Anger Over Firm Depletes Obama's Political Capital  —  President Obama's apparent inability to block executive bonuses at insurance giant AIG has dealt a sharp blow to his young administration and is threatening to derail both public and congressional support for his ambitious political agenda.

Obama Team Derides Cheney's Criticisms  —  The Obama administration responded sharply yesterday to former vice president Richard B. Cheney's comments in a weekend interview that the new president “is making some choices that, in my mind, will in fact raise the risk to the American people” of another terrorist attack.

“USEFUL IDIOT” WATCH...  Memo to Meghan McCain: Enjoy the media coverage while it lasts, but know you're being used.  You are the flavor of the month in left-wing media land because you are a Republican bashing the GOP.  Likewise, your dad is most popular among the same people when he is slamming …

Buh-Bye to the P. I.: Couldn't happen to a more liberal paper.  Check that.  It can and it will.  —  Ah, the ironies of web-only news.  My email alert for local news informs me of the death of the dead-tree Post-Intelligencer with this headline: The 146-year-old Seattle Post-Ingelligencer …

Pelosi goes to bat to keep Bay Area papers alive  —  (03-16) 17:38 PDT Washington - —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, worried about the fate of The Chronicle and other financially struggling newspapers, urged the Justice Department Monday to consider giving Bay Area papers more leeway …

Moderate Is Said to Be Pick for Court  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama is expected to name his first candidate to an appeals court seat this week, officials said, choosing David F. Hamilton, a highly regarded federal trial court judge from Indiana, for the appeals court in Chicago.

The American Legion Strongly Opposed to President's Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  Contact: Craig Roberts of The American Legion, +1-202-263-2982 Office, +1-202-406-0887 Cell  —  The leader of the nation's …

Goldman Offers Loans to Stretched Employees  —  Goldman Sachs got its bailout.  Now some of its bankers, those aristocrats of Wall Street, apparently need a bit of a bailout too.  —  Goldman, which accepted billions of taxpayer dollars last fall and, as learned Sunday …

Ron Paul's insane cameo in the upcoming Bruno movie.  —  Note: This article contains spoilers about Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming movie, Bruno.  —  Presidential candidates will do almost anything for publicity.  But Ron Paul's appearance in Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming Bruno movie suggests …

Fear of Reese Witherspoon Look-Alikes on the Pill  —  I was once approving of Ross Douthat as a New York Times oped columnist.  But that was when I was younger.  And easily misled.  —  From Ross Douthat, Privilege, bottom of p. 184: … What squicks me out is (a) that the real turnoff …

Don't Blame Jim Cramer  —  What Jon Stewart needs is Jon Stewart.  He could use a droll comedian to temper his ferocity and correct him when he's wrong, as he was about the financial media, particularly CNBC and its excitable analyst Jim Cramer.  They didn't cover up the story of financial shenanigans.

Majority Receptive to Law Making Union Organizing Easier  —  But most Americans not closely following news about union bill in Congress  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A new Gallup Poll finds just over half of Americans, 53%, favoring a new law that would make it easier for labor unions to organize workers; 39% oppose it.

GOP eyes Bush v. Gore to save Coleman seat  —  A state court could rule any day now on Norm Coleman's challenge to Al Franken's 225-vote lead in Minnesota, but the race may be far from over no matter what the judges say.  —  Top Republicans are encouraging Coleman to be as litigious as possible …