Did Daley Force Gibbs Out?  —  Toby Harnden at the Telegraph says John King says that Gibbs got the boot because Daley didn't want him around: … I think I was one of the first to report on the pending White House shake-up back on December 9 on MSNBC, and again on FDL on December 20:

Mitch McConnell: William Daley pick a ‘hopeful sign’  —  Senate Minority Mitch McConnell called it a “hopeful sign” that there will soon be someone at the White House who knows how to run more than a “lemonade stand,” hailing President Barack Obama's pick for his new top aide, William Daley.

Buckle Up for Round 2  —  The health care reform law was signed 10 months ago, and what's striking now is how vulnerable it looks.  Several threats have emerged — some of them scarcely discussed before passage — that together or alone could seriously endanger the new system.  These include:

Levi's Vindication: The Self-Exposure Of Sarah Palin  —  As a long-standing Palin hysteric, I have to confess a mite less concern in 2011 than at any time since she has been farcically commanding the attention of the political class.  Not much has changed essentially: Palin's favorable ratings remain roughly where they have been.