The Washington Post fires its best columnist.  Why?  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  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, has become a regular critic …

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 …

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 …

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.

‘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% …

The lessons of 1937  —  In a guest article, Christina Romer says policymakers must learn from the errors that prolonged the Depression  —  AT A recent congressional hearing I cautiously noted some “glimmers of hope” that the economy could stabilise and perhaps start to rebound later in the year.

Kenneth Starr Endorses Sotomayor  —  Kenneth Starr, the lawyer who chased after President Bill Clinton and his wife, said on Thursday that he supports President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee, federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor.  —  Starr voiced his backing of Sotomayor …

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 …

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 …

Olive Garden pulls Letterman ads  —  Following a week of back and forth between CBS late night comic David Letterman and Sarah Palin over a crude joke he told about the Alaska Republican governor's daughter, the Olive Garden restaurant says it is cancelling all of its scheduled ads on Letterman's “Late Show” for the rest of the year.

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 …

Bill Posey, Congressional Birther, Finds Some Friends and Bashes ‘Angry Woman’ Rachel Maddow  —  Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.), who has introduced a bill that would require future presidential candidates to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, has collected four more co-sponsors — Reps. John R. Carter …

Gay Dems complain DNC cut off funding, drop support for Biden event  —  Theboard of directors of the National Stonewall Democrats are dropping their support for a June 25 DNC fundraiser with Vice President Joe Biden over, they wrote in an email obtained by POLITICO, a combination of policy slights …

PETA wishes Obama hadn't swatted that fly  —  Rights group seeks compassion for curious and ‘least sympathetic animals’  —  WASHINGTON - The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

CIA Reaches Out to Financial Analysts  —  Siobhan Gorman covers intelligence.  —  Downsized investment bankers: Fear not.  The Central Intelligence Agency wants you.  —  Capitalizing on the financial crisis, the CIA had launched a recruiting campaign targeting Wall Streeters with an appeal to patriotism.

‘Special Report’ Panel on White House's Latest Response to Iran  —  This is a rush transcript of “Special Report With Bret Baier” from June 17, 2009.  This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.  —  ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think the president has been clear …

Ensign Defends Payments to Woman He Had Affair With  —  According to a memo issued by his office, Ensign's payments to the Hampton family were all above board.  In the months during his affair with Cynthia Hampton, treasurer of his political committees, Ensign increased her pay.