Democrats in Senate Block Money to Close Guantánamo  —  WASHINGTON — In an abrupt shift, Senate Democratic leaders said on Tuesday that they would not provide the $80 million that President Obama requested to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Schwarzenegger's 3rd budget reform attempt flops  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to permanently fix California's “broken budget system.”  But three times now he has tried and failed to smooth out the state's roller coaster revenues.

Democrats' Assault On the CIA  —  In a little over 100 days, the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress have delivered a series of blows to the pride and morale of the Central Intelligence Agency.  —  It began with the release of the Justice Department memos …

Advocates of Gun Rights Are Poised for a Victory  —  WASHINGTON — Advocates of gun rights are poised to win a Congressional victory that eluded them under a Republican president.  —  To the frustration and discouragement of many Democrats, House and Senate lawmakers and aides …

Washington Sketch: When Steele Talks, Republicans Check Their BlackBerrys  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, working the room at a luncheon gathering of party officials yesterday, had the same parting words for each man he met: “Stay out of trouble.”

Cheney Grabs a Third Term  —  Dick and Rummy are at Cafe Milano in Georgetown, holding court.  The maître d' fawns.  Waiters hover.  Tourists snap pics on their digital cameras.  Cable chatterers stop by to ingratiate themselves.  —  It isn't so much that Dick and Rummy are back.

Arms Sent by U.S. May Be Falling Into Taliban Hands  —  KABUL — Insurgents in Afghanistan, fighting from some of the poorest and most remote regions on earth, have managed for years to maintain an intensive guerrilla war against materially superior American and Afghan forces.

Why the U.S. should listen to India's voters  —  Last November 131, million Americans voted, and the whole world took notice.  Over the last month, about 700 million Indians voted, and most Americans, like most of the world, didn't much notice.  To be sure, American elections are more important …

Is California Too Big to Fail?  —  So what about California?  A reader asks.  Ummm, that's a tough one.  No, wait, it's not: California is completely, totally, irreparably hosed.  And not a little garden hose.  More like this.  Their outflow is bigger than their inflow.

Anderson Cooper Says “Teabagging” Comment Was “Stupid, Silly”  —  CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke at UCLA Sunday as part of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture Series, and was asked about his “teabagging” comment last month during the Q&A portion.  —  Here is a video of his response, taken by an audience member.

Feingold Blocks Bill to Honor Reagan  —  Republicans are trying to pass legislation in the next few weeks to kick off the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth, and the only hurdle appears to be Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who is refusing to let the Senate vote on the bill.

U.S. May Add New Financial Watchdog  —  The Obama administration is actively discussing the creation of a regulatory commission that would have broad authority to protect consumers who use financial products as varied as mortgages, credit cards and mutual funds, according to several sources familiar with the matter.

Judge rejects Obama view on detaining Al Qaeda supporters  —  A federal judge has rejected aspects of the Obama administration's definition of who can legally be held as a prisoner in the war on terror.  —  In a 22-page decision issued Tuesday evening, U.S. District Court Judge John Bates ruled …

Pentagon: No plans to end don't ask-don't tell  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says it has no plans to repeal the don't ask-don't tell policy for gay troops.  —  Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Tuesday that the military's top leaders have only had initial discussions with the White House …

The Guy Behind the Palin Pick  —  RICK'S PICK  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can thank Washington lobbyist and political consultant Rick Davis, chief executive officer of John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, for being the ultimate pick to become the Republican vice presidential candidate.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON NATIONAL FUEL EFFICIENCY STANDARDS  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.  Thank you.  Please, everybody have a seat — have a seat.  What an extraordinary day.  The sun is out because good things are happening.  Before I get started, just some preliminary introductions …

Judging Obama's Nominee  —  As President Obama decides on a Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice David Souter, Senate Republicans must decide whether they will abide by the standard they used in confirming Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer during Bill Clinton's first term …

CORRECTED - UPDATE 1-GM bankruptcy plan eyes quick sale to gov't  —  General Motors Corp's (GM.N) plan for a bankruptcy filing involves a quick sale of the company's healthy assets to a new company initially owned by the U.S. government, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

Stack of Stuff Quick Hits Page  —  Story #1: Monkey Fossil Hailed as the Missing Link  —  RUSH: Drudge had as a lead item up there this morning on his page a story from the UK, Sky News: “Scientists Unveil Missing Link In Evolution.”  It's all about how Darwin would be thrilled to be alive today.

Kaine to Pawlenty: Drop Coleman  —  Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine urged Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday to call on fellow Republican Norm Coleman to drop his bid for the contested Minnesota Senate seat.  —  “No one will deny that the race was incredibly close …