Obama to Begin Diplomacy Immediately (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/18/axelrod-on-this-week-obam_n_158853.html) | Obama in Baltimore: What Is Required Is a New Declaration of Independence (http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/barack-obama-baltimore-what-required-) | Obama's Republican Seduction Much Deeper Than Publicy Known (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17532.html) | Obama's Weekly Address Becomes Pep Talk: Reaffirming Our Love of Country and Democracy (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/16/203858/149/392/685076)• Americans are supporting the new President – and willing to cut him some slack to get the job done (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/us/politics/18poll.html)• White House: court has no authority to demand e-mails (http://rawstory.com/news/2008/White_House_court_has_no_authority_0117.html)• The 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush the Worst President Ever (http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/17/bush-43-worst/)More at the Newswire (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=734 Itemid=32).

Jeff Koopersmith weighs in on perhaps the final failure of the Bush Administration.

The Government has determined that continued prosecution of this case as to LINDAUER would not be in the interests of justice. Michael Collins reports that the Feds, in an instance of interesting timing, have folded in one of the most Kafkaesque cases in recent times.

The Bush Administration Has Effectively Ended (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/16/15420/5297/497/684955)Tax money for tax cheats! Shocking: Offshore tax havens of the US corporate elite (http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Offshore_tax_havens_of_US_corporate_0116.html)• Jamison Foser: Coverage of economy repeats Iraq mistakes (http://mediamatters.org/items/200901160012)Hodes Blasts Whitewash and Factual Inaccuracies in IG Report on Pentagon Pundits (http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/hodes_blasts_whitewash_ig_report_on_pentagon_pundi.php)• Rep. John Conyers Jr.: Why We Have to Look Back (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011503152.html)Mukasey Gets Dragged into DOJ's Continued (Intentional?) Bungling of the Prosecution of Now-former Senator Ted Stevens (R-Crook) (http://washingtonindependent.com/26109/mukasey-dragged-inot-justice-departments-continued-bungling-of-ted-stevens-prosecution) | Ex-Blagojevich Adviser Chris Kelly Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/16/ex-blagojevich-advisor-ch_n_158582.html)More at the Newswire (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=734 Itemid=32).

Listening to Bush last night reminded me that from the moment he stole the election 8 years ago we have lived a national nightmare…

here (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2147 Itemid=2) for enlarged version.

Another big news day…Obama Holds Secret Foreign Policy Dinner, Escaping Bubble (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/obama-holds-secret-foreig_n_158330.html) | Obama Hits Road to Sell Economic Plan (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/16/obama-hits-road-to-sell-e_n_158448.html) | Salazar Pledges to Help Modernize Grid, Reduce Oil Dependence (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/16/salazar-pledges-to-help-m_n_158409.html) | Obama Vows to Tackle Gaza Crisis Immediately After Inauguration (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/obama-vows-to-tackle-gaza_n_158234.html)• The ‘Have You No Shame' Moment of the Financial Crisis: the grilling of a Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn by freshman Florida Congressman Alan Grayson (http://washingtonindependent.com/25966/the-have-you-no-shame-moment-of-the-financial-crisis)Obama secures a victory in the Senate on use of the next $350 billion in TARP funds (http://www.americablog.com/2009/01/obama-scores-victory-in-senate-on-use.html) | Rescue of Banks Hints at Nationalization (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/business/16banking.html?partner=rss emc=rss)• The real-world function of Beltway centrism has not been to wage high-minded war against 'both extremes' but to fight specifically against the economic and foreign policies of liberalism (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189731669479777.html)• White House emails in “true emergency conditions,” says federal judge (http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/news/20090115/index.htm)• Former House Speaker Denny Hastert Identified as'Individual C' in Blagojevich Complaint: Crain's (http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/interstitial.pl?v=1 where=L2NnaS1iaW4vbmV3cy5wbD9pZD0zMjYzNg==)More below the fold…

Big news day…Secretary of State confirmation hearing: It's smooth sailing for Hillary (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/13/2009-01-13_its_smooth_sailing_for_hillary_clinton_a.html) | Obama: Qaeda still No. 1 threat to US (http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Obama_Al_Qaeda_remains_number_one_t_01142009.html) | Obama to Swing Through Ohio to Pitch Stimulus Plan (http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/obama_to_swing_through_ohio_for_stimulus_plan.php)Democrats in Congress Prepared to Defer to Obama (http://washingtonindependent.com/25516/democrats-in-congress-prepared-to-defer-to-obama) | Bailout Oversight Bill Heads to House Floor with Few Amendments Likely (http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/bailout_oversight_bill_heads_to_house_floor_with_f.php) | GOP worried they will lose Texas; Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is reconsidering a plan to resign from the Senate (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/gop-worried-they-could-lo_n_158101.html)• Judge orders Gitmo detainee freed (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011402511.html?hpid=topnews); Saudi 9/11 suspect had been tortured in Guantanamo (http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Saudi_Sept_11_suspect_tortured_in_G_01142009.html), and now Guantanamo Military Commissions Trials FUBARed (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/14/15354/2509/387/684048) as Public Learns Evidence Is in Chaos, Says Ex-Prosecutor (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/13/AR2009011302888.html?hpid=topnews) • Missing White House emails may have been found; opposing lawyer says, I'll believe it when I see it (http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Missing_White_House_emails_may_have_0115.html)More below the fold…

Today, the House passed S-CHIP legislation, expanding health care for kids. So how did the new flock of House ultra-righies vote?

Jeff Koopersmith looks at a the complex and volatile situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip – a continuing crisis that has inflamed opinions around the world – and involves players in the US and Iran.