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 …

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 …

Obama Sought to Enlist a Wide Consensus on Finance Rules  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama's plan to reshape financial regulation, which he will unveil on Wednesday, is the product of weeks of meetings among government officials, financial experts, lawmakers, industry executives and lobbyists …

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 …

BREAKING: HRC official & former top Clinton aide pull out of DNC gay fundraiser; Blade plans to photograph and video gay donors who attend  —  UPDATE: Show Obama you mean business, donate to AMERICAblog.  —  It's over, folks.  A lot of us have been saying that if Marty Rouse …

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 …

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 …

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.

Health insurers refuse to limit rescission of coverage  —  Workers received high marks on performance reviews after policies were rescinded, documents show.  The health insurer denies the practice is a factor in evaluations.  —  Blue Cross of California encouraged employees through performance evaluations …

Reid Clarifies His Position On DADT: ‘We Would Welcome A Legislative Proposal From The White House’  —  During a press conference yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) attracted attention when a reporter asked him whether the Senate will be pushing for a bill to repeal “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” (DADT):