Banned Techniques Yielded ‘High Value Information,’ Memo Says  —  WASHINGTON - President Obama's national intelligence director told colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists.

Prosecutors Considering Dropping Espionage Charges Against Former AIPAC Lobbyists  —  Review Comes Amid Reports That Rep. Harman Was Overheard on Wiretaps Agreeing to Seek Lenient Treatment for Them  —  Federal prosecutors are considering whether to drop the charges against two former pro …

How they lie: a case study  —  Did an Obama judicial nominee really express a preference for Allah over Jesus?  No, not by a long shot  —  From the second I read the sentence, I knew there was something fishy about it.  Many years' experience in reading and then looking into rightwing canards set off …

THE POLIITICAL LEFT: UNITED IN HATE WITH AMERICA'S FOES  —  Cliff May reminds us that there is a reason why the political left in this country has made common cause with Militant Islamists: … In the few short months that the dedicated leftist Barack Obama has been in the White House …

RFK Jr. Blasts Obama as ‘Indentured Servant’ to Coal Industry  —  Critics Say Clean Coal Is a Boondoggle; ‘Clean Coal Is a Dirty Lie’  —  “Clean coal is a dirty lie,” says environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who calls President Barack Obama and other politicians who commit taxpayer money to develop it …

Matt Drudge Goes Into Hiding  —  Days after Matt Drudge popped up to tell New York magazine about how he doesn't enjoy having sex with men, The New Republic looks into his descent into Howard Hughes-like isolation.  —  As Gabriel Sherman puts it, Drudge fears the media …

Somali pirate's smile turns to tears; could face life  —  Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, right, cries as the judge asks his lawyer, Phillip Weinstein, about Muse's age in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday.  The judge ruled he could be tried as an adult.  —  A Somali sea bandit wept as he was hit …

Fertility expert: ‘I can clone a human being’  —  Controversial doctor filmed creating embryos before injecting them into wombs of women wanting cloned babies  —  A controversial fertility doctor claimed yesterday to have cloned 14 human embryos and transferred 11 of them into the wombs …

Just Out  —  Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse predicted on MSNBC the release of a DOJ report on torture memos is imminent, and the report will be “devastating.”  —  A poll of New York state voters shows that 59% support legalizing gay marriage.  —  Calling out the DOJ for “gross abuse of power,” …

Civil War Raging in Right-Wing Blogosphere  —  Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, jazz musician and Web designer Charles Johnson has devoted his blog, Little Green Footballs, to exposing Muslim extremism in and outside the United States.  His targets have included the Council …

Obama Signs Volunteer Bill With Nod to Kennedy Era  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday became the latest Democratic president to emulate John F. Kennedy's call for national service as he signed legislation to triple the size of the Americorps program and called on Americans to volunteer time to improve their communities.

Democrats Hysterical Over Tea Party Republicans  —  By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog  —  Why is the left so angry?  It's a question posed by columnist Byron York today, and he's got a great point.  With control of House, Senate, and White House, you'd think they'd be sitting on top of the world.

Banks Reject U.S. Terms for Cutting Chrysler Debt  —  A group of big banks and other lenders rebuffed a Treasury Department request that they slash 85% of Chrysler LLC's secured debt, proposing instead to eliminate about 35% in exchange for a minority stake in the restructured car maker and a seat on its board.

Lieberman: U.S. to accept any Israeli decision  —  The Obama Administration will put forth new peace initiatives only if Israel wants it to, said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in his first comprehensive interview on foreign policy since taking office.  —  “Believe me, America accepts …

More Miss California: I oppose bailouts and welfare  —  Skip ahead to 2:00.  Dude.  She's one of us.  —  Actually, don't skip ahead.  This clip's even better than the “Today” segment, especially when she talks about what went through her mind when she was asked the question at the pageant.

Obama rekindles debate over Truth Commission  —  President Obama on Tuesday revived the prospect of Congress creating a “Truth Commission” to investigate whether the Bush administration tortured enemy combatants, saying he was open to prosecuting those who authorized the harsh interrogation techniques.

Muslim woman's appointment as Obama advisor draws cautious optimism  —  Dalia Mogahed, a veiled Egyptian American, will advise President Obama on prejudices and problems faced by Muslims.  Many Arabs hope it's a step toward reversing stereotyping.  —  Reporting from Cairo …

For Housing Crisis, the End Probably Isn't Near  —  The closest thing to a real estate crystal ball in the last few years has been the house auctions that are regularly held around the country.  —  In 2006 and early 2007, the official housing statistics were still showing that house prices were holding up.

Why the ‘green shoots’ of recovery could yet wither  —  Spring has arrived and policymakers see “green shoots”.  Barack Obama's economic adviser, Lawrence Summers, says the “sense of freefall” in the US economy should end in a few months.  The president himself spies “glimmers of hope”.