The President Ties His Own Hands on Terror  —  The point of interrogation is intelligence, not confession.  —  The Obama administration has declassified and released opinions of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) given in 2005 and earlier that analyze the legality …

Palin Says She Considered Abortion  —  In her first out-of-state political appearance since last fall's presidential election, former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin confided to 3,000 at a right-to-life event here that she had “just for a fleeting moment” contemplated seeking …

Veterans a Focus of FBI Extremist Probe  —  WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier this year launched a nationwide operation targeting white supremacists and “militia/sovereign-citizen extremist groups,” including a focus on veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan …

In Texas, 31% Say State Has Right to Secede From U.S., But 75% Opt To Stay  —  Thirty-one percent (31%) of Texas voters say that their state has the right to secede from the United States and form an independent country.  —  However, the latest Rasmussen Reports poll in the state finds …

Newly Released Memo Inadvertently Reveals CIA Held (and Abused) Missing Prisoner  —  Among the OLC memos released today, one appears to inadvertently reveal that a top al-Qaida suspect captured in northern Iraq in January 2004 was held by the CIA in a secret prison.

Dodd faces steep road to reelection  —  Conn.'s senior senator trails 3 Republicans  —  HARTFORD - The election is still more than 18 months away, but US Senator Chris Dodd is barnstorming Connecticut this week like an incumbent in trouble.  Voters who have supported him for 29 years …

Tedisco asks to be declared winner  —  COLUMBIA COUNTY — 20th Congressional District candidate Republican Jim Tedisco submitted a petition to the Dutchess County Supreme Court Thursday asking the judge to declare him the winner of the extremely close special election race …

Do We Hate Credit Default Swaps for The Wrong Reasons?  —  There's a lot of crazy ignorant hating on CDSs out there, especially from certain political journalists who displayed no interest in learning about the financial community until they found that pronouncing the words “credit default swaps” …

We Are Now Indonesia  —  Greenwald points to this nugget: … And this is, in fact, the Bush-Cheney position.  Because America did these things, they are not torture.  This is also, by the way, the position of the news reporters and editors at the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Green Shoots and Glimmers  —  Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, sees “green shoots.”  President Obama sees “glimmers of hope.”  And the stock market has been on a tear.  —  So is it time to sound the all clear?  Here are four reasons to be cautious about the economic outlook.

PREZ AIDE TIED TO NY PENSION ‘GRAFT’  —  ALBANY — President Obama's point man in the auto-industry rescue was linked by the feds yesterday to New York state's massive pay-to-play pension scandal.  —  The Securities and Exchange Commission said an executive, identified by sources as Steven Rattner …

Stiglitz: Blame Summers … First Krugman, now Stiglitz; let's call it “When Nobel Prize winners agree with Barry” day.  —  Over the past few months, I have criticized CEA director Lawrence Summers “Sacred Cows/Save the Banks” approach, rather than a save the financial system approach.

The Memos: Torture Redefined  —  A screen shot of page 2 from the August 1, 2002 secret memo that details harsh interrogation techniques used by the Central Intelligence Agency.  To see the other memos released by the Justice Department today, go here.  —  The Justice Department …

U.S. declares warming gases are health threat  —  Obama administration move is aimed at prodding lawmakers to regulate  —  This coal-fired power plant is one of some 600 across the United States that together provide half of the country's electricity — and much of its greenhouse gas emissions.

Obama Averages 63% Approval in His First Quarter  —  Highest first-quarter average since 1977  — USA - Government and Politics - Presidential Job Approval - The Presidency - Americas - Northern America  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama's first quarter in office concludes on Sunday …

One of the most hateful rants in history  —  http://www.youtube.com/watch?  v=jAAHMDpk7Ik  —  Surprisingly, Olbermann is not the craziest person in this video.  That alone puts this into a special category of left-wing vile that stands out as some of the most hateful speech you will ever hear on television.

New gun law aimed at asserting sovereignty  —  Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law a bill that aims to exempt Montana-made guns from federal regulation, adding firepower to a battery of legislative efforts to assert states' rights across the nation.  —  “It's a gun bill …

3 Courses With Sarkozy, Skewered Leaders on Side  —  PARIS — President Nicolas Sarkozy is known for his love of action.  But he also likes to brag and run down his fellow world leaders in not-so-private gatherings, like a cross-party lunch on Wednesday for 24 members of Parliament engaged in economic issues.

Tinklenberg v. Bachmann redux?  DFLers already eyeing 2010  —  Michele Bachmann represents the most Republican-friendly congressional district in Minnesota.  John McCain carried the area by eight percentage points in 2008 — the largest spread in the state.

Some foreclosed homes too damaged to sell  —  CNN Special Investigations Unit  —  NASHUA, New Hampshire (CNN) — The economy in southern New Hampshire is not by any means among the worst in the nation.  Still, according to city records, there are 29 foreclosed homes on the books in Nashua — many of which are in deplorable condition.