The Washington Post fires its best columnist.  Why?  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III - Update IV)  —  One of the rarest commodities in the establishment media is someone who was a vehement critic of George Bush and who now, applying their principles consistently …

Khamenei tells Mousavi to toe the line over election or be cast out  —  The moderate Iranian leader who says that he was robbed of victory in last week's presidential election faces a fateful choice today: support the regime or be cast out.  —  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader …

Obama health plan imperiled  —  President Obama's campaign for health care reform by this fall, once considered highly likely to succeed, suddenly appears in real jeopardy.  —  Top White House advisers, especially Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, are still privately predicting massive changes to the health care system in 2009.

Boxer scolds Army General for not calling her “Senator”  —  Ever wonder what Eric Cartman might sound like if he was in Congress?  Wonder no more...  California Senator Barbara Boxer is a Senator.  And if you don't acknowledge it, she'll demand you acknowledge it.  Even if you're a General in the United States Army.

EXCLUSIVE: The Finance Committee's Health Reform Outline  —  A Senate source just passed me the latest outline of the Senate Finance Committee's health reform proposal.  This is the post-CBO revision.  Apparently, after the committee staff received the scores, they dug deep and quickly developed …

Google translates Persian  —  Today, we added Persian (Farsi) to Google Translate.  This means you can now translate any text from Persian into English and from English into Persian — whether it's a news story, a website, a blog, an email, a tweet or a Facebook message.

Mousavi Spokesman Smacks Obama  —  In an interview with the Washington Post's Foreign Policy blog, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, described as Mir Hussein Mousavi's “external spokesman,” had some sharp words for President Barack Obama's recent comments about the demonstrations in Tehran.

Legendary CBS journalist Walter Cronkite reportedly gravely ill  —  FROM STAFF REPORTS  —  Legendary CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, 92, long known as the “Most Trusted Man in America,” is gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources and published reports.

Japan warns that North Korea may fire missile at U.S. on Independence Day  —  North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on American Independence Day, according to Japanese intelligence officials.  —  The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles …

Obama Needs to Change Stance on Iran  —  President Obama's first response to the protests in Iran was silence, followed by a cautious, almost neutral stance designed to avoid “meddling” in Iranian affairs.  I am reminded of Ronald Reagan's initially neutral response to the crisis following …

CONSERVATIVE LADIES PRETTY IN MINK  —  Pretty in Mink: Conservative Leading Ladies  —  Playwright turned U.S. Ambassador Clare Boothe Luce (1903 - 1987) — the namesake of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute — was the editor of Vanity Fair, as well as a U.S. congresswoman from Connecticut.

Mom fined to tune of $1.9M for 24 illegal songs  —  (CNN) — A federal jury Thursday found a 32-year-old Minnesota woman guilty of illegally downloading music from the Internet and fined her $80,000 each — a total of $1.9 million — for 24 songs.  —  Jammie Thomas-Rasset's case …

Senator Beefcake?  —  Some revealing footage of Ohio Senate candidate Lee Fisher has emerged on YouTube, which features the bare-chested lieutenant governor sitting in his office writing a campaign memo.  —  “I just don't like being filmed at 12 in the morning when I'm exhausted and trying to do something …

White House Looks to Include Same-Sex Unions in Census Count  —  WASHINGTON — The White House said Thursday it was seeking ways to include same-sex marriages, unions and partnerships in 2010 Census data, the second time in a week the administration has signaled a policy change of interest to the gay community.

Obama's Pledge on Donations Faces Reality  —  WASHINGTON — When President Obama arrived at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a fund-raising reception on Thursday night, the new White House rules of political purity were in order: no lobbyists allowed.  —  But at the same downtown hotel on Friday morning …

Pick for Protocol Post Corrects Failure to File Taxes in 2 Years  —  President Obama's choice as chief of protocol for the State Department, a position that carries the status of an ambassadorship, did not file tax returns for 2005 and 2006, errors she corrected last November.

Fired Inspector General: I Want Congressional Hearings, Dammit!  —  Uh oh — looks like Gerald Walpin, who's been a hero on the right since he was abruptly fired as Inspector General by President Obama, is really turning up the heat on Obama now.  —  In an interview with us moments ago …

‘6% see US administration as pro-Israel’  —  Only 6 percent of Jewish Israelis consider the views of American President Barack Obama's administration pro-Israel, according to a new Jerusalem Post-sponsored Smith Research poll.  —  The poll, which has a margin of error of 4.5% …