By Steve Clemons

For those of you who can’t laugh now and then, move on. I’ll be serious again soon. Promise.

Washington, DC is now in a pensive state — just waiting for the Inauguration festivities to finally, really arrive. I’ve just finished telling a number of folks that I’m just out of beds for those who hoped to crash (for free) at my place.

This just in from a TWN regular reader who had a White House tour: Steve, you’ll love this. Just took a tour of the West Wing. One of the pictures outside the Situation Room (apparently they change them frequently) is of Cheney with “Angler” open on his desk.

Paul Kerr at Total WonKerr has an interesting piece up about Iran’s nuclear intentions. I think he’s on target and have long felt that what Iran wants less than a nuclear weapons program is a nuclear weapons “option.

Former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), whose strategic mindset and approach to US foreign policy rejects the “false choice” and “zero sum game approaches” that the Bush administration has often taken in the Middle East between Israel’s interests and Arab regional interests on one hand and between Russia and NATO on the other, has been offered…

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy This is a short clip of myself discussing America’s mess in Afghanistan with Rachel Maddow. And here is a link to a new U.S.

At 9:15 pm EST, I will be discussing Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke’s soon to be made appointment as Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the just released USIP report on Afghanistan and its indictment of US policy there with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

I am at the Geneva Airport preparing for a day of flying home to Washington. Excuse me if I accidentally tzpe a “z” where a “y” should be. . .as I just did. Geneva was great. Free transportation on all public transport lines for visitors who come through the airport and all hotel guests.

Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of US Senators including Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kerry (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jack Reed (D-RI) are leaving soon on the last CODEL (Congressional Delegation trip) that the soon-to-be-but-not-yet Vice President will make in his career as a Senator.

Calling all readers and commenters — POA, Linda, WigWag, Tahoe, Paul Norheim, …, Dan Kervick, JohnH, JohnM, JohnS, John, Bil, BillS, TonyForesta, jonst, easy e, Spunkmeyer, erichwwk, all of you……and ALL others who happen by. . .