Lieberman won't run again  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman is retiring from the Senate in 2012, closing out a two-decade career that saw him rise to the Democratic presidential ticket only to be dismissed by his own state party a few years later over his support for the war in Iraq.

Toward a 21st-Century Regulatory System  —  If the FDA deems saccharin safe enough for coffee, then the EPA should not treat it as hazardous waste.  —  For two centuries, America's free market has not only been the source of dazzling ideas and path-breaking products, it has also been the greatest force …

Palin Holds High Ground Over Harsh and Unfair Critics  —  As I see it, in the current battle for public opinion Sarah Palin has defeated her harsh and unfair critics.  —  After the January 8 shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the murder of six others in Tucson, Arizona …

Palin shoots herself in the foot  —  Sarah Palin might have really squandered an opportunity to improve her image last week.  —  Despite endless discussion in the wake of the Arizona shootings about whether Palin might bear any responsibility for fostering an atmosphere conducive to such an attack …

FBI: Bomb found on MLK march route  —  Device ‘was very lethal,’ agent says, but it was neutralized  —  Below:  —  NBC News and msnbc.com  —  updated less than 1 minute ago  —  SPOKANE, Wash. — A suspicious backpack discovered along the route of the Martin Luther King Jr. march …

The vindication of Dick Cheney  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  In the early months of Obama's presidency, the American Right did to him what they do to every Democratic politician: they accused him of being soft on defense (specifically “soft on Terror") and leaving the nation weak and vulnerable to attack.

Why Does Roger Ailes Hate America?  —  An exclusive and unbiased investigation into the highly paid operative of a foreign-born tycoon, a man who reengineered political and media culture and fomented a revolt that threatens the very stability of our country  —  Today, here at Esquire …

Government finds up to half of Americans under 65 have preexisting conditions  —  As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government's first attempt to quantify the number of people …

Bill Frist: Health Care Is ‘Law Of The Land,’ GOP Should Drop Repeal And Build On It … WASHINGTON — As congressional Republicans ready themselves for a largely symbolic effort to repeal President Obama's health care reform law, at least one former GOP leader is urging them to drop the charade and build on the legislation instead.

Gov.-elect Robert Bentley intends to be governor over all, but says only Christians are his ‘brothers and sisters’  —  MONTGOMERY — Gov.-elect Robert Bentley in a speech at a Baptist church this afternoon said he plans to be the governor of all Alabamians and be color-blind …

Media Reality Check: By 8-to-1 Margin, Networks Target Conservative Speech after Tucson Shooting  —  Almost immediately after the shooting in Tucson that killed six people and left Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords severely wounded, the media establishment linked the attack with a debate about …

Sargent Shriver, Peace Corps Founder and VP Candidate, Dies  —  Shriver, 95, Ran on McGovern Ticket in 1972, Founded Peace Corps, Special Olympics  —  Former Democratic vice presidential candidate and Peace Corps founder Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. died today at age 95, family sources told ABC News.

Comcast-NBC Deal Wins Federal Approval  —  Updated The proposed combination of Comcast and NBC Universal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department on Tuesday, smoothing the way for the deal to close by the end of January.  —  As expected, the approvals came with significant conditions attached.

U.S. Appeals Ruling Striking Down Obama's Health Law  —  Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. asked a federal appeals court to overturn a Virginia judge's ruling that the Obama administration's health-care overhaul is unconstitutional because it requires some Americans to buy insurance.

Report: Pakistani spy agency rushed Mullah Omar to hospital  —  Mullah Omar, the elusive, one-eyed leader of the Afghan Taliban, had a heart attack Jan. 7 and was treated for several days in a Karachi hospital with the help of Pakistan's spy agency, according to a private intelligence network run …

Venerable Lefties at Harper's Divided by Union  —  James “Rick” MacArthur  —  Harper's, one of the last bastions of old-line liberalism and a lonely defender of a certain idea of what literary culture should be, has long been supported by the largesse of its owner and patron, John “Rick” …