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 …

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.

Taxpayer revolt: Porkulus protest in Seattle, Obama to sign theft act in Denver  —  There should be one of these in every town in America.  What are you doing?  Liberty Belle announces a taxpayer protest against the porkulus tomorrow in Seattle: … If you can get a real pig roast going, all the better!

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 …

Graham on Bipartisanship: 'The Country's Screwed'  — Sen. Graham Open to ‘Nationalizing the Banks’  — Gregg Withdrawal Embarrasses White House  — Obama's $2-3-Trillion Political Gamble  — Stimulus Agreement: $789.5-Billion Price Tag  — Report Card on Obama's First Presidential News Conference

Open Letter to a Craven Reporter in Iraq  —  I'm an independent reporter in Iraq, on assignment for a U.S. magazine (as well as a Huffingtonpost.com blogger).  I've just come off a three-week civilian tour of Anbar Province, living with sheiks and Iraqi civilians, trying to get a feel …

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.

Why Americans Hate the Media  —  In the late 1980s public-television stations aired a talking-heads series called Ethics in America.  For each show more than a dozen prominent citizens sat around a horseshoe-shaped table and tried to answer troubling ethical questions posed by a moderator.

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 …

Pakistan makes sharia law concession  —  Pakistan is to impose Islamic law in a vast region of the north-west called Malakand in an attempt to placate extremists, even as President Asif Zardari warns that they are “trying to take over the state”.  —  Pakistani Taliban militants who are in control …

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 …