Internal Battles Divided McCain and Palin Camps  —  PHOENIX — As a top adviser in Senator John McCain's now-imploded campaign tells the story, it was bad enough that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska unwittingly scheduled, and then took, a prank telephone call from a Canadian comedian posing as the president of France.

Dems lower expectations  —  Democratic leaders are tamping down on expectations for rapid change and trying to signal they will place a calm hand on the nation's tiller.  —  “The country must be governed from the middle,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday.

Obama Turns to Building Leadership Team  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama offered the key post of White House chief of staff to Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the first step in building a team that is expected to take shape in coming days.  —  The quick transition from campaign …

How the President-Elect Did It  —  The new voters changed the game.  —  Intense and gripping, the 2008 election was also historic.  The son of a Kenyan immigrant and an American mother has risen to the presidency of history's most powerful nation.  Who was not moved by the sight …

Exclusive: Gibbs will be WH press secretary  —  Robert Gibbs, a top aide to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on his campaign and in his Senate office, will be named the White House press secretary, a top Democratic official said.  —  Gibbs was usually the senior official on Air Obama, the campaign plane.

‘Impeach Obama’ groups pop up on Facebook … Barack Obama has not even been sworn in yet as the 44th president of the United States but groups are springing up online calling for his impeachment.  —  On Facebook, an “Impeach Barack Obama” group has attracted more than 700 members …

Putin may return to Kremlin in '09: report  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev could resign from his post in 2009 to pave the way for Vladimir Putin to return to the Kremlin, Vedomosti newspaper reported on Thursday, citing an unidentified source close to the Kremlin.

Exit poll: Black voters back Calif. marriage ban  —  California's black and Latino voters, who turned out in droves for Barack Obama, provided key support for a state ban on same-sex marriage.  Christian, married and older voters also helped give the measure the winning edge, according to exit polls for The Associated Press.

Novak: 3 Million Vote Margin = Mandate For Bush; 7 Million For Obama = No Mandate  —  Despite resounding progressive victories last night, conservative pundits continue to repeat the myth of a conservative country.  Right-wing pundit Robert Novak climbed aboard the bandwagon …

The Straight-Ticket Youth Vote  —  As a sidenote to Obama's 66-32 blowout among 18-29 voters, check out how these same voters voted for the House.  Not much different: 63-34.  —  So, in casting an identity politics vote for Barack Obama, a hip young (by political standards) African American …

We Need Sustainable Capitalism  —  Nature does not do bailouts.  —  When greeting old friends after a period of absence, Ralph Waldo Emerson used to ask: “What has become clear to you since we last met?”  —  What is clear to us and many others is that market capitalism has arrived at a critical juncture.