Barack Obama takes opportunity Sarah Palin missed  —  In the span of a single news cycle, Republicans got a jarring reminder of two forces that could prevent them from retaking the presidency next year.  —  At sunrise in the east on Wednesday, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she has little interest …

John Boehner turns down Air Force One ride to Tucson  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) turned down an offer by President Barack Obama to travel on Air Force One to Arizona for a memorial service on behalf of the victims of Saturday's shooting, a decision that has upset some Democrats.

White House seeks momentum after speech praised by right, left  —  The White House hopes to build on any momentum created from President Obama's emotional speech in Arizona with the State of the Union address later this month.  —  Obama's speech Wednesday night at a memorial service for victims …

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison won't seek re-election in 2012  —  gjeffers@dallasnews.com  —  Kay Bailey Hutchison will not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate.  —  In a letter to supporters, Hutchison said she enjoyed serving Texas.  —  “I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate …

If Elected President, Pawlenty Tells Fischer He'll Reinstate Don't Ask, Don't Tell  —  There are few Religious Right leaders active today who can compete with the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer in terms of openly hostile bigotry against gays, Muslims, and all those who do not share his radical worldview:

Dems settle on branding for GOP repeal effort: “The Patient's Rights Repeal Act”  —  “The Patient's Rights Repeal Act.”  —  At a House Dem leadership meeting last week, Dem leaders decided that this is the phrase they will officially use to brand the House GOP's push to repeal health reform, aides tell me.

Giffords' Eye Opening News  —  President Obama's dramatic news at last night's memorial service in Tucson that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' has just minutes before opened her left eye for the first time since the shooting has created some confusion in light of news from doctors that Giffords “could open her eyes” on Sunday.

Why the Left Lost It  —  The accusation that the tea parties were linked to the Tucson murders is the product of calculation and genuine belief.  —  There has been a great effort this week to come to grips with the American left's reaction to the Tucson shooting.

S&P, Moody's Warn On U.S. Credit Rating  —  LONDON—Two leading credit rating agencies on Thursday cautioned the U.S. on its credit rating, expressing concern over a deteriorating fiscal situation that they say needs correction.  —  Moody's Investors Service said in a report Thursday …

Romney Locks in Beeson, Newhouse for '12 Bid  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has secured both a pollster and a political director for his near-certain presidential bid this coming cycle, according to sources connected to Romney's 2008 presidential effort.

Don't Try This at Home: Adultery in the Marital Bed  —  THE woman who came to see Ken Altshuler, a divorce lawyer, had reason to be enraged: her husband was not only having an affair, he was also having an extravagant, money's-no-concern, fabled-and-faraway-beaches affair.

House GOP to move quickly on healthcare 1099 tax repeal  —  Republicans signaled Wednesday that repealing a controversial tax provision in the healthcare law is one of their most pressing priorities.  —  House Republicans have re-numbered the bill repealing the tax requirement as H.R. 4 …

A Fifth Star for David Petraeus  —  The general clearly deserves to join the rank held by MacArthur, Marshall and Nimitz.  His promotion would also honor our troops and their mission in the war on terror.  —  On a cold December evening in 1783, at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan …

What the left did wrong  —  Why were the last four days a mini-disaster for the swampland of the left?  It boils down to: facts, response and time.  —  Members of the left pounced first and didn't much care about the facts.  Before it was clear just how crazy Jared Loughner is …

Congressman's wife gets 30 days in jail for tax conviction  —  The wife of Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) was sentenced to 30 days in jail Thursday for helping her brother engage in tax fraud.  —  Patricia Tierney, 59, pleaded guilty in October to four counts of helping her brother …

What violent rhetoric?  Another right-wing nutcase arrested for threatening congressman.  Was O'Reilly the inspiration?  —  Gee, and here I thought that all this talk about violent rhetoric was just a figment of our liberal imaginations:  —  One arrested in threats against Seattle congressman