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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Bachmann Boasts About Breaking The Law: I'm Refusing To Fill Out The Census  —  Next year, the 2010 Census will be sent to every American household, as required by the U.S. Constitution.  The far right has issued dire warnings of the Census; on a May 29th episode of Bill Bennett's radio show …