We Didn't Have to Lose Arlen Specter  —  IT is disheartening and disconcerting, at the very least, that here we are today — almost exactly eight years after Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party — witnessing the departure of my good friend and fellow moderate Republican …

U.S. officials want ‘swine’ out of flu name  —  Source: Reuters  —  What's in a name?  U.S. pork producers are finding that the name of the virus spreading from Mexico is affecting their business, prompting U.S. officials to argue for changing the name from swine flu.

100 Days of the Poser Presidency  —  My syndicated column commemorates Barack Obama's 100 days with the Scare Force One story as a take-off point.  Imagine if this fiasco had happened under George Bush's watch.  It would have made the Left's incessant carping over the “fake plastic turkey …

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: FIRST QUARTER 2009 (ADVANCE)  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — decreased at an annual rate of 6.1 percent in the first quarter of 2009, (that is, from the fourth quarter …

Economy shrinks at 6.1 percent pace in 1Q  —  Economy shrinks at worse-than-expected 6.1 percent pace in first quarter  — General Motors Corporation - , Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. - , Lockheed Martin Corporation  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy shrank at a worse …

Fed Is Said to Seek Capital for at Least Six Banks  —  At least six of the 19 largest U.S. banks require additional capital, according to preliminary results of government stress tests, people briefed on the matter said.  —  While some of the lenders may need extra cash injections from the government …

Official Defends Signing Interrogation Memos  —  WASHINGTON — Judge Jay S. Bybee broke his silence on Tuesday and defended the conclusions of legal memorandums he had signed as a Bush administration lawyer that allowed use of several coercive interrogation practices on suspected terrorists.

Obama's Stand in Auto Crisis Shows Early Resolve  —  WASHINGTON — By the time he sat down in the Oval Office to brief Michigan's Congressional delegation, President Obama had made up his mind.  Days earlier, he had decided to oust the head of General Motors and give it and Chrysler weeks to fix themselves.

Senate Confirms Kansas Governor as Health Secretary  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed the nomination of Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of health and human services on Tuesday, allowing President Obama to fill the last vacancy in his cabinet with a seasoned politician who will take charge of the fight against swine flu.