Ever since Reagan-era propagandist Peggy Noonan started reading Wonkette this month, we’ve all noticed a spring in her step and a bee in her brain. Peggy is back, and people have taken notice. According to an anonymous “liberal journalist” who tipped William Powers at the National Journal, Noonan now has “the best political column these days, by far.” Congratulations, Peggy! You are our shining city on a hill. [National Journal]

Congrats to Barack Obama, who apparently still works in the Senate: National Journal has ranked Barry as the #1 most liberal senator for 2007! If I were a girl, I would go and have 50 abortions right now to celebrate. MORE »

Hotline and National Journal threw a good-bye party for ex-Hotline EIC Chuck Todd last night and we crashed the party. Chuck’s got another baby on the way — and insider political magazines don’t provide a whole lot of Pampers. So he’s trading in all those years of integrity for a few nice suits and Brian Williams’ orange tan.

Follow Liz Gorman, Girl Reporter, and Intern Nick as their shoulders soak up the tears of the many scorned “acolytes” of Chuck “Show Me the Money” Todd, after the jump. And yes, there’s a photo gallery, too!

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Happy Scooter Libby Trial Day! Above, reporters camped out outside the courtroom this morning, as snapped by our very own Intern Nick. We’re still in the boring old jury selection bit right now, so it’ll take a while for things to get really fun. Here’s a helpful hint: if you read Murray Waas’ National Journal piece from last week, you can pretty much skip the trial. MORE »

The National Journal Group throws a mean party, so when they invited us to celebrate their blessed gay marriage to MSNBC (oh, we only give it ’til November — you know how those types are), we put on a tie and everything and cabbed it to the Watergate. The cabbie correctly pegged us as a “blogger,” picked up two well-dressed Republican-looking additional fares at a Georgetown hotel, and told them we were “a liberal Democratic tree-lover vegetarian” as they uncomfortably and politely laughed and silently pleaded to make it to Sequoia before we said something leftist.

Oh, right, the party! Learn all about it, after the jump.

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* House Republicans say corruption is a perceived-reality: “We must realize that the Majority we have all worked so hard for is in jeopardy.” Leadership race will likely become a “referendum on how seriously the party is taking” the scandal. [WP, NYT]
* Republican lawmakers call for White House to disclose records about Jack Abramoff; Abramoff met with Bush during at least six “social occasions.” Anonymous source: “The White House is making too much of a mystery out of this and needs to release the dates, times, details and photos of the visits. It’s not like [Abramoff and Mr. Bush] were plotting to overthrow Iraq.” [LAT, WT]
* Bush will use State of the Union to preview midterm campaign themes and paint optimistic portrait; speech avoids “ambitious” proposals. Senior administration official: “America ought to be leading the way, working to shape events. We’re always better when we’re out there shaping events, rather than being shaped by them.” [LAT, WT]
* Challenge of Bush’s State of the Union falls on William McGurn, the director of White House speechwriting. McGurn: “He seems in a good mood. Part of his good mood, we hope, is that we give him something good to read that reflects what he wants to do.” [NYT, USAT]
* Interior Department offered emergency services and personnel to FEMA in the “immediate aftermath” of Katrina but received a delayed response. [WP, NYT]
* Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.): “I think that the Democrats have to do a much better job in making their case on these issues. These last-minute efforts, using procedural maneuvers inside the Beltway, I think, has been the wrong way of going about it.” [WT]

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• Judy Miller hand is tired. [E&P]
• Miles O’Brien’s Proustian hurricane blog: The “LSU Chancellor. . . led us to a campus cafeteria for some breakfast. . .I found the school fare pretty darn close to perfection.” [CNN via Gawker]
• Roll Call, CQ, National Journal and the Hill play musical chairs. [Fishbowl DC]
• The WP launches a local blog — plunging into the kind uncensored, balls-out, citizen journalism that the MSM can’t traditionally provide. Our favorite post so far? “Here’s A Good Read to Brighten Your Day.” [Focus on Fairfax]
• Amy Alexander seeks an “idea-driven publication aimed at black Americans,” we seek an “idea-driven publication,” period. [WP]