As Confrontation Deepens, Iran's Leader to Speak  —  TEHRAN — As another day of defiance and uncertainty loomed in Iran's capital on Friday, it was increasingly apparent that there was no clear path out of a deepening confrontation that has posed the most serious challenge to the Islamic republic in its 30-year history.

Obama Misses the Point With Iran Response  —  Millions of Iranians take to the streets to defy a theocratic dictatorship that, among its other finer qualities, is a self-declared enemy of America and the tolerance and liberties it represents.  The demonstrators are fighting on their own …

Text of Doug Hampton's letter to Fox News  —  Editor's note: Doug Hampton, the husband of Cynthia Hampton, who had an affair with Sen. John Ensign, explains in a letter to a Fox News Channel anchorwoman, Megyn Kelly, how the senator's affair with his wife has"completely ruined" the couple's lives.

FINANCE COMMITTEE PUNTS ON PUBLIC OPTION.... The Senate Finance Committee is moving forward with its health care reform plan.  It's not exactly encouraging. … It's the result of negotiations between Baucus, two other Democratic senators on the committee, and four Finance Committee Republicans.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Launching Facebook in Persian  —  Since the Iranian election last week, people around the world have increasingly been sharing news and information on Facebook about the results and its aftermath.  Much of the content created and shared has been in Persian—the native language of Iran …

At fundraiser, Obama laughs at critics  —  As he looks to expand Democratic majorities in Congress, President Obama on Thursday night also used a fundraiser for his congressional allies to target his critics.  —  The president, speaking at a joint fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee …

House expected to vote on Iranian resolution  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Friday on a resolution that supports “all Iranians who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law.”

Coburn meets court pick; Inhofe skips opportunity  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Coburn had a private visit on Thursday with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor and said they had a “philosophical discussion.”  —  “General stuff,” Coburn said when asked what the two talked about.

Obama press secretary chronically tardy  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs delayed the start of his daily briefing Thursday — which is only remarkable for the fact it's so unremarkable.  —  The Bush White House briefings were only rarely delayed.

U.S. Fortifies Hawaii to Meet Threat From Korea  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. is moving ground-to-air missile defenses to Hawaii as tensions escalate between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's recent moves to restart its nuclear-weapon program and resume test-firing long-range missiles.

Out of the Shadows  —  Would the Obama administration's plan for financial reform do what has to be done?  Yes and no.  —  Yes, the plan would plug some big holes in regulation.  But as described, it wouldn't end the skewed incentives that made the current crisis inevitable.  —  Let's start with the good news.

Obama Allies Target Insurance Companies in New TV Ad  —  ABC News' David Chalian Reports: Health Care for America Now (HCAN), one of the leading interest groups on the left fighting for health care reform that includes a public option, is launching a 10-day, $1.1 million TV ad campaign …