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 …

W.H.: Fired IG ‘confused, disoriented’  —  President Barack Obama removed a government agency's internal watchdog last week and plans to fire him in part because he was “confused” and “disoriented” at a meeting last month, the White House said in a letter to Congress Tuesday night.

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

I'm pretty sure this is why Juan Williams isn't allowed to associate himself with NPR when he appears on The O'Reilly Factor  —  If folks didn't see this clip from Monday night, it's a beaut.  Not only does the reliable O'Reilly backstop Juan Williams eagerly assure the host that he was right …

More Neocon Buffoonery  —  You would think that the Neocons would be a tad temperate after having gotten so many things wrong for so long.  But look at the way the amiable Weekly Standard writer and Dick Cheney biographer, Steven Hayes, takes a shot at President Obama for insufficiently supporting the protesters in Iran.

How Will We Pay For The Health Care Plan?  —  (CBS) “How are we going to pay for that, Mr. President?”  Sen. John McCain has asked.  —  That one question - how the nation really pays for health reform - just got a shocking wake up call.  The Congressional Budget Office, or CBO …

Iran's soccer team wears symbolic green bands  —  TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Members of Iran's national soccer team wore green arm and wrist bands Wednesday during their World Cup qualifying match against South Korea.  —  The team does not normally wear green bands.

The Ensign affair vs. the Conyers case  —  Ugh.  What a wretched dog.  GOP Sen. John Ensign of Nevada cheated on his beautiful wife — the mother of his three children — with a campaign aide who was married to one of his Senate staffers.  He rode his high horse as a guardian of marriage and Promise Keepers.

Ahmadinejad's Millions of Photoshopped Supporters  —  With the world press confined to quarters, and only the Islamic Republic's propaganda station, Press TV reporting on what is happening, it is difficult to get a clear picture of whether there is any real support for the regime and Ahmedinejad's candidacy.

Please Don't Fire Sherri Goforth; She's Just Pus on a Festering Wound  —  It is easy, maybe proper, to call for the firing of Sherri Goforth after she sent a racist email from the office of Senator Diane Black.  Yes, it's hard to see your good tax money supporting a half-wit bigot.  But please don't fire her.

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 …

Obama takes aim at Fox News  —  (CNN) - Brushing off suggestions Tuesday the media is not critical enough of his administration, President Obama couldn't help but take aim at one cable news channel in particular.  —  “It's very hard for me to swallow that one,” Obama told CNBC when asked whether he thinks the media is too easy on him.