White House uses strong arm tactics to extort concessions from lenders  —  Yesterday (May 1) on Detroit's Frank Beckman's morning talk show (WJR), bankruptcy attorney Tom Lauria made the incendiary accusation that the members of the White House had threatened to use the “the full force …

U.S. May Revive Guantánamo Military Courts  —  The Obama administration is moving toward reviving the military commission system for prosecuting Guantánamo detainees, which was a target of critics during the Bush administration, including Mr. Obama himself.

Bronx girl makes good: Sonia Sotomayor merits look for U.S. Supreme Court  —  She is a daughter of the Bronx, a child of the projects and the product of a single-parent household - and now Sonia Sotomayor has rocketed onto the list of potential nominees for the United States Supreme Court.

YOUR ENLIGHTENED MAINSTREAM: Video: Miss California is a piece of garbage with breast implants or something.  —  It's stuff like this that makes all the “have you no decency, sir?” stuff from the left hard to swallow.  Plus, “gay gynephobia?”  There does seem to be a lot of misogyny coming out of the gay-marriage crowd lately.

Swine flu spread ‘not sustained’  —  There is no evidence of the swine flu virus spreading in a sustained way outside North America, a top World Health Organization official says.  —  Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Director of Global Alert and Response, praised European nations' handling of cases and said events did not seem out of control.

GET TO KNOW RULE IV.... With the Senate Democratic caucus up to 59 seats, chances are pretty good that President Obama's Supreme Court nominee will be confirmed, no matter how big a fit the right throws.  Even if Republicans abandon everything they said during the Bush years and launched a filibuster …

Ben Nelson Plans To Oppose Public Health Plan  —  Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Friday that he will oppose legislation that would give people the option of a public health insurance plan.  The move puts him on the opposite side of two-thirds of Americans.  —  A poll released this week …

Study: Obama's Early Popularity Only Average Among Predecessors  —  Though President Obama's job approval score has been strong since he took office, historical polling data shows his popularity during his first 100 days is right in the middle of the scores other new presidents received from the public over the past 60 years

Biden to appear at AIPAC  —  Vice President Joe Biden will headline the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual conference, which begins tomorrow in Washington, D.C., a source at the group said.  —  The announcement that Biden will speak Monday morning comes a day after a victory …

Dems: Opportunity as gay marriage acceptance grows  —  WASHINGTON - Gay marriage legalization in several states and the public's growing acceptance of same-sex unions have Democrats sensing political opportunity and some Republicans re-evaluating their party's hard-line opposition to an issue that long has rallied its base.

Union Takes Rare Front Seat in Chrysler Deal  —  DETROIT — Labor unions usually dread bankruptcy, and for good reason.  Their pay, benefits and pensions typically suffer significant cuts, as airline and steel workers can attest.  —  But for the United Automobile Workers union …