Graham: GOP ‘made some pretty poor choices’ for Senate candidates this fall  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that Republicans “made some pretty poor choices” in choosing their Senate candidates this fall.  —  Graham, in a Senate floor speech on Saturday, made an aside comment underscoring …

Narnia fans' fury after Liam Neeson claims Aslan - the symbol of Christ - could also be Mohammed  —  The much-loved children's stories have an unapologetic Christian message.  —  C. S. Lewis was clear that the character of Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia is based on Christ.

Hollywood myth-making on Valerie Plame controversy  —  WE'RE NOT in the habit of writing movie reviews.  But the recently released film “Fair Game” - which covers a poisonous Washington controversy during the war in Iraq - deserves some editorial page comment, if only because of what its promoters are saying about it.

WHY COMPROMISE WITH THESE GUYS IS IMPOSSIBLE, PART MCCXVII.... I can only hope folks in the West Wing take a moment to consider what incoming House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told Slate's John Dickerson the other day. … Ryan went on to say Republicans sent some letters …

Save Obama - by running against him  —  People who used to say, “Give President Obama more time” when the president was criticized for capitulating to the right, or who argued that Obama must have a plan to turn things around, are now largely depressed and angry.

She Who Must Not Be Named  —  This is it.  This is the last time I'm going to write the name Sarah Palin until she does something truly newsworthy, like declare herself a candidate for the presidency.  Until then, I will no longer take part in the left's obsessive-compulsive fascination with her …

Cables Discuss Vast Hacking by a China That Fears the Web  —  As China ratcheted up the pressure on Google to censor its Internet searches last year, the American Embassy sent a secret cable to Washington detailing one reason top Chinese leaders had become so obsessed with the Internet search company: they were Googling themselves.

Merkley Lays Out A Course For Reforming The Filibuster In The Next Senate: ‘Mark This Date On Your Calendar’  —  Earlier this year, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) delivered an address about conservative obstruction at the Center for American Progress Action Fund titled “Deliberation, Obstruction or Dysfunction?

Clinton charm falls flat with Iranian minister  —  (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton lost him at “hello.”  —  The Secretary of State had a rare chance to interact with Iran's foreign minister at a Bahrain security conference, where Clinton urged Tehran to engage with the international community …

Class And Social Security  —  Digby sounds the warning: a fair number of “centrist” Democrats - probably including the Incredible Shrinking President — seem willing, even eager, to join up with Republicans in cutting Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age.

Obama Issues First Pardons Of His Presidency  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — President Obama, who had gone nearly 700 days without using his clemency power, finally issued nine pardons on Friday afternoon to a very minor rogue's gallery of small-time felons who long ago did their time, if they did any at all.