A Setback Of His Own  —  There are no friends in politics, just interests.  Some in the White House relearned that dictum this week, as their party dissolved into factions, and largely knelt down in front ofRepublican political priorities.  —  As usual, administration officials won't concede …

Krauthammer  —  The usual neoconservative malingerers have been hammering me about a quote I gave to Politico, regarding Charles Krauthammer's limitations as a columnist.  —  Obviously, I didn't mean to imply second-class status for disabled people.  On the contrary, the distance and perspective …

California voters exercise their power — and that's the problem  —  Residents relish their role in the lawmaking process, but they share the blame for the state's severe dysfunction.  —  Californians are well known for periodic voter revolts, but on Tuesday they did more than just lash …

Powell to Rush, Cheney: Room for me among ‘emerging’ Republican Party  —  Colin Powell issued a sharp rebuke Tuesday night to Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney for trying to exclude him from the backbiting Republican Party.  —  Before some 1,500 business leaders in Boston …

Specter defends Pelosi, questions CIA's honesty  —  Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) took the opportunity Wednesday to defend House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who has come under fire in recent weeks over a controversy surrounding when she was told of the use of enhanced interrogation techniques being used by the CIA.

CNN Poll: Obama moving US in right direction  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the Republican Party gets ready to condemn what they call the Democrats ‘march to socialism’, a new national poll indicates that most Americans believe President Barack Obama's policies would move the country in the right direction.

Judge Wood Goes to Washington  —  Just two days after Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's sudden appearance in Washington set off a flurry of speculation about Supreme Court interviews, here's something that actually could be significant:  —  Federal Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood …

Peace isn't Arab goal  —  WHO FAVORS a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict?  —  President Obama does, of course, as he made clear in welcoming Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Monday.  So does former president George W. Bush …

1 in 7 Freed Detainees Rejoins Fight, Report Found  —  WASHINGTON — An unreleased Pentagon report provides new details concluding that about one in seven of the 534 prisoners already transferred abroad from the detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has returned to terrorism or militant activity …

Bristol Palin Exposes Her Sometimes Isolated Life  —  Bristol Palin's pretty, lightly freckled face was nowhere to be seen on the overhead screen as images from her high-school senior slideshow - photos from the prom and a Class of 2009 portrait set against the Alaska snow - played during May 14's Wasilla High commencement ceremony.

Bloggers To The NRSC: Stay Out Of Primaries  —  It was disappointing to many Republicans to see the National Republican Senatorial Committee get involved in the Charlie Crist vs. Marco Rubio primary in Florida.  —  We've had the leadership of the Republican Party saying we need …

Exclusive: SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Asked Court to Delay Prop 8 Ruling  —  Confidential sources close to San Francisco City Hall told Towleroad's Corey Johnson that the California Supreme Court was prepared to release its opinion on Proposition 8 tomorrow, but decided to delay the ruling after a call from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

ADIOS, NEW YORK  —  TAXED OUT OF THE STATE  —  I LOVE New York.  But how much should it cost to call New York home?  Decades of out-of-control budgets, spending hikes and relentless borrowing have made New York simply too expensive.  —  Politicians like to talk about incentives …

Feinstein: California prisons are ‘eminently capable of holding’ Guantanamo detainees.  —  Since President Obama announced his goal to shut down the Guantanamo prison, conservatives have fearmongered that it would mean terrorists would be coming to Americans' “backyards.”

The Climate Lobby's Nonstop Growth  —  NOT JUST THE USUAL SUSPECTS: POWER COMPANIES AND BIG OIL, BUT MICROSOFT, GOOGLE, AND EBAY AS WELL  —  Makers of sneakers, blue jeans, and computer network servers joined forces late last fall and vowed a bigger push in Congress on climate change.

The Moral Hazard of a State Bailout  —  If the government does bail out the muni bond market, how should it go about things?  The initial assumption is that they'll only guarantee existing debt.  Otherwise, it would be like handing the keys to the treasury to every mayor, county board …

Giuliani Duke Golf Lawsuit Shanks  —  Judge recommends dismissal of Rudy kid's action against university  —  In an opinion peppered with golf references and a quote from “Caddyshack” star Bill Murray, a federal magistrate has recommended the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Rudolph Giuliani's son …

Nationalize Martin Luther King Jr.  —  We are in the process of nationalizing and/or federalizing vast stretches of our economy, including the auto industry, banks, and health care.  Individual property rights have taken a back seat to political priorities.

The Phony Debate About Torture  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney has triggered a roaring debate by his recent and repeated claim that torture “worked.”  Last week, Senator Lindsay Graham echoed the claim that torture “works” and added that is has for five hundred years (a timescale which connects us to the Spanish Inquisition).