Democrats Say C.I.A. Deceived Congress for Years  —  WASHINGTON — The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon E. Panetta, has told the House Intelligence Committee in closed-door testimony that the C.I.A. concealed “significant actions” from Congress from 2001 until late last month, seven Democratic committee members said.

Houston—er, Washington—We Have a Problem  —  On Wednesday, according to a Capitol Hill source, the Senate Finance Committee distributed to its members a list of about twenty ways to help pay for health care reform.  Everything you could imagine was on the list: Taxes on soda and cigarettes.

Tom Coburn knew of John Ensign's affair  —  Sen. Tom Coburn knew more than a year ago that his Republican colleague John Ensign was having an affair with a staffer - and he reportedly urged Ensign to end the relationship and pay a substantial sum of money to the staffer and her husband.

To go forward, GOP must snap out of its Sarah Palin spell  —  Gov. Sarah Palin is the political train wreck that keeps on giving.  First, she was an awful choice last year as John McCain's running mate.  I came to this conclusion with regret - I am one of McCain's biggest admirers.  —  But facts are facts.

Key Reason Palin Gave For Quitting May Be False  —  Updated below.  —  One of the chief reasons Sarah Palin has given for resigning as Governor of Alaska is that her state's taxpayers are being forced to spend money defending her government against ethics complaints that would otherwise fund teachers, cops, and road repair.

White House spells Obama's name wrong  —  Someone might want to look into whether an impostor took President Obama's place during his trip to Russia  —  In a release touting an agreement between Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev over how to craft a follow-up to the START arms reduction treaty …

Netanyahu's paranoia extends to ‘self-hating Jews’ Emmanuel and Axelrod  —  At about 3:15 P.M. yesterday, the government's 100th day in office, political correspondents' beepers went off.  In an unprecedented move, the Prime Minister's Bureau was inviting the correspondents to a press conference …

Billions in aid go to areas that backed Obama in '08  —  WASHINGTON — Billions of dollars in federal aid delivered directly to the local level to help revive the economy have gone overwhelmingly to places that supported President Obama in last year's presidential election.

Strategy corner: the 10 percent tripwire  —  Unless some tough decisions are made soon, rising jobless figures will most likely hit what could be a public opinion and political tripwire: 10 percent unemployment.  —  If and when the country crosses that line, it will be the No. 1 news story for days …

Brian Kilmeade Would Like Species and ‘Ethnics’ to Remain Pure  —  To stave off dementia!  Yes, today the befuddled screech owls on Fox & Friends were discussing a study that states that those that stay married fend off Alzheimer's and dementia better than lonely divorcees.  Brian Kilmeade took issue with this.

Subprime Returns as Housing Woe  —  In Atlanta, a Foreclosure Dichotomy Threatens Homes Values  —  The U.S. housing market is facing new downward pressure as holders of subprime-mortgage bonds flood the market with foreclosed homes at prices that are much lower than where many banks are willing to sell.

Akron police investigate teen mob attack on family  —  Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.  —  But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.  —  It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium.

Inquiry Begun on Hacking Cases at Murdoch Papers  —  LONDON — Britain's most senior police officer said Thursday he had ordered a preliminary inquiry into reports by The Guardian newspaper that Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper subsidiary paid about $1.6 million to settle court cases involving allegations …

Robert McNamara's and Sarah Palin's Bad Exit Strategies  —  Two vastly different public officials — Robert McNamara and Sarah Palin — shared the spotlight this past week, triggering fresh thoughts about one of the classic dilemmas of governmental careers: When and how do you quit?

Hands off Honduras!  —  It is perhaps predictable that the unrest in Honduras is being seized upon by the usual suspects in an attempt to exploit the situation to draw conclusions that are completely unwarranted by what is taking place.  Neocons are hailing the removal of a “leftist” president while liberals are shouting “coup.”

Cities Lose Out on Road Funds From Federal Stimulus  —  Two-thirds of the country lives in large metropolitan areas, home to the nation's worst traffic jams and some of its oldest roads and bridges.  But cities and their surrounding regions are getting far less than two-thirds of federal transportation stimulus money.

Polls say it's time Sanford resigns  —  But signs say he's likely to stay on as governor  —  Jeff Neipp of Greenwood campaigned for Mark Sanford during both of the Republican's races for governor.  —  Now, Neipp wants Sanford — caught in a scandal after disappearing from the country to secretly visit his lover — to resign.

Uncommon Detail Marks Rulings by Sotomayor  —  She Almost Oversteps Her Role, Experts Say  —  Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's opinions show support for the rights of criminal defendants and suspects, skepticism of corporations, and sympathy for plaintiffs alleging discrimination …

China replacing U.S. as top trade partner in Latin America  —  RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — All but invisible in Latin America a decade ago, China now is building cars in Uruguay, donating a soccer stadium to Costa Rica and lending $10 billion to Brazil's biggest oil company.

Miss Obama's peacenik T-shirt sends a message to G8 leaders  —  Her father had just won agreement from the Russians to cut back on the world's stockpiles of nuclear weapons.  —  And Barack Obama's eldest daughter was obviously keen to make her own statement on the issue - even if it was merely a fashion statement.