost everywhere, from California to New York, from New Jersey to Texas.  —  Wait — Texas?  Wasn't Texas supposed to be thriving even as the rest of America suffered?  Didn't its governor declare …

Parts of the Constitution inadvertently skipped in ‘historic reading’ on floor  —  The U.S. Constitution has still never been read in its entirety and in order on the House floor.  —  During Thursday morning's “historic reading,” one member apparently skipped Article 4 Section 4 and part …

MA Supreme Court Deals Banks a Major Blow on Foreclosure Fraud, in the Ibanez Case  —  In a major ruling in the Massachusetts Supreme Court today, US Bank and Wells Fargo lost the “Ibanez case,” meaning that they don't have standing to foreclose due to improper mortgage assignment.

To House GOP, illegal immigration is a jobs issue  —  With Republicans now in control of the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Eric Holder and other Justice Department officials are going to be answering a lot of questions in the next two years.  “We're going to start fast,” …

Two Members Appear to Break Rules on First Day of New Congress  —  Two House Republican members, Reps. Mike Fitzpatrick and Pete Sessions, missed their swearing in on Wednesday as they attended a fundraiser in Fitzpatrick's honor at the U.S. Capitol.  These two not-quite-yet Congressmen …

Pawlenty: Sarah Palin Is a ‘Force of Nature’  —  Although former Gov. Tim Pawlenty no longer holds the executive seat in Minnesota, that doesn't mean he is hanging up his political hat for good.

U.S. Sends Warning to People Named in Cable Leaks  —  WASHINGTON — The State Department is warning hundreds of human rights activists, foreign government officials and businesspeople identified in leaked diplomatic cables of potential threats to their safety and has moved a handful …

Constitutionalism  —  For decades, Democrats and Republicans fought over who owns the American flag.  Now they're fighting over who owns the Constitution.  —  The flag debates began during the Vietnam era when leftist radicals made the fatal error of burning it.

Junior Senate Dems want chairmen to face election by secret ballot  —  Senate Democrats elected in 2006 and 2008 are challenging the internal caucus procedures that have allowed veteran lawmakers to lock up committee chairmanships for years on end.  —  A group of junior Democratic senators …

Too Many Ph.D.'s and Professionals?  —  In two blogs in this space (here and here) that stirred up some interest (80 comments), I presented evidence that a large portion of those receiving bachelor's degrees at American colleges and universities these days are getting jobs requiring less-than-college-level educational skills.