Palin: ‘I am not going to shut up’  —  (CNN) - In her first interview since the Arizona shootings, Sarah Palin Monday sharply beat back critics who have suggested her at-times charged political rhetoric and use of a graphic featuring crosshairs may have contributed to the shooter's motivations.

Cheney: Obama has learned that Bush policies were right  —  President Obama has “learned from experience” that some of the Bush administration's decisions on terrorism issues were necessary, according to former Vice President Dick Cheney.  —  In his first interview since undergoing major heart surgery …

Arizona statute could endanger Gabrielle Giffords's hold on seat  —  TUCSON - Even as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords shows signs of a near-miraculous recovery, with doctors on Sunday upgrading her condition from critical to serious, a little-known statutory provision in Arizona state law could endanger …

Shooting victim apologizes for ‘misplaced outrage’ at Tea Party leader  —  Tucson, Arizona (CNN) — Arizona shooting victim James Eric Fuller sent his apologies Monday for telling a Tea Party leader, “you are dead.”  —  Dorothy DeRuyter, a companion of Fuller's, provided CNN with a statement.

Obama Approval Rises, But Hazards Remain  —  Obama's Job Approval Has Matched his Highest in More Than a Year  —  Aided by his response to the Tucson shootings, popular lame-duck legislation and a hint of economic relief, Barack Obama has matched his highest job approval rating in more than a year …

A left-wing blog plays the race card  —  Last week The Post ran an article describing efforts in Wake County, N.C. to end a school desegregation plan.  The article explained that while Democratic and Republican school boards had supported different variations of school integration, parents became fed up:

DON'T LOOK BACK  —  Darrell Issa, the congressman about to make life more difficult for President Obama, has had some troubles of his own.  —  Issa, the new chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is seen as a future leader of his party.

A Roadmap Not Taken?  —  Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the GOP's high priest of pecuniary politics, has ascended to the chairmanship of the House Budget Committee.  Across the land, fiscal conservatives applaud the rise of the 40-year-old wonk.  But the cheers in Congress are more sporadic …

Lugar pushes to renew assault weapons ban  —  Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) this weekend called on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.  —  Lugar is the first GOP senator to call for increased gun control following the Tucson tragedy that killed six people and wounded 13 others …

Caligula's tomb raider arrested  —  Police arrest tomb raider loading part of 2.5 metre statue into lorry near Lake Nemi, south of Rome, where Caligula had a villa  —  The lost tomb of Caligula has been found, according to Italian police, after the arrest of a man trying to smuggle abroad …

Chris Matthews Slams ‘Older White People’ for Still Having a ‘Problem’ With Obama  —  Appearing on MSNBC, Monday, to promote his new special on Barack Obama, Chris Matthews attacked “older white people” for still holding bigoted feelings against the first African American President.

Police Officers Committing Perjury in Testimony About Consent Searches?  —  Last week, a Florida appellate court handed down a fascinating decision affirming the denial of a suppression motion while making clear the court's strong suspicion that the officers' testimony was false.  The case is Ruiz v. State.

Macon Bacon  —  This about ErickErickErickErickson just showed up in my email from the excellently named David Davidson (I kid you not): … I can see why there is no hurry to get his replacement in place.  It's not like he was showing up for work anyway:

MLK Day proposal: Give the race card a rest  —  That didn't last long.  —  After exhorting the nation to steer away from discourse that “has become so sharply polarized,” President Obama and his administration will mark Martin Luther King Day by framing Obamacare as a “civil rights victory” …

Ricky Gervais Gives Hollywood a Taste of Their Own Sucker Punch-Medicine  —  Dare I say, God bless Ricky Gervais?  —  How many times have those of us in Middle America gotten all settled in for an expected evening of relaxing entertainment, be it at the movies, in front of the television …

Scenes From a Marriage  —  In every twisted, wretched, ruinous relationship, there are moments so grim, flare-ups so appalling, that they offer both parties a chance to step back, take inventory, and realize that it's time — far past time, in fact — to go their separate ways.

Goldman to Offer Facebook Shares Only to Non-U.S. Clients  —  Goldman Sachs Group Inc. decided to exclude U.S. clients from the private offering of as much as $1.5 billion in shares of social-networking company Facebook Inc., citing “intense media attention.”