Suit contesting Barack Obama's citizenship heads to U.S. Supreme Court Friday  —  Justices will decide whether to consider the case  —  The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Friday whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship …

GG agrees to suspend Parliament until January  —  Decision gives Tories reprieve, prevents opposition from toppling government on Monday  —  Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean has granted a request from Stephen Harper to suspend Parliament until late next month, the prime minister announced on Thursday …

Matthews advised to quit MSNBC  —  Chris Matthews is dead serious about running for the Senate in Pennsylvania - and shopping for a house in the state and privately discussing quitting MSNBC as proof of his intense interest, according to NBC colleagues, political operatives and friends.

Bushes confirm purchase of Dallas home in Preston Hollow  —  tgillman@dallasnews.com; rbush@dallasnews.com  —  The White House confirmed Thursday that the Bushes have purchased a house in Dallas' Preston Hollow neighborhood for the couple to live in after his presidency ends in January.

WHAT IS LIFE WORTH?  —  What is six months of your life worth?  And don't say priceless.  It's not priceless.  Not if you're not paying.  So let's sharpen the question: What should six months of your life be worth to your insurer, be that insurer the government or Aetna?

Looking for the Ideal Spot to Make a Speech  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama's aides say he is considering making a major foreign policy speech from an Islamic capital during his first 100 days in office.  —  So where should he do it?  The list of Islamic world capitals is long …

WARREN ENDORSES HANNITY'S WARMONGERING.... Pastor Rick Warren has a reputation for being far more stable and grounded than religious right leaders and TV preachers like Pat Robertson, but it's worth remembering that he's not exactly a moderate.  —  Last night, on Fox News …

Worries about next year  —  I've been ruminating over economic prospects for next year, and I'm getting scared.  —  Two points:  —  1. The economy is falling fast.  We'll see what tomorrow's employment report says, but we could well be losing jobs at a rate of 450,000 or 500,000 a month.

CNN Cuts Entire Science, Tech Team  —  Despite network's intention to launch wire service, compete with the AP  —  CNN, the Cable News Network, announced yesterday that it will cut its entire science, technology, and environment news staff, including Miles O'Brien, its chief technology …

RNC chair discloses comeback plan  —  Sen. Saxby Chambliss' reelection this week was a tremendous victory for the people of Georgia.  Voters went to the polls on Tuesday and selected a strong leader prepared to deal with both the domestic and the foreign challenges our nation faces in the months and years to come.

Back on Capitol Hill, Auto Executives Still Find Skeptics  —  WASHINGTON — As the Senate banking committee debated a potential rescue package for American automakers, the committee chairman, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, suggested Thursday that it would be difficult for lawmakers …

Alito ribs Biden for plagiarism  —  At a gala dinner hosted by the American Spectator Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. cracked wise at Vice President-elect Joe Biden's expense, raising the Delaware senator's past brushes with academic dishonesty to the delight of his conservative audience.

Barack Obama and the Cult of Competency  —  Barack Obama won the White House last month in large part by running against George W. Bush and tapping into the public perception that his administration has been ineffectual in handling important policy questions.

Why do Feinstein and Wyden sound much different on the torture issue now?  —  [updated below - Update II (w/ statement from Sen. Wyden's office) -  —  Update III]  —  Time constraints prevented me yesterday from writing about Dianne Feinstein's comments concerning torture in yesterday's New York Times …

A bitter brew for Kerry  —  SENATOR John Kerry's fate illustrates the new political order under President-elect Barack Obama: Reward your enemies, not necessarily your friends.  —  Hillary Clinton, Obama's tough primary opponent, became Obama's choice for secretary of state; Kerry, an avid Obama ally, was passed over.

U.S. to Raise ‘Irregular War’ Capabilities  —  The Pentagon this week approved a major policy directive that elevates the military's mission of “irregular warfare” — the increasingly prevalent campaigns to battle insurgents and terrorists, often with foreign partners and sometimes clandestinely …

Hillary and the Constitution  —  Members of the Senate are not above the law.  —  What's a little matter like the Constitution among friends?  That's a question a few legal eagles are asking as they note that Hillary Clinton can't become Secretary of State thanks to something called the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

GM'S MAGICAL THINKING  —  I've been working my way through GM's much-heralded restructuring plan that is being submitted to Congress tomorrow.  It's a lot less work than I thought it might be (though I'm blogging late at night as I'm reading it, so all of my comments are subject to revision).