Palin derided by top McCain aide, book  —  Sarah Palin was an unprepared, uninformed vice presidential candidate who repeatedly made false statements in public, according to a top McCain campaign aide.  —  In a “60 Minutes” segment based on John Heilemann and Mark Halperin's new book …

Harry Reid's History of Racial Posturing  —  Amidst the brouhaha over Harry Reid's comments, some people are defending Reid by saying that he told the truth, however . . . awkwardly.  See, for example, Robert Stacy McCain, who declares: “Harry Reid is no more a racist than I am.”

Same-sex marriage set for big day in federal court  —  LOS ANGELES — After a run of setbacks at the state level, gay rights advocates will take the campaign for same-sex marriage into a federal courtroom on Monday, starting down a treacherous avenue that ends at a U.S. Supreme Court dominated by conservatives.

The mini ice age starts here  —  The bitter winter afflicting much of the Northern Hemisphere is only the start of a global trend towards cooler weather that is likely to last for 20 or 30 years, say some of the world's most eminent climate scientists.  —  Their predictions …

The 60th Senate Vote  —  The special election in Massachusetts and the Democratic agenda.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  When Ted Kennedy died last August, Democrats said they'd honor him by finally passing the national health care he had long campaigned for.

Gov. Hoeven to announce for Senate  —  North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven is expected to kick-off his candidacy for U.S. Senate Monday evening at a GOP district convention in Bismarck, according to a state Republican familiar with his plans.  —  Hoeven's announcement will come just six days …

The Notorious Blago  —  The former Illinois governor has a new dog (Skittles), a new source of income (Elvis impersonations) and — despite an old worry (prison) — a confounding optimism.  You have to read this.  —  From the February 2010 “People Who Matter” issue — on sale this week

Insurance Mandate Feeds GOP Attack  —  WASHINGTON — As congressional Democrats try to iron out differences in the House and Senate health-care bills, Republicans are attacking the legal premise of the legislation, saying Congress has no power to make people carry health insurance or pay a penalty or tax.

Learning From Europe  —  As health care reform nears the finish line, there is much wailing and rending of garments among conservatives.  And I'm not just talking about the tea partiers.  Even calmer conservatives have been issuing dire warnings that Obamacare will turn America into a European-style social democracy.

We miss you, Bubba  —  President Clinton doesn't seem so bad  —  Suddenly, I find myself nostalgic for Bill Clinton.  It comes as a shock.  Back in 1996, I denounced his “breathtaking view of the ability and obligation of government to plan the economy” and his “profoundly anti-individualist ideas.”

Yemeni president vows crackdown on al-Qaeda branch  —  SANAA, YEMEN — Yemen's president vowed over the weekend to track down al-Qaeda militants who refuse to renounce terrorism, as President Obama affirmed in a magazine interview that he has no plans at the moment to send troops to Yemen …

Let's Take Bureaucracy Out of Intelligence  —  Groupthink products like National Intelligence Estimates make us vulnerable.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Although the U.S. intelligence community (IC) has been stung by failures relating to the Christmas terrorist attack, these failures are symptomatic of far larger problems.

Boehner chief of staff dies at 46  —  Paula Nowakowski, the longtime chief of staff to House Republican Leader John Boehner, died suddenly Saturday night, according to the leader's office.  She was 46.  —  “It is with profound sadness and shock that I announce the passing of Paula Nowakowski …

Book: Obama, Biden clashed in '08  —Before formally deciding to enter the 2008 presidential race, Obama met secretly with former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Vice-President Al Gore, the latter of whom the authors report had privately consulted with Obama adviser David Axelrod on a potential 2004 presidential run of his own.

Drone Flights Leave Military Awash in Data  —  HAMPTON, Va. — As the military rushes to place more spy drones over Afghanistan, the remote-controlled planes are producing so much video intelligence that analysts are finding it more and more difficult to keep up.

White House Economic Adviser: Jobs Picture is ‘Still Terrible’  —  Council of Economic Advisers chief Christina Romer said it's devastating that some workers have been unemployed for two years and that job losses were continuing nearly a year after passage of the so-called stimulus bill.