Obama Backs Deal Based on 1967 Lines  —  WASHINGTON — Seeking to harness the seismic political change still unfolding in the Arab world, President Obama for the first time on Thursday publicly called for a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would create a non-militarized Palestinian state …

A Favorite Emerges for Helm of I.M.F.  —  PARIS — The French finance minister, Christine Lagarde, was on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos this January when her usual smile turned into a frown.  Next to her, Robert E. Diamond Jr., chief executive of Barclays and one of the most powerful bankers …

The Lawfulness of the U.S. Operation Against Osama bin Laden  —  [Harold Hongju Koh is the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State.]  —  I write in response to those who have raised questions regarding the lawfulness of the recent United States operation against Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Nancy Pelosi: 'We have a plan.  It's called Medicare.'  —  “It is a flag we've planted that we will protect and defend.  We have a plan.  It's called Medicare.”  —  That's from Nancy Pelosi, who called me from Wisconsin, where she's holding events today defending Medicare in Paul Ryan's back yard.

Why the Senate should reject Goodwin Liu  —  Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding the nomination of Goodwin Liu to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals:  —  Over the past two years, our nation has been engaged …

Stephen Colbert's Free Speech Problem  —  The comedian runs up against campaign-finance law in an attempt to lampoon the Supreme Court.  —  Comedy Central funnyman Stephen Colbert, like most of his friends and allies on the left, thinks that last year's Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC is, literally, ridiculous.

Romney, Daniels feel ‘death hug’ on their healthcare records  —  President Obama and his liberal allies tried to kill some of the Republicans' top presidential candidates with kindness on Thursday.  —  The president had fun at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) …

Plouffe, second from left, is looking for new ways to pierce the media clutter  —  DOUG MILLS / NEW YORK TIMES / REDUX  —  When Barack Obama traveled to Texas this month to talk immigration, David Plouffe, his top message guru, decided to stay home and watch Twitter instead.

Husband in Space, Giffords Undergoes Surgery to Repair Skull  —  HOUSTON — Gabrielle Giffords, the congresswoman who was shot in the head in Tucson in January, was resting in an intensive care unit on Thursday morning after undergoing surgery to restore a large piece of her cranium …

Senator McConnell leaves House Republican budget twisting in the wind  —  Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is leaving Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget plan to its own fate in the Senate by not whipping his GOP colleagues on the vote.  —  Republican senators say McConnell …

Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books  —  Kindle with Special Offers for only $114 is already the bestselling member of the Kindle family  —  (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Amazon began selling hardcover and paperback books in July 1995.  Twelve years later in November 2007 …

The Debt Ceiling Fiasco  —  Fights over the budget are normal and proper in a democracy.  But threatening to default could have dire consequences for the dollar, interest rates and the economy.  —  The debt ceiling “crisis” started on Monday when the U.S. government reached the legal limit …

Rogue tweet by Secret Service!  —  How embarrassing, Secret Service!  (Gawker image)  —  Courtesy  —  Oh, the dangers of social media!  Those instant, regrettable outbursts of unvarnished truth and scantily clad photos.  Today's victim: the Secret Service!

Botox Mom: I MADE IT ALL UP FOR MONEY!  —  The woman who went on “Good Morning America,” claiming she injected her 8-year-old daughter with Botox, now swears under oath ... she made the entire story up for a few hundred bucks.  —  TMZ has obtained a sworn declaration written by Sheena Upton …

Mr. Nice Guy  —  It was after 8 p.m. at the public library in the quiet town of Adel, Iowa, and staffers were folding up the metal chairs.  Tim Pawlenty's question-and-answer session had wrapped up some 30 minutes earlier, but a handful of voters were still here, and therefore so was Pawlenty …

Maria Shriver Hires a Divorce Attorney  —  Maria Shriver, who has split from husband Arnold Schwarzenegger amid a love-child scandal, has hired a divorce lawyer, sources tell PEOPLE.  —  Prominent Los Angeles family law attorney Laura Wasser is now representing California's former first lady, according to sources close to Shriver.

What Bachmann is thinking about as she considers a run for president  —  Michele Bachmann at the 2011 Time 100 Gala ceremony in April.  —  WASHINGTON — As she mulls over a run for the White House, Rep. Michele Bachmann says she is spending time reading books about presidential campaigns …

GOP isn't buying Barack Obama's debt limit pitch  —  In Richmond, Cantor took the same tack as Nunes in an interview with several reporters following his job summit.  —  “The markets are looking to see credible progress on changing the fiscal trajectory in Washington.

CNN adds January debate to presidential schedule  —  CNN has added another debate to the 2012 presidential schedule.  —  The cable news network and the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) will host a Republican presidential town-hall debate in Charleston, S.C., on Jan. 19, 2012, the network announced Thursday.

Willie Nelson Changes His Tune  —  The Teapot Party began two days after Willie Nelson was arrested for marijuana possession in Texas on Nov. 28.  He sent me an email suggesting the need for an alternative to the Tea Party - the “Teapot” Party.  I started the Facebook page and and within 48 hours …