Surprise!  Palin likes Obama's Nobel speech  —  Sarah Palin and President Obama don't agree on much, but last year's Republican vice presidential nominee just gave the president's defense of “just wars” a thumbs up in an interview with USA TODAY.  In fact, she said that the president's address in Oslo …

Lieberman: Even Unpullable Trigger Is An ‘Irritant’ That I Will Filibuster  —  Since the details of a looming public option compromise have begun to leak out, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has reiterated his opposition to a triggered public option—which is reportedly part of a new health care agreement.

‘Editor & Publisher’ to Cease Publication After 125 Years  —  NEW YORK Editor & Publisher, the bible of the newspaper industry and a journalism institution that traces its origins back to 1884, is ceasing publication.  —  An announcement, made by parent company The Nielsen Co. …

Poll: GOP erases popularity gap in Congress  —  Washington (CNN) — Eleven months before crucial midterm elections, a national poll indicates that the public is divided over whether the country would be better off with Democrats or Republicans controlling Congress.

Exclusive Interview: Andrew Breitbart Announces Launch of New “Big” Sites  —  When Andrew Breitbart launched Big Government in September, we asked if he was gearing up to be the next Arianna Huffington: An opinion blog rainmaker with a one-stop digital powerhouse, but presented from the opposite end of the political spectrum.

Putting the Plodding Moralism Back In  —  Chris Mooney has a smart post on the vicious—and viciously effective—comeback campaign that's been mounted by climate change deniers.  I highly recommend it, but his claim that deniers “didn't need good science to make another sally …

DeMint: Republican leaders have ‘gone to the left’  —  Conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Wednesday called out the leadership of the Republican Party for straying too far from conservative principles.  —  DeMint, in an interview with the Christian Broadcast Network …

Cook Political Report's dire forecast for Dodd  —  The Cook Political Report's Senate race analyst Jennifer Duffy doesn't think much of Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) re-election prospects, in her latest update on the Connecticut Senate race.  —  And she's moving the race rating to “Lean Republican” …

Sarah Palin: Al Gore wrong to call me ‘denier’  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hit back at former Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday for calling her a global warming “denier.”  —  Speaking to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday, Gore criticized an op-ed Palin wrote for the Washington Post calling …

Steny Hoyer explains how Newt Gingrich broke Congress  —  On Monday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer delivered a startling speech on the obstructionism of minority Republicans and the dangers that poses to Congress and the country.  It's not common for politicians to address structural problem directly, or at length.

In Shift, Oren Calls J Street ‘A Unique Problem’ … Published December 09, 2009, issue of December 18, 2009.  —  Breaking with his previous restraint, Israel's ambassador to the United States delivered an unprecedented blast against J Street, the new dovish Israel lobby that has made waves …

In trouble, White House searches for a billionaire to blame  —  In 1998, when the Clinton White House found itself in the middle of the Lewinsky scandal, one of its key defense strategies was to attack the conservative philanthropist Richard Mellon Scaife as the dark power behind the allegations against the president.

Unemployment plan would change rules on bank bailouts  —  TARP limits may be lifted White House aims to get cash to small businesses  —  The Obama administration is developing a major initiative to tackle the economic and political problem of unemployment by getting federal bailout funds into the hands of small businesses.

Police Shoot and Kill Man Outside Hotel in Times Square  —  A plainclothes police sergeant fatally shot a 25-year-old man Thursday morning outside the parking garage of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square following a crackdown on street vendors who were using counterfeit CDs to intimidate tourists, the authorities said.

Why the Personal Mandate to Buy Health Insurance Is Unprecedented and Unconstitutional … This statement from a 1994 Congressional Budget Office Memorandum remains true today.  Yet, all of the leading House and Senate health-care reform bills being debated in Congress require Americans …

The jobs deficit  —  It was truly amazing the way last week's employment report was hailed by many people as a sign that our troubles are over.  Here we are, having suffered huge job losses, and needing to make up the lost ground — and a report showing that we're still losing jobs, but not as fast, is grounds for celebration?

A Sneak Peek At Tomorrow's Insider Polls  —  This week's National Journal polls Congressional and political insiders on their favorite members of Congress, the member they'd like most to shut up, the brightest thinkers and strategists in their parties and much more.  —  And Hotline OnCall is giving everyone a sneak preview.

Republicans Now Arguing Senate Bill Is Not Long Enough: '2,074 Pages Isn't Nearly Enough To Cover Health Care For America'  —  Since Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) unveiled the merged Senate bill, Republican Senators argued that the legislation was too long.  “It's a massive increase in government …

US strike kills 4 al Qaeda, 2 Taliban in South Waziristan  —  The US has conducted the first unmanned airstrike in the lawless tribal agency of South Waziristan since the Pakistani Army launched an offensive there in mid-October.  —  The strike, carried out by unmanned Predator or Reaper attack aircraft …

Defense Dept. in contempt of court for failing to videotape detainee testimony  —  A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Defense Department was in contempt of court for failing to videotape the testimony of a Guantanamo Bay detainee who is challenging his detention in court.

Goldman Sachs Alters Its Bonus Policy to Quell Uproar  —  Moving to quell the uproar over the return of big paydays on Wall Street, Goldman Sachs announced on Thursday that its top executives would forgo cash bonuses this year and that it would give shareholders a say in determining compensation.

Writing Is On Wall: Pelosi Softens On Public Option  —  In yet another sign that the writing is on the wall for the public option, Nancy Pelosi repeatedly refused to say today that a bill without one could not pass the House, backing away from a marker she'd laid down in the past.

Send Us Your Tired, Your Poor, But Only if They're ‘Culturally Unique’  —  Immigration Caseworker AA0089 Has Some Thoughts About What Is Art  —  LOS ANGELES — When Jordan Peimer booked an Argentine band that fuses Jewish Klezmer music with tango, he thought he had the perfect act to headline his “Fiesta Hanukkah” concert.

Tea Party activists to ‘storm Senate offices’ and ‘stay there until they force us to leave.’  —  Tea Party Patriots — the right-wing organizers controlled by FreedomWorks — sent an urgent call to action today, asking supporters to come to Washington December 15th to “storm Senate offices” …

FAA Promotes New Air-Traffic Approach  —  Seeking to accelerate the rollout of new air-traffic control technology, the top U.S. aviation regulator predicted that a satellite-based system designed to allow aircraft to fly shorter, more direct routes would largely pay for itself in fuel savings in just a few years.