Vulnerable GOPs want Palin to stay home  —  Republicans facing tough elections in 2010 don't want Sarah Palin campaigning with them.  —  Though the soon-to-be-former Alaska governor is seen as popular with the conservative grass roots, several Republicans said she'd help them by staying home in Wasilla.

The Stimulus Trap  —  As soon as the Obama administration-in-waiting announced its stimulus plan — this was before Inauguration Day — some of us worried that the plan would prove inadequate.  And we also worried that it might be hard, as a political matter, to come back for another round.

House Dems stall health bill unveiling  —  Rank-and-file Democrats stalled the introduction of a long-awaited health-care bill in the House on Thursday by conducting a letter-writing campaign of sorts to put forth their demands for changes to the legislation, even before its authors could unveil it.

Senator's Parents Gave Mistress Thousands  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John Ensign's wealthy parents gave almost $100,000 to his former lover and her family, ostensibly out of concern for their welfare and as part of a “pattern of generosity,” his lawyer disclosed Thursday.

High-Priced F-22 Fighter Has Major Shortcomings  —  The United States' top fighter jet, the Lockheed Martin F-22, has recently required more than 30 hours of maintenance for every hour in the skies, pushing its hourly cost of flying to more than $44,000, a far higher figure than for the warplane it replaces …

Watchdog group: Dozens of active-duty troops found on neo-Nazi site  —  WASHINGTON — It is the Facebook for the fascist set, and the typical online profiles of its members reveal expected tastes.  —  Favorite book: “Mein Kampf”  —  Favorite movie: the Nazi propaganda film “Triumph of the Will”

Johnston says Palin had eye on the money  —  RESIGNATION: Daughter's ex-fiance says governor also missed family time.  —  scockerham@adn.com  —  Levi Johnston, the former fiance of Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, on Thursday joined the crowd offering up potential reasons for Palin's decision to step down.

Specter: Sestak a ‘flagrant hypocrite’  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter called his fellow Democrat, Rep. Joe Sestak, a “flagrant hypocrite” and accused his rival of registering as a Democrat “just in time to run for Congress.”  —  Sestak has said that he will challenge Specter …

Supermax prison: Obama's books objectionable  —  McLEAN, Va. (AP) — The federal government's most secure prison has determined that two books written by President Barack Obama contain material “potentially detrimental to national security” and rejected an inmate's request to read them.

AIG Seeks Clearance For More Bonuses  —  $2.4 Million in Executive Payments Due Next Week  —  American International Group is preparing to pay millions of dollars more in bonuses to several dozen top corporate executives after an earlier round of payments four months ago set off a national furor.

With Sale of Good Assets, G.M. Out of Bankruptcy  —  General Motors completed a major step in its turnaround on Friday and closed the sale of its good assets to a new, government-backed carmaker, at a speed unimagined by auto and bankruptcy experts even six months ago.

Roland Burris won't run for Senate seat in 2010  —  Sneed has learned U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has decided NOT to seek election to the seat he fought the government to keep.  —  Sen. Burris is planning to announce his decision Friday by issuing a statement to the press.

TAIL TO THE CHIEF  —  O-GLER PREZ JOINS 'KOZY FOR A SUMMIT REAR VIEW  —  Baby got Barack!  —  The leader of the free world and his French counterpart were caught sneaking a peek at a the pink-satin-draped booty of a 17-year-old junior G-8 delegate just moments before the summit's official group photo was snapped in Italy yesterday.

House overwhelmingly rejects signing statement  —  The House rebuked President Obama for trying to ignore restrictions to international aid payments, voting overwhelmingly for an amendment forcing the administration to abide by its constraints.  —  House members approved an amendment …

CNN Poll: Do Americans want Sotomayor confirmed?  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Just three days before the start of Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, a new national poll indicates that by a narrow margin, Americans would like the Senate to confirm her as the next Supreme Court justice.

The Last Manned Fighter?  —  Mike Mullen thinks the F-35 may be the last manned fighter.  Various stakeholders don't like that idea, but Robert Farley thinks it's right: … I'm with Farley on this.  The point about cost savings is not totally intuitive and I don't think it's widely appreciated …

Whip Inflation Now  —  Over the past few decades, health care inflation has exceeded the general rise in prices by about 2.5 percent a year.  These inexorably rising costs are bankrupting the nation, walloping businesses and squeezing middle-class salaries.  —  Fortunately, the country now has an excellent opportunity to change that.

When Will The Recovery Begin?  Never.  —  The so-called “green shoots” of recovery are turning brown in the scorching summer sun.  In fact, the whole debate about when and how a recovery will begin is wrongly framed.  On one side are the V-shapers who look back at prior recessions and conclude …

New York Times Considers $5 Monthly Web-Access Fee  —  New York Times Co. said in a survey of print subscribers that it's considering a $5 monthly fee for access to its namesake newspaper's Web site.  —  Times Co. also asked whether subscribers would be willing to pay a discounted fee …

Ban on tobacco urged in military  —  WASHINGTON — Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end its sale on military property, a change that could dramatically alter a culture intertwined with smoking.

'My Cousin In Kenya Can't Get a Job Without Paying a Bribe': Obama Tells African Leaders to Get Their Houses in Order  —  ABC News' Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report:  —  L'AQUILA, ITALY — In a meeting this morning with the leaders of Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Libya and Ethiopia …

Issa wants lie detector tests for CIA briefings  —  A leading Republican on Thursday said lawmakers should be forced to take lie detector tests before receiving classified briefings, as debate intensified over lying between the intelligence community and Congress.

Economists Raise U.S. Outlook as Recession Fades, Survey Shows  —  The U.S. economy will expand faster than previously forecast in the second half of this year and in 2010 as a revival in consumer spending signals an end to the recession, a Bloomberg News survey showed.