Barack Obama continues to choose the worst personnel from the Bush administration when appointing officials relating to detainee policies.

President Obama is succeeding in his unrelenting efforts to resurrect and lend credibility to Republican ideas. The last confirmation is on the front page New York Times article this a.m. which tells us the Republicans have “a farily well-developed set of ideas.”

President Obama popped in on the White House press briefing today for one of his first question-and-answer sessions since July. And the two big topics where this White House health care summit scheduled for February 25, as well as the subject of bipartisanship and both parties working together in Washington. To that end, the President said that, if his nominees for routine appointments keep getting held up in the Senate for no good reason, he would consider moving many of them through recess appointments “in the upcoming recess” which begins next week.

Dennis Kucinich knocked Alan Grayson out of the #1 spot and now leads the field in Day 4 of the FDL Fire Dog Contest, to determine which members of Congress will get FDL support in 2010.

Vote now for the 2010 FDL Fire Dogs

Dennis Prager is fuming mad about Frank Rich’s latest column, in which he called conservatives homophobic bigots.

Progressive organizers, activists, and politicians can learn a lot from the Super Bowl Champions about how to win this year and beyond. Here are 3 key lessons: be who you are, be bold or go home, and remember your supporters.

The House Republican leadership has sent a letter to the Obama Administration making it clear for the 100th time that they have zero intention of reaching a bipartisan agreement on Obama’s current health care reform proposal.

One sure sign that the Senate health care bill is dead as a doornail is the inevitable appearance of the anonymously-sourced, finger-pointing articles. And in a novel twist, we have one blaming Rahm for the failure to pass health care reform that appears to be written by Rahm.

The Washington Post mistakenly reports that Sen. Shelby has released his hold on all nominations; Shelby still has a hold on a few military nominations, thought. Call me crazy, but I don’t see how taking hostages contributes in any way to open, fair, and transparent competition.

A high-level exchange of letters Monday night in snowy Washington, as the House Republican leadership essentially paves the way for blowing off President Obama’s proposed health care summit by asking for a list of demands, and the White House responds by basically rejecting them.