Barack Obama sends bust of Winston Churchill on its way back to Britain  —  Barack Obama has sent Sir Winston Churchill packing and pulse rates soaring among anxious British diplomats.  —  A bust of the former prime minister once voted the greatest Briton in history, which was loaned …

A Torture Report Could Spell Big Trouble For Bush Lawyers  —  From the magazine issue dated Feb 23, 2009  —  An internal Justice Department report on the conduct of senior lawyers who approved waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics is causing anxiety among former Bush administration officials.

Gingrich's obstructionism becomes role model for House GOP.»  —  In 1993, former Speaker Newt Gingrich notoriously whipped the House GOP into opposing President Clinton's major initiatives, ranging from the budget to health care reform.  The New York Times reports that Gingrich …

Obama's Denver signing; ‘Good as any’  —  President Barack Obama will fly to Denver, the place where he accepted the Democratic Party's nomination last summer, to sign the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” into law on Tuesday.  —  It's “as good” a place “as any” …

Burris confirms request for Blagojevich donation  —  SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Raising fresh questions about his appointment to Congress, Sen. Roland Burris admitted in a document released Saturday that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother asked him for campaign fundraising help before the governor named Burris as Illinois' junior senator.

WHAT'S THE RUSH?  —  ‘URGENT’ $TIMULUS ON HOLD FOR BAM'S WEEKEND OFF  —  After pushing Congress for weeks to hurry up and pass the massive $787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama promptly took off for a three-day holiday getaway.  —  Obama arrived at his home in Chicago on Friday …

Israel's Step Backward  —  How the Obama administration should react to the rightward swing in last week's election  —  ISRAEL'S ELECTION last week propelled the country back in time to a political era when the parliament was sharply divided between parties that favored or opposed a two-state settlement with Palestinians.

TIME TO REFORM THE FILIBUSTER.... One of the striking aspects of the political process on the Hill is how quickly everyone has adapted to a once-rare tactic becoming routine.  Senate filibusters used to be exceedingly rare — a dramatic challenge only to be used under extraordinary circumstances.

'Lieberman weakens Israel's cause in US'  —  Former administration officials and American Jewish leaders are warning that the rise of Avigdor Lieberman could hurt Israel's image in the US, particularly if he is given a top portfolio or his positions on Israeli Arabs become government policy.

Obama's To Do List  —  Everyone has a to-do list around the house.  —  In an interview Friday afternoon on Air Force One en route to Chicago, President Obama shared his with a small group of columnists.  —  Now that Congress has approved his economic recovery plan, he was asked, what's his plan for the rest of 2009?

Rise in Jobless Poses Threat to Stability Worldwide  —  PARIS — From lawyers in Paris to factory workers in China and bodyguards in Colombia, the ranks of the jobless are swelling rapidly across the globe.  —  Worldwide job losses from the recession that started in the United States …