Ensign Acknowledges Extramarital Affair  —  UPDATE, 6:55 p.m.: In a press conference moments ago, Ensign admitted the affair but seemed resolved to remain in political life.  “Last year I had an affair,” said Ensign.  “I violated the vows of my marriage.”  Ensign did not name the woman …

Iran's senior ayatollah slams election, confirming split  —  Mousavi supporters streaming down Vali Asr Street in Tehran Tuesday.  —  TEHRAN, Iran — Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main rival in the disputed presidential election, Mir Hossein Mousavi …

U.S. to Extend Its Job Benefits to Gay Partners  —  President Obama will sign a presidential memorandum on Wednesday to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, administration officials said Tuesday evening, but he will stop short of pledging full health insurance coverage.

Key Obama Ally Says President Obama Did Not Follow the Law in IG Firing  —  After being briefed today on President Obama's firing last week of Gerald Walpin, Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said the president did not abide …

Letterman protest draws more media than activists  —  NEW YORK (CNN) — A protest rally against David Letterman over a failed joke about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her daughter attracted more members of the media than protesters Tuesday afternoon.  —  A crowd of 15 protesters upset …

Obama Blueprint Deepens Federal Role in Markets  —  Plan to Overhaul Financial Regulation Focuses on Consumer Protection, Risk  —  The Obama administration last night detailed a series of proposals to involve the government more deeply in private markets, from helping to steer borrowers …

Dems reel on healthcare  —  Congressional Democrats and the White House are scrambling to regain their footing after a series of setbacks has stalled political momentum to reform the nation's healthcare system.  —  Despite having a popular president in the White House and comfortable majorities in Congress …

E-Mail Surveillance Renews Concerns in Congress  —  WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency is facing renewed scrutiny over the extent of its domestic surveillance program, with critics in Congress saying its recent intercepts of the private telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans …

McCain Unhinged  —  For two years now, John McCain has been entirely consistent on Iran: every last statement he's made—at least, those that I've seen—has been (a) fabulously uninformed and (b) dangerously bellicose.  He's still at it, apparently.  There is no question that President Obama's …

Obama frets on debt, sees U.S. unemployment rising  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that worrying about the U.S. government's finances “keeps me awake at night” and the country needed to start planning now to tackle soaring deficits.

HALPERIN'S TAKE: 10 True Things About President Obama His Opponents Are Wrong About  —  1. He will not pressure Israel into some deal that will undermine its security.  —  2. He will not push for a health care plan without regard for cost savings.  —  3. He is not captive to his party's liberal interest groups.

Pardon Me, Sir, But is My Eye Hurting Your Elbow? … Sorry to say, the world can be divided into two kinds of people—those who apologize, and those who don't.  Among the former is David Letterman, a man so sorry he apologized to Sarah Palin twice; and Harry Whittington, above …

The Politics of Controlled Crisis  —  Longtime AI commenter John Thacker, at Marginal Revolution: … I have asked this question a number of times, less pithily.  Few wonks are even willing to acknowledge that expanding a program does not usually make it then easier to reform.

U.S. State Department speaks to Twitter over Iran  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department contacted the social networking service Twitter over the weekend to urge it to delay a planned upgrade that could have cut daytime service to Iranians, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.