RON SILVER DIES  —  SUCCUMBS TO CANCER AT AGE 62  —  Actor and longtime political activist Ron Silver died this morning, succumbing to a long battle with cancer, friends of the liberal Democrat-turned-GOP stalwart told The Post.  —  “Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around …

John King cites Human Events headline, asks Cheney, “Is the president of the United States trying to brazenly deceive the American people?”

A.I.G. Reveals Biggest Beneficiaries of Its Rescue  —  The disclosure included counterparties to both its credit default swap operations and its securities lending businesses, both of which contributed heavily to A.I.G.'s troubles, as well as to muncipalities who participated in certain investment programs.

Goodwin: More than a bad day  —  Not long ago, after a string of especially bad days for the Obama administration, a veteran Democratic pol approached me with a pained look on his face and asked, “Do you think they know what they're doing?”  —  The question caught me off guard because the man is a well-known Obama supporter.

THE CINCINNATI TEA PARTY IS UNDERWAY, and a reader sends this photo via Blackberry.  —  Also, reader Russell Sayre sends this aerial view: “This was taken from the 17th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower above Fountain Square in Cincinnati as the rally began.  I have no idea how many people are there …

WITH REPUBLICAN FRIENDS LIKE THESE ...  THE MEDIA LOVES CONSERVATIVES, BUT ONLY IF THEY HATE REPUBLICANS  —  Dear Mainstream Media:  —  I'm a conservative who believes that other conservatives are fat, drug-stuffed, money-grubbing warthogs like Rush Limbaugh, or scary inbred backwoods retards like Sarah Palin.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS NOT DUE.... Wall Street had a nice little rally this week, but former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino hopes President Obama doesn't get too much credit. … I see.  Just so we're clear, here's a helpful guide to the rules of market watching, as they relate to partisan politics:

Conservative talk radio on the wane in California  —  The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters.  —  Tune in to conservative talk radio in California, and the insults quickly fly.

Three Wise Men Offer Three Takes On Markets  —  Experts Differ on What Has Changed, What to Do About It  —  Bond guru Bill Gross says he's sold off all the stocks in his retirement portfolio, down to the very last share.  The world as we know it, he says, has “changed almost overnight.”

Why Washington Worries  —  Obama has made striking moves to fix U.S. foreign policy—and that has set off a chorus of criticism.  —  From the magazine issue dated Mar 23, 2009  —  As George W. Bush's term came to a close, he had few defenders left in the world of foreign policy.

Frayed Thread in a Free Society  —  BOSTON — The biggest challenge facing America's struggling newspaper industry may not be the high cost of newsprint or lost ad revenue, but ignorance stoked by drive-by punditry.  —  Yes, Dittoheads, you heard it right.

Administration Is Open to Taxing Health Benefits  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system.