Car Dealer in Chief  —  Some companies are in the steel business, some are in the cookie business, but General Motors is in the restructuring business.  For 30 years, G.M. has been restructuring itself toward long-term viability.  —  For all these years, G.M.'s market share has endured a long, steady slide.

Most Americans Don't Blame Obama for Economy, Poll Finds  —  The number of Americans who believe that the nation is headed in the right direction has roughly tripled since Barack Obama's election, and the public overwhelmingly blames the excesses of the financial industry, rather than the new president …

Bashing J Street  —  Follow the Jewish Week on Twitter!  Click here to start.  And we're on Facebook; become a fan today.  —  What is about J Street, the pro-peace process lobby and political action committee, that has the leaders of major Jewish groups in such a snit?

Financial Rescue Approaches GDP as U.S. Pledges $12.8 Trillion  —  The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or guaranteed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year, to stem the longest recession since the 1930s.

NANNY STATE: GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO WARN OF SADNESS/CRYING OVER ECONOMY  —  The U.S. government is set to offer an online emotional rescue kit!  —  “Getting Through Tough Economic Times” will launch Tuesday with a media push across all platforms.  —  The site is meant to help people identify …

Just say no to F-Bombs  —  As in, using the word “fascist” to apply to the current, or indeed previous, administration.  David Henderson writes: … How is this helpful?  Has clarifying the distinction between fascism and socialism really added to most peoples' understanding of what the Obama administration is doing?

Ex-Commerce Nominee Now Top Budget Critic  —  Standing beside President Obama at the White House as he accepted the nomination to be commerce secretary two months ago, Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H), a stalwart Republican about to join a Democratic administration, said: “This is not a time when we should stand …

For U.S. and Carmakers, a Path Strewn With Pitfalls  —  As an assertion of government control over a huge swath of the industrial landscape, President Obama's decision to reshape the automobile industry has few precedents.  —  In essentially taking command of General Motors and telling Chrysler …

Afghan leader accused of bid to ‘legalise rape’  —  UN and women MPs say Karzai bowed to Islamic fundamentalists before poll  —  Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which “legalises” rape, women's groups and the United Nations warn.  Critics claim the president helped rush …

Obama Still Popular, GOP Still Doesn't Care  —  With there seeming to be more Senate Democrats who are wary of Barack Obama's agenda than there are Senate Republicans wary of opposing it, Washington often takes on the feel of a town with a president whose honeymoon is over.

Calif. IRS agent admits cheating on his own taxes  —  SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - An Internal Revenue Service agent who audits taxpayers in California has agreed to plead guilty to cheating on his own taxes.  —  In a plea agreement filed Monday in Orange County, 43-year-old Jim H. Liu (LOO) …

‘Toilet row’ lowers morale on space station  —  The International Space Station, once a place where astronauts would share food and facilities, is said to be embroiled in a Cold War-like stand-off.  —  A Russian cosmonaut has complained he is no longer allowed to use a US toilet as well as a US exercise bike.

Michelle's Image: From Off-Putting To Spot-On  —  At first, they didn't like the way she was talking about her husband's dirty socks.  Then, they said she always looked angry.  Later, they questioned her patriotism when she commented that she only recently became proud of her country.

Building Russian-U.S. Bonds  —  MOSCOW — It is hard to dispute the pessimistic assessments of the Russian-American relationship that prevailed at the end of last year.  Unfortunately, relations soured because of the previous U.S. administration's plans — specifically …

EEOC Willfully Violated Pay Law, Arbitrator Rules  —  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, responsible for ensuring that the nation's workers are treated fairly, has itself willfully violated the Fair Labor Standards Act on a nationwide basis with its own employees, an arbitrator has ruled.

Party leaders stressed about Dodd  —  Interviews with a dozen Democratic state legislators, party officials and operatives in Connecticut indicate there is deep concern back home over whether the incendiary American International Group bonuses issue has delivered a mortal blow to Sen. Chris Dodd …

Fire kills child, 3, and parents as police prevent neighbours from trying to rescue them  —  A pregnant woman, her husband and their three-year-old son were killed in a house fire early yesterday as police who arrived before the fire brigade prevented neighbours from trying to save them.