My initial reaction to Obama’s Rick Warren announcement was horror. …Censure Obama over Warren–directly, sincerely, viscerally–and move on.

Police: ‘Southside Slayer’ likely four men…At least four men are likely responsible for the deaths of up to 80 women in Los Angeles attributed to the so-called “Southside Slayer,” police said.

‘Zimbabwe is mine,’ declares Mugabe…President Robert Mugabe declared [...]

Brown Announces UK Troops Out Of Iraq By July…And so the coalition of the unwilling dwindles even further.

Newt denounces Blago attacks …Gingrich is upset that Republicans are trying to link Obama to Blago. This is odd. It was interesting when McCain the other day said the same thing - but understandable from McCain - [...]

Bush Administration Created Executive Pay Loophole…The Bush Administration inserted an eleventh-hour provision into the $750 billion bailout bill to protect executive bonuses, a single sentence that will torpedo efforts to reduce bonuses even as companies slash tens of thousands of jobs and use taxpayer money to gobble up other companies at fire-sale prices.

Rahm’s 21 Conversations [...]

Shoe-gate continues …“There doesn’t appear to be any over-reaction” on the part of American agents, Donovan says, confirming the Secret Service agents who poured into the room did not draw their weapons… At the press conference, the head of the president’s security detail scrambled to the lectern but not until the second shoe [...]

McCain defends Obama…“I think that the Obama campaign should and will give all information necessary. You know, in all due respect to the Republican National Committee and anybody — right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy [...]

Australia Says No to Internet Censorship …“A nationwide protest rally against the internet censorship filter proposed by the Australian Labor Government was held today. Over 9,000 people were slated to attend. I was fortunate enough to go to the rally on the steps of Parliament House in Adelaide, South Australia. I heard speeches [...]

An Open Secret?…Kwame Raoul, who succeeded President-elect Obama in his state senate seat, is now coming forward to say that he too got the shake-down from Gov. Blagojevich as he sought appoint to the two remaining years of Obama’s federal senate term. Raoul says he withdrew his name from further consideration because he [...]

RCMP study: Canada’s largest airports overrun with gangs and smugglers…A new RCMP study finds Canada’s airports are being overrun by organized crime, with Vancouver International among the hardest hit. Hundreds of workers have been accused of smuggling drugs and people over …
Powell lashes out at Palin: I’m from the South Bronx, [...]

Guns for groceries…When Americans start turning in their weapons for food yes, times are tough.
Out by June: UK plans Iraq withdrawal…Britain’s six-year occupation of south Iraq will begin drawing to a close in March, and the last troops will leave Basra by June, a senior defence source disclosed yesterday.
EU [...]

Dion expected to step down this week…Liberal Leader Stephane Dion plans to step down as early as Monday to pave the way for a permanent successor who could lead a coalition government or lead his party into a federal election early next year if the Harper government is defeated.
Panel to Call [...]