Letterman Top Ten: Palin has a “slutty flight attendant look”; Audio: “Pathetic,” says Palin  —  I bet Ashley Herzog's bummed he didn't pull this a day earlier, huh?  It would have made a sweet addition to her latest column.  The best part: Letterman wondering why Slutty Flight Attendant didn't stop by the show.

Deeds Surges to Stunning Win in Va.  —  Running with the least money and fewest ties to vote-rich Northern Virginia, State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds has won the three-way Democratic primary for governor, paving the way for a rematch with Republican Bob McDonnell in the fall.

Biden pushes envelope with praise  —  Vice President Joe Biden offered an exuberant endorsement of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor at a White House event Tuesday - but some legal analysts believe he went too far by suggesting she would rule in favor of police if confirmed.

Governor Palin?  We Can Still Hear You Up Here...  There were several things that jumped out at Alaskans from the Hannity/Palin interview that taped on Sunday and aired the following night on Fox.  First was the gooey missive on how great it is that Alaskans own the resources of the state …

Palau to Take Chinese Guantánamo Detainees  —  WASHINGTON — The United States has won an agreement to transfer up to 17 Chinese Muslims from the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Palau, a sparsely populated archipelago in the North Pacific, according to a statement released …

Court clears Chrysler sale, without dissent  —  UPDATE 8:29 p.m. Word was circulating in Washington and New York Tuesday night that the Chrysler deal could be wrapped up as early as Wednesday morning, with the electronic transfer of funds to pay Chrysler for most of its existing assets.

Nine Banks to Repay TARP Money  —  At Least $50 Billion in U.S. Bailout Funds Is Expected to Be Recovered With Unexpected Speed  —  The Treasury Department expects an initial payback from the nation's largest banks of at least $50 billion in bailout funds, according to people familiar with the matter …

Rampaging militants kill 11, injure 50 in Peshawar hotel  —  PESHAWAR: A huge explosion ripped through the sole five-star hotel of the Frontier province's metropolis on Tuesday evening, killing 11 people.  A foreign national was among the dead.  —  More than 50 people, including foreigners, were injured.

Let it come down … Possibly the baddest few lines of script and stage direction in Shakespeare's plays, and here I've gone and appropriated it for a boring post on President Obama's looming budget deficits.  * This is reason no. 502 why the internet sucks.

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL): I Told China Not To Believe U.S. Budget Numbers  —  Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) now appears to have taken a bold step in the debate over the budget deficit: Openly telling a foreign government not to trust the administration in Washington.  —  The Straits Times reports …

U.S. Lawmakers Feud Over Legislation Banning Release of ‘Torture’ Photos  —  Two senators who added an amendment to a war spending bill that prohibits the release of so-called “torture” photos are threatening a filibuster if House Democrats strip out the provision.  —  FOXNews.com

Blue Dogs Backsliding On Anti-Health Care Reform Backsliding  —  Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is “unwavering” in her opposition to a Blue Dog Coalition health care position issued late last week, she said Tuesday.  The Blue Dogs, a caucus of conservative Democrats, issued a set of principles opposing …

Voight on Obama: The president is a ‘false prophet’  —  • President Obama  —  The hope of the Republican Party: A combo ticket with Jon Voight and Sarah Palin...the combined intellect and spiritual resonance of a newt...all designed to lead us out of darkness.  —  Ruth, Orlando

Katie Couric Tells Princeton Grads to Avoid ‘Nastiness,’ Then Takes Swipes at Sarah Palin, Carrie Prejean  —  (CNSNews.com) - CBS News Anchor Katie Couric told Princeton's graduating seniors last week that they should avoid “nastiness” and then mocked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin …

Budget woes have Oakland mulling bankruptcy  —  Even though city officials would prefer to avoid a public conversation, behind closed doors the Oakland City Council has discussed filing for bankruptcy protection in the midst of a $100 million budget deficit.

Democrats Nearing Consensus on Health Plan  —  WASHINGTON — A broad consensus on the contours of legislation to remake the nation's health care system appeared to be developing among Democratic leaders on Tuesday as three House committee chairmen outlined a bill generally similar to one being written in the Senate.

Murdered Doctor's Abortion Clinic Shuttered  —  The Wichita abortion clinic run by a doctor who was shot and killed will remain closed permanently, his family said on Tuesday.  —  Dr. George R. Tiller's clinic was one of the few in the country to provide abortions to women late in their pregnancies …

Return of the Once-Rare Beaver?  Not in My Yard.  —  CONCORD, Mass. — The dozens of public works officials, municipal engineers, conservation agents and others who crowded into a meeting room here one recent morning needed help.  Property in their towns was flooding, they said.  Culverts were clogged.

Poll Finds Paterson Deeply Unpopular  —  Fourteen months after being elevated to the governor's job, David A. Paterson is deeply unpopular among New Yorkers, who doubt his ability to grapple with the state's increasingly bleak economic situation, according to a poll by The New York Times, Cornell University and NY1 News.

Lawsuits Force Disclosures by C.I.A.  —  WASHINGTON — So far, President Obama has managed to curb Congressional calls for a national commission to investigate Bush administration detention policies.  But Mr. Obama cannot control the courts, and lawsuits are turning out to be the force driving disclosures about brutal interrogations.