Barack Obama takes opportunity Sarah Palin missed  —  In the span of a single news cycle, Republicans got a jarring reminder of two forces that could prevent them from retaking the presidency next year.  —  At sunrise in the east on Wednesday, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she has little interest …

S&P, Moody's Warn On U.S. Credit Rating  —  LONDON—Two leading credit rating agencies on Thursday cautioned the U.S. on its credit rating, expressing concern over a deteriorating fiscal situation that they say needs correction.  —  Moody's Investors Service said in a report Thursday …

John Boehner turns down Air Force One ride to Tucson  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) turned down an offer by President Barack Obama to travel on Air Force One to Arizona for a memorial service on behalf of the victims of Saturday's shooting, a decision that has upset some Democrats.

Person Tweeting Death Wish For Palin Now Wants Privacy  —  I linked earlier to a YouTube video montage [video removed, see update below] of death wishes tweeted about Sarah Palin after various bloggers maliciously linked Palin's electoral target map to the Tucson shooting.

Sarah Palin's effort to defuse controversy backfires with ‘blood libel’ comment  —  The presidential-quality stagecraft was there: an American flag over Sarah Palin's left shoulder and another over her heart.  So was the rhetorical polish, with its invocations of the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, God and Ronald Reagan.

Why the Left Lost It  —  The accusation that the tea parties were linked to the Tucson murders is the product of calculation and genuine belief.  —  There has been a great effort this week to come to grips with the American left's reaction to the Tucson shooting.

Michael S. Steele for RNC chairman  —  Tomorrow, Republicans through their state chairmen and committeemen will elect the chairman of the Republican National Committee.  There is special importance to the election as this chairman will lead the party in the national presidential elections of November 2012.

More political coverage:  —  Security: Armed police officers attend John Thune event in Mitchell  —  Weekly politics show: Watch live Tuesdays or in replay  —  Politics: News on S.D. government and politics  —  Blog: Read reporter Jonathan Ellis' blog ____________________

Subway Riding Rat Wakes Up Sleeping Man By Crawling Up His Face  —  It was only a matter of time before rats started riding the subway with us.  Some units have already annexed a park.  This one, on the 4 train near Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn on Tuesday, played out everyone's worst nightmare …

Health-Law Repeal Hardly a Panacea for CEOs' Concerns  —  Newly emboldened Republicans want to repeal the Obama health law, a symbol of all that they—and many voters—dislike about President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats' approach to governing.  If you were a business executive and employer, would you really favor repeal?

A Fifth Star for David Petraeus  —  The general clearly deserves to join the rank held by MacArthur, Marshall and Nimitz.  His promotion would also honor our troops and their mission in the war on terror.  —  On a cold December evening in 1783, at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan …

Senator: Dems seeking to create controversy over political rhetoric  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) accused liberals of wanting to “manufacture” a political controversy over conservatives' rhetoric even before the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).  —  Paul, in dismissing the notion …

Suspect's Downward Spiral  —  Police Records Show Accused Killer Growing More Erratic Before College Suspension  —  TUCSON, Ariz.—Students and faculty at Pima Community College feared for their safety as Jared Lee Loughner's increasingly erratic behavior led to a series of encounters …

Prez perfect - but the crowd was appalling  —  Never before in the annals of national moments of mourning have the words spoken been so wildly mismatched by the spirit in which they were received.  —  The sentences and paragraphs of President Obama's speech last night were beautiful and moving and powerful.

2010 Was The Hottest Year Ever  —  Don't look now, but climate change is still real: … I seem to recall George Will and others getting very excited when 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 were all slightly cooler than 2005 since somehow that proved there was no warming trend.  Oh well.

The Uneasiness of Talk Radio  —  Interesting experience listening to talk radio these past days.  The tone?  Extra militant and - in the case of Rush Limbaugh especially - extra provocative.  Sarah Palin's video address seems to have been composed under the influence of this mood …

Romney resigns from Marriott board  —  WASHINGTON - Former Governor Mitt Romney resigned today from the board of directors of Marriott International, potentially another sign of his preparations for another presidential run.  —  Romney, who served on Marriott's board for 10 years before resigning …