• Top Democrats drop out of 2010 election races
  Dorgan (D-ND), Dodd out (D-CT) (Politico)
  Democratic majority still looks safe (Politico)
  CO Governor Bill Ritter (D) drops out (WSJ), CO Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will not run for Governor (Washington Post)
• NJ State Senate rejects gay marriage proposal in a 20-14 vote.  The bill’s supporters had hoped it would be passed before Governor Corzine left office.  (NY Times)
• Improvements in security policies ordered after attempted terrorist attack Christmas Day (NY Times), summary of security review available here (WSJ)
• Republicans put hold on TSA nominee Erroll Southers, who has previously accessed confidential database files without license.  There were also concerns that Southers would support TSA unionization.  (Washington Post)
• EPA proposes tougher regulations on smog, could cost industries $19-$90 billion. (WSJ)
• Unemployment is at 10 percent, with 85,000 more jobs lost in December.  (Politico)
• Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) apologized for comments relating to Barack Obama’s race, not planning to step down or resign.  (Politico)

White House Communications Anita Dunn’s (who is stepping down at the end of the month) recent attacks on Fox News for being the “communications arm of the Republican Party” have only helped fuel more conversation about mass media and its liberal/conservative slants.

Well, here is a report that claims Fox News is indeed fair and balanced.  Apparently, Fox is harsh on Obama during the election season last year, but the controversial network treated McCain with almost equal numbers of negative comments.  And now that Obama has been in power for some time and the “presidential honeymoon” is over, other networks have joined Fox with their negative evaluations of the president.  It even seems possible that Fox is more fair and balanced than its competitors because it is harsh towards everyone, not just Republicans.