In Massachusetts, Anxiety for Favored Democrats  —  BOSTON — Martha M. Coakley, the Democrat running for Senator Edward M. Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts, had seemed so certain of winning the special election on Jan. 19 that she barely campaigned last month.  —  But the dynamic has changed in recent days.

Rudy Giuliani Wrong in Saying ‘No Domestic Attacks Under Bush’  —  President Obama yesterday took personal responsibility for failures in the Christmas day terror plot, but Rudy Giuliani still isn't convinced.  —  I spoke to the former mayor of New York City this morning on GMA …

On the December Jobs Numbers  —  Today's employment report, though a setback from November, is consistent with the gradual labor market stabilization we have been seeing over the last several months.  —  Payroll employment declined 85,000 in December.  To put this number in perspective …

Gruber responds: ‘Completely consistent’  —  One of the key voices for Congressional health care legislation, MIT economist Jon Gruber, is taking fire from the precincts of the left that oppose the Senate plan over the fact that he is on contract with Department of Health and Human Services.

Steele comments have GOP aides pleading, ‘Get him to stop’  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele, under fire this week for a string of controversial statements he has made while promoting his new book, has so angered the party's congressional leaders that their aides …

Palin aide warned of ‘epic debacle’  —  Sarah Palin's charming opening debate line for now-Vice President Joe Biden — “Hey, can I call you Joe?”  — was scripted after she repeatedly referred to him as “O'Biden” in preparation sessions, former McCain campaign senior adviser Steve Schmidt told “60 Minutes.”

Walk Away From Your Mortgage!  —  John Courson, president and C.E.O. of the Mortgage Bankers Association, recently told The Wall Street Journal that homeowners who default on their mortgages should think about the “message” they will send to “their family and their kids and their friends.”

Portugal parliament approves gay marriage  —  ‘Law rights a wrong,’ prime minister says; conservatives want referendum  —  LISBON, Portugal - Portugal's parliament passed a bill Friday that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.

British woman ‘arrested in Dubai after being raped’  —  A 23-year-old British woman on holiday in Dubai told police she had been raped, only to be arrested herself for having illegal sexual intercourse.  —  The woman, a Muslim of Pakistani descent, was celebrating her engagement …

The Risk of Catastrophic Victory  —  Obama is in the midst of one.  Can the GOP avert one of their own?  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Passage of the health-care bill will be, for the administration, a catastrophic victory.  If it is voted through in time for the State of the Union Address …

The Messiah Complex  —  Every age produces its own sort of fables, and our age seems to have produced The White Messiah fable.  —  This is the oft-repeated story about a manly young adventurer who goes into the wilderness in search of thrills and profit.  But, once there …

Craig James eyeing politics, not ruling out U.S. Senate run  —  DALLAS Former SMU football star and ESPN Analyst Craig James has made news recently regarding his role with his son and former Texas Tech Football Coach Mike Leach.  But James could be making news this year in politics, too.

Shock: Obama Forced to ‘Order’ Follow-Ups of Terrorist Tips  —  President Pledges ‘Accountability’ But No One Fired for Systemic Intel Failures  —  In a revealing admission, President Barack Obama said today he was directing U.S. intelligence agencies to begin to do something many had assumed …

It's On - Push Polling “Hate Group” Support for Brown  —  I received this e-mail from a Massachusetts resident and businesswoman (and I verified her identity through publicly available sources), regarding a phone call she received last night: … In a follow up, the e-mailer went into more detail about the call.

CBO estimates $390 billion budget deficit for first quarter of FY 2010  —  The Congressional Budget Office late Thursday released a report estimating that the federal budget deficit was $390 billion for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010.  —  During the same quarter in 2009 …

Law Schools Get Advice on Helping Students Cope With Tight Job Market  —  Law schools have a responsibility to teach students how to be emotionally resilient and fiscally sensible at a time when high-paying jobs are hard to come by and student-loan debts are mounting, several speakers asserted …

Commercial Real Estate Collapses Suggests CW about Residential Bubble May Be Wrong  —  My latest column for the Atlantic looks at the commercial real estate crash and comes to the conclusion that it effectively undermines the major narratives that many people have adopted to explain the residential bubble.

Can we stop the hysteria about AQAP please?  —  Greetings everyone.  Allthingsct is officially back on deck for 2010.  —  Tonight's cynical Friday task is some myth busting in relation to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, especially since the Xmas Day plots have spawned a good deal …