President Obama's auto plan throws lawmakers  —  President Obama's new ultimatum to U.S. auto manufacturers threw Capitol Hill into turmoil Monday as lawmakers worried about the effects the plans could have on their districts.  —  Michigan's senior Democratic senator, Carl Levin …

Most Americans Don't Blame Obama for Economy, Poll Finds  —  The number of Americans who believe that the nation is headed in the right direction has roughly tripled since Barack Obama's election, and the public overwhelmingly blames the excesses of the financial industry, rather than the new president …

Car Dealer in Chief  —  Some companies are in the steel business, some are in the cookie business, but General Motors is in the restructuring business.  For 30 years, G.M. has been restructuring itself toward long-term viability.  —  For all these years, G.M.'s market share has endured a long, steady slide.

NANNY STATE: GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO WARN OF SADNESS/CRYING OVER ECONOMY  —  The U.S. government is set to offer an online emotional rescue kit!  —  “Getting Through Tough Economic Times” will launch Tuesday with a media push across all platforms.  —  The site is meant to help people identify …

Bashing J Street  —  Follow the Jewish Week on Twitter!  Click here to start.  And we're on Facebook; become a fan today.  —  What is about J Street, the pro-peace process lobby and political action committee, that has the leaders of major Jewish groups in such a snit?

Financial Rescue Approaches GDP as U.S. Pledges $12.8 Trillion  —  The U.S. government and the Federal Reserve have spent, lent or guaranteed $12.8 trillion, an amount that approaches the value of everything produced in the country last year, to stem the longest recession since the 1930s.

‘New York Times’ Spiked Obama Donor Story  —  Congressional Testimony: ‘Game-Changer’ Article Would Have Connected Campaign With ACORN  —  A lawyer involved with legal action against Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) told a House Judiciary subcommittee on March 19 …

Obama Throws the F-Bomb  —  No, not that one; I wish.  President Obama has done something far more serious.  He has already, in less than 100 days, moved the U.S. economy further towards fascism.  Sean Hannity and other critics keep criticizing Obama for his socialist leanings.

Miss Universe Visits Guantánamo Bay  —  Don't ask us how or why we came across this — and the British home secretary's husband did not bring it to our attention — but the latest entry on the blog of the reigning Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, has a sort of eye-catching dateline: “March 27, 2009, Guantánamo Bay.”

Michelle's Image: From Off-Putting To Spot-On  —  At first, they didn't like the way she was talking about her husband's dirty socks.  Then, they said she always looked angry.  Later, they questioned her patriotism when she commented that she only recently became proud of her country.

Calif. IRS agent admits cheating on his own taxes  —  SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - An Internal Revenue Service agent who audits taxpayers in California has agreed to plead guilty to cheating on his own taxes.  —  In a plea agreement filed Monday in Orange County, 43-year-old Jim H. Liu (LOO) …

Obama takes step over the line that separates government from private industry  —  His automaker bailout plan wades into ‘industrial policy,’ in which government officials, not business executives or the free market, decide what products a firm makes and how it charts its future.

Ex-Commerce Nominee Now Top Budget Critic  —  Standing beside President Obama at the White House as he accepted the nomination to be commerce secretary two months ago, Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H), a stalwart Republican about to join a Democratic administration, said: “This is not a time when we should stand …

Afghan leader accused of bid to ‘legalise rape’  —  UN and women MPs say Karzai bowed to Islamic fundamentalists before poll  —  Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which “legalises” rape, women's groups and the United Nations warn.  Critics claim the president helped rush …

Building Russian-U.S. Bonds  —  MOSCOW — It is hard to dispute the pessimistic assessments of the Russian-American relationship that prevailed at the end of last year.  Unfortunately, relations soured because of the previous U.S. administration's plans — specifically …

Party leaders stressed about Dodd  —  Interviews with a dozen Democratic state legislators, party officials and operatives in Connecticut indicate there is deep concern back home over whether the incendiary American International Group bonuses issue has delivered a mortal blow to Sen. Chris Dodd …

DNC chair infuriates abortion backers  —  Tim Kaine, the Virginia governor and President Barack Obama's hand-picked choice as the head of the Democratic National Committee, infuriated abortion-rights groups Monday by signing legislation that gives abortion foes an important symbolic win.