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 …

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 …

Poll: Obama, headed to Middle East, is winning Arab hearts  —  WASHINGTON — As President Barack Obama prepares to journey to Egypt on June 4 to address the Muslim world, his overtures to the Middle East are paying off in positive feelings towards him from Arab peoples that far outpace …

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 …

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.

Deficit Now Projected at $1.8 Trillion for 2009  —  The director of the Congressional Budget Office today updated his projections for the budget and economic outlook and is now anticipating a $1.8 trillion deficit this year, and $1.4 trillion in 2010.  —  This is up from CBO director Douglas …

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.

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 …

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.

A Cautionary Video About America's ‘Stuff’  —  The thick-lined drawings of the Earth, a factory and a house, meant to convey the cycle of human consumption, are straightforward and child-friendly.  So are the pictures of dark puffs of factory smoke and an outlined skull and crossbones …