Democrats Say C.I.A. Deceived Congress  —  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.

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.

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.

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 …

Independents begin to edge away from President Obama  —  In a potentially alarming trend for the White House, independent voters are deserting President Barack Obama nationally and especially in key swing states, recent polls suggest.  —  Obama's job approval rating hit a — still healthy …

Coburn: Ensign flap manipulated  —  Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Thursday issued a blistering attack on Doug Hampton, the husband of Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) mistress, saying that he was “manipulating” the scandal by providing false information from private discussions about restitution for Ensign's affair with Hampton's wife.

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.

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.

DeMint: America is ‘Where Germany Was Before World War II’  —  Last night, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) gave a short talk and Q&A at at the National Press Club about his book “Saving Freedom.”  DeMint told a room of around 100 people about a conversation he'd had with an Iranian immigrant …

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 …

Updated: Hoyer-linked firm wins $18M Recovery.gov contract  —  ABC reports this morning that the Maryland firm Smartronix has won what seems like an enormous $18 million contract to re-design the Recovery.gov website.  Approximately $9.5 million would be spent by January in order to make …

Bing Now Bigger Than Digg, Twitter and CNN  —  With the headlines that Microsoft's new search engine Bing has been grabbing, it's easy to forget that it only went live about a month ago.  Since its launch at the beginning of June, it has given Google pause and even had its own web infomercial.

Who Is Michael Steele Grooming?  —  The latest in a never-ending series of gaffes from the RNC chairman: … Given that Palin is basically in a statistical tie with Romney and Huckabee for the pole position in the 2012 primary, it's not clear why Steele keeps shooting his mouth off …

White House denies manufacturer's boast that First Lady carried their $5,950 bag  —  Is First Lady Michelle Obama sporting a taste for ultra-expensive fashion pieces, or is she cementing her status as a savvy shopper?  —  Back in April she wore a pair of $540 Lanvin sneakers at a Washington food bank.

A SHAKY STORY STARTS TO LOOK WORSE.... The rationale for Sarah Palin's resignation has never made sense, but it seems even less clear now.  —  One of the few specific points the governor has raised deals with “frivolous” ethics violations filed by her political enemies.

King's New Rationale For Voting Against Slave Labor Resolution: It Wasn't ‘A Balanced Depiction Of History’  —  Yesterday, a number of blogs reported that right-wing Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was the lone dissenter on a House vote to acknowledge the role that slave labor had in constructing the U.S. Capitol.

Protesters, officers clash violently in Iran's streets  —  Over 1,000 demonstrators gather in Tehran, continuing to protest the June 12 presidential election.  Security forces fire tear gas and beat protesters.  Many people wear masks to hide their identities.

Firefighters to testify about Sotomayor  —  Republicans will call two New Haven firefighters to testify in the confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor next week, making clear the GOP's intent to place affirmative action at the center of Senate battle over Sotomayor's nomination.

Republican recruiting successes  —  Candidate recruitment is one of the strongest leading indicators for future political success—and the National Republican Senatorial Committee's recent string of landing top candidates portends a better-than-expected 2010 election cycle for the GOP.

AIDS Activists Arrested After Shutting Down Capitol Rotunda  —  A group of 26 AIDS activists chained themselves to each other in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday morning, startling visitors, shutting down the landmark area and prompting their arrest by Capitol Police.

Palin defends ‘millions’ ethics price claim  —  TALLY: Record requests, ethics complaints, lawsuits, troopergate given price tag.  —  scockerham@adn.com  —  Gov. Sarah Palin, explaining her stunning resignation announcement, has repeatedly said attacks on her since she ran for vice president …