Rahm Emanuel booted off ballot in 2-1 Appellate Court decision  —  Rahm Emanuel was thrown off the ballot for mayor of Chicago today by an appellate court panel, a stunning blow to the fund-raising leader in the race.  —  An appellate panel ruled 2-1 that Emanuel did not meet the residency standard to run for mayor.

Obama won't endorse raising retirement age or reducing Social Security benefits  —  President Obama has decided not to endorse his deficit commission's recommendation to raise the retirement age, and otherwise reduce Social Security benefits, in Tuesday's State of the Union address …

Domodedovo blast: Explosion rocks Moscow's main airport  —  Moscow's Domodedovo airport - the busiest in the Russian capital - has been rocked by an explosion that has reportedly killed 31 people.  —  More than 100 more are thought to have been injured in the blast, which reports suggest may have been the work of a suicide bomber.

Senator Rubio Questions Need for the Senate Tea Party Caucus (VIDEO)  —  During my recent interview with Senator Marco Rubio, he addressed the growing speculation concerning whether or not he would join the newly formed Senate Tea Party Caucus.  Many of Rubio's supporters and Tea Party leaders …

The people who will really decide whether health-care reform succeeds or fails  —  The New Yorker isn't allowing Atul Gawande's latest article out from behind the paywall, but you can read the abstract here.  The basic point is well worth keeping in mind amid all the arguments over the Affordable Care Act …

Reagan saw that ‘we are all patriots’  —  Ronald Wilson Reagan was a believer.  As a husband, a father, an entertainer, a governor and a president, he recognized that each of us has the power — as individuals and as a nation — to shape our own destiny.  He had faith in the American promise …

Report: George W. Bush aides violated Hatch Act  —  During the 2006 midterm elections, White House political aides to President George W. Bush engaged in widespread violations of a federal law which limits partisan political activity by government employees, a long-running federal investigation has found.

CNN's Erick Erickson Suggests “Mass Bloodshed” May Be Necessary If Roe Isn't Overturned  —  CNN's Erick Erickson is also Editor-in-Chief and “Dear Leader” of the conservative blog Red State, so this charming passage posted by “The Directors” is presumably his doing:

The West Wing, Season II  —  Almost overnight, Barack Obama overhauled his White House and rewrote much of the script.  Now all he needs is a happy ending.  —  David Axelrod awoke at three in the morning and checked his BlackBerry.  It was January 12, a few hours before Barack Obama …

Top Senate Budget Republican not ruling out government shutdown  —  Washington (CNN) - Most Republicans demanding to slash federal spending won't entertain the idea of taking a possible standoff with President Obama so far that the government shuts down.  —  But the top Republican …

Rendell to MSNBC, declares Casey “unassailable”  —  One of the country's most plain-spoken, media-friendly politicians is about to get paid for his punditry.  —  Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is close to signing a deal with MSNBC to become a regular political contributor for the 2012 campaign cycle, POLITICO has learned.

19 days in, GOP leadership takes credit for job growth  —  It took less than three weeks for the new Republican Congressional leadership to claim credit for an apparent economic upturn.  —  An aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Brian Patrick, emailed reporters this morning:

Please Don't Be Offended  —  I might be the last person to notice this, but I still sort of wonder what it says about us.  I was over at Dave Weigel's place a few minutes ago, and he linked to a Twitter post by Jim Geraghty, who I don't happen to follow.  When I clicked the link, it included the following message:

Three SEIU Locals—Including Chicago Chapter—Waived From Obamacare Requirement  —  (CNSNews.com) - Three local chapters of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose political action committee spent $27 million supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election …

Bachmann: America Was Founded On Diversity (VIDEO)  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) had an interesting take this weekend on America's first European settlers, who she said “had different cultures, different backgrounds, different traditions.”  —  “How unique in all of the world …

Olbermann Split Came After Years of Tension  —  MSNBC never had any doubt about what it was getting when it made Keith Olbermann the face of the network in 2003: a highly talented broadcaster, a distinctive and outspoken voice and a mercurial personality with a track record of attacking his superiors and making early exits.

George Allen's Problem  —  Today, former Senator George Allen is expected to announce his intention to run against the man who beat him six years ago — Jim Webb.  Of course it remains uncertain whether Webb will even run again.  —  I have met George Allen a number of times, like him tremendously …

Kerry: Obama to embrace ‘major initiatives’ on climate in SOTU  —  President Obama is likely to announce “major initiatives” on energy and climate change in his State of the Union address, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said Monday.  —  Kerry, the informal leader of the Senate effort to pass legislation …

Mortgage Giants Leave Legal Bills to the Taxpayers  —  Since the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taxpayers have spent more than $160 million defending the mortgage finance companies and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud.