Obama Backs Off a Reversal on Secrets  —  SAN FRANCISCO — In a closely watched case involving rendition and torture, a lawyer for the Obama administration seemed to surprise a panel of federal appeals judges on Monday by pressing ahead with an argument for preserving state secrets originally developed by the Bush administration.

At His First Prime-Time News Conference, Obama Is Serious and Expansive  —  In a prime-time debut for the new Oval Office occupant and a press corps often accused of being too enamored of him, President Obama faced journalistic skepticism from the opening question.

Geithner Said to Have Prevailed on the Bailout  —  WASHINGTON— The Obama administration's new plan to bail out the nation's banks was fashioned after a spirited internal debate that pitted the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, against some of the president's top political hands.

Transcript: Obama takes questions on economy  —  (CNN) — President Obama held the first evening press conference of his presidency Monday, with the financial crisis as the main topic.  Before taking questions, he gave a brief speech.  Here is a transcript of the speech and news conference:

Harvard Dean, Chosen as Solicitor General, Goes Before Senators  —  When Harvard Law School hosted a huge dinner a few years ago for the conservative Federalist Society, the school's dean, Elena Kagan, received such long and enthusiastic applause that she felt compelled to hold up her arms in mock protest.

Obama Says Failing to Act Could Lead to a ‘Catastrophe’  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama took his case for his $800 billion economic recovery package to the American people on Monday, as the Senate cleared the way for passage of the bill and the White House prepared for its next major hurdle …

Shuler: Pelosi, Reid have ‘failed’  —  Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C) has further ingratiated himself with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — not — by declaring that Pelosi and Harry Reid “failed” the bipartisanship test on stimulus.  —  “In order for us to get the confidence of America …

There's No Stimulus Free Lunch  —  It's hard to spend wise and spend fast.  —  How much will the stimulus package moving in Congress really stimulate the economy?  —  The evaluations to date have been incomplete, so we looked at the likely stimulative effect from the spending parts …

FACT CHECK: Obama has it both ways on pork  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - At least Route 31 is a road to somewhere.  —  President Barack Obama had it both ways Monday when he promoted his stimulus plan in Indiana.  He bragged about getting Congress to produce a package with no pork …

The Chess Master  —  It was just a week ago that the bad-mouthing of Barack Obama seemed to be reaching a fever pitch.  —  The president was taking heat for the tax problems of Tom Daschle, Timothy Geithner and other appointees and nominees.  Liberal supporters of the president were upset …

Savior holds first fear-mongering press conference  —  The wealth-redistributor-in-chief, his High Holiness, is set to begin his first official prime-time press conference at 8pm Eastern.  —  Will he go all Howard Dean?  —  Will he get snippy?  —  Drinking game buzzwords: “Bipartisan …

Left silent on Social Security, Medicare  —  President Barack Obama plans a busy February.  The new administration hopes to have a stimulus package passed by Congress, a new plan in place to shore up ailing banks and, by month's end, to hold a “fiscal responsibility” summit.

Voters turn out en masse despite forecast of apathy  —  As of 14:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, some 34 percent of the 5.2 million people eligible to vote had cast their ballots at the 9,263 polling stations available nationwide, the Central Elections Committee said.

Schultz gets front row seat  —  What if Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh were up front at Bush's press conferences in the East Room?  —  Well, as network correspondents sat in the second row, liberal radio host Ed Schultz managed to snag a seat up front, right next to Helen Thomas.

Obama: Scaring us straight  —  Barack Obama has a tough act to pull off.  He must simultaneously petrify people and also restore their confidence.  He must scare us to death and calm our fears.  —  He must convince the nation that the times are so dire we must carry out his bold plans immediately …

Bush Faithful Rewarded With Jobs  —  On the Way Out, He Placed Aides and Big-Money GOP Donors  —  Fred F. Fielding, Emmet T. Flood, William A. Burck and Daniel M. Price worked together at the White House under George W. Bush.  Less than two weeks before leaving office …

EXCLUSIVE: FBI Raided Lobbying Firm Connected to Murtha  —  Feds Narrowing In On Companies With Ties To Congressman  —  The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.  —  The FBI searched the Virginia headquarters …

Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan: Betsy McCaughey  —  Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama's stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.  —  Tragically, no one from either party …

Obama Aides Rip Cable News, D.C. Media And Political Elite  —  Here's an interesting dynamic: The yawning gap between what the pundits say about who's winning the stimulus war and what the polls say the public thinks has created an opening for the Obama team to reclaim Obama's campaign outsider mantle …

Suspect leads police on low-speed pursuit in a Bentley, kills self during standoff  —  A businessman of Pakistani origin who led police on a more than three-hour chase in a luxury Bentley sedan shot himself to death early today after more than a dozen police cruisers surrounded …