Meghan McCain a real pain at D.C. dinner  —  Political blogger Meghan McCain isn't exactly the toast of D.C. right now.  —  Sen. John McCain's daughter — who writes online for The Daily Beast and will soon release a book about life as a Republican — lost it after getting stopped by security …

U.S. Replaces Commander in Afghanistan in War Overhaul  —  WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is replacing the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, less than a year after he took over, marking a major overhaul in military leadership of a war that has presented President Obama with a worsening national security challenge.

White House To Declassify “Holy Grail” Torture Report That Could Undercut Cheney  —  There's a big piece of news about Dick Cheney and torture buried toward the end of this big Washington Post piece about the torture wars.  —  Specifically: The White House has decided to declassify and release …

Romney camp hits back at Steele for Mormonism comments  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - In an unusual move for the person tasked with being his party's top cheerleader, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is shining a light on the political vulnerabilities of one of the GOP's top figures …

Bob Graham: I Wasn't Told About Waterboarding Or EITs In My Briefing  —  Former Senator Bob Graham, who received a classified briefing on terror detainees during the same month in the fall of 2002 as Nancy Pelosi, was not briefed about the use of either waterboarding or enhanced interrogation techniques during …

Sheikh attacks Israel, pope walks out  —  Article's topics: Sheikh Tamimi, Benedict XVI  —  Chief Islamic Judge of the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi, launched a poisonous verbal attack at Israel at a Monday night gathering attended by Pope Benedict XVI.

Biden insults President Obama's dog at Syracuse  —  It was as though Vice President Biden time-warped back to last fall.  Because on Sunday he was in full campaign attack mode.  —  Oh, it was an idyllic setting.  Nobody saw it coming.  The vice president had just finished delivering …

Gay Miss CA Director Goes Nuclear On ‘Henchman’ Carrie Prejean & Traditional Marriage Advocates  —  Openly gay director of the Miss California pageant, Keith Lewis, held a presser today and shamed the heck out of traditional marriage supporters; mark that 7 times.

SEIU may be linked to ultimatum on withholding stimulus funds  —  California officials say the union may have influenced a federal requirement that a pay cut be reversed for home healthcare workers.  —  Reporting from Sacramento — Officials in the governor's office say a politically powerful union …

Congress Pushes Cap and Trade, But Just 24% Know What It Is  —  The gap between Capitol Hill and Main Street is huge when it comes to the so-called “cap-and-trade” legislation being considered in Congress.  So wide, in fact, that few voters even know what the proposed legislation is all about.

U.S. Forced Chrysler's Creditors to Blink  —  President Barack Obama's auto task force heard a blunt message early this spring from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., the largest lender to Chrysler LLC.  In any deal to remake the troubled auto maker, Chrysler would have to repay its lenders all $6.9 billion it owed.

Pete Sessions: Obama Hurting Economy To Consolidate Power  —  Rep. Pete Sessions, head of the House Republican committee tasked with electing more GOP members, has a unique theory as to why unemployment continues to rise: Obama wants to wipe out capitalism.  —  Deep into a New York Times item Monday …

Kent sentenced to 33 months behind bars  —  Federal judge headed to prison for trying to hinder inquiry into sex offenses  —  Samuel Kent, who wielded power as a federal judge for 18 years, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison today for obstructing justice.

U.S. Soldier Kills 5 Comrades in Iraq, Military Says  —  BAGHDAD — The United States military said Monday that five American soldiers had been shot to death by a fellow soldier who opened fire on them at one of the biggest American bases in Baghdad, and that the suspected shooter was in custody.

Republicans and the ‘Public Option’  —  A case in which compromise means government health care.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  So Democrats have declared their willingness to use a parliamentary tactic to force a far-reaching restructuring of U.S. health care through Congress on a partisan vote.