GOP headache: The birther issue  —  So far, Hoekstra hasn't faced any such questions.  —  “When you're in a state with 15.2 percent unemployment,” he said, “most people have other things on their mind than this.”  —  But as if to illustrate the touchiness of the subject, Hoekstra quickly added: “Not that this isn't important.”

Palin's “Mad as Hell” Speech  —  Outgoing Alaska Governor Lashes Out at Media in Resignation Address, But Will It Work in the Long Term?  —  (CBS) This story was written by CBS News digital journalist Scott Conroy and director of political coverage Steve Chaggaris.

An Incoherent Truth  —  Right now the fate of health care reform seems to rest in the hands of relatively conservative Democrats — mainly members of the Blue Dog Coalition, created in 1995.  And you might be tempted to say that President Obama needs to give those Democrats what they want.

Gates caller says she didn't cite race  —  Woman laments media accounts  —  The woman whose report of a possible house break-in led to the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. said she never mentioned race during her 911 call and is “personally devastated” …

Pelosi unpopular?  'I don't care'  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the most despised political figures in the country.  —  And, frankly, she doesn't give a damn.  —  “No, I don't care,” Pelosi told POLITICO last Thursday, laughing heartily as she walked beneath the Capitol dome and plunged into a crowd of tourists.

Amid New Scrutiny, John Yoo Rebuts Critics of Detainee Memos  —  Quietly but Forcefully, Author of Detainee Memos Rebuts Critics  —  Some public figures, if their judgment and ethics come under fire, retreat into solitude.  Then there is John C. Yoo.  —  The former Justice Department official …

It's Shepard Smith time  —  With his ratings soaring, the Fox News anchor enjoys his moment - and becomes a lightning rod  —  NEW YORK - Commercial break.  The cameras have stopped rolling on the set of “Studio B,” the 3 p.m. newscast on the Fox News Channel.

What the NYT's 8,100-word Valerie Jarrett profile didn't tell you  —  Here is a perfect example of why I wrote Culture of Corruption (officially out today — I'll be launching on Hannity radio and TV.)  —  Over the weekend, the New York Times published a massive, 8,100-word profile …

Anti-Obama Rally in Jerusalem  —  Follow Israel news on and .  —  (IsraelNN.com) For the first time in years, the nationalist camp will hold a large scale rally against United States policies vis-à-vis Israel.  —  The protest will be held in downtown Jerusalem …

Conyers Sees No Point in Members Reading 1,000-Page Health Care Bill—Unless They Have 2 Lawyers to Interpret It for Them  —  (CNSNews.com) - During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.) …

Climate study puts Incas' success down to 400 years of warm weather  —  Supreme military organisation and a flair for agricultural invention are traditionally credited for the rise of the Incas.  However, their success may have owed more to a spell of good weather — a spell that lasted for more than 400 years.

Finally, Action on Gay Soldiers  —  Blogs and Stories  —  The Daily Beast has learned that the Senate, prompted by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, will hold hearings on “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”—a first since 1993, despite Obama's campaign promises.  —  After determining she didn't have enough votes …

An Artery of Opium a Vein of Taliban  —  Sangin, Afghanistan

Forget Aloof, Bernanke Goes Barnstorming  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ben S. Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, is on a publicity campaign with a message: the central bank is here to help, and it is not as mysterious or menacing as people might think.

Interview with Senator John Thune  —  RCP: Let me start by asking you about the (conceal and carry) amendment yesterday.  Was that a surprise, did you think you had the votes?  —  Senator Thune: Well, they were whipping it hard.  I mean, those guys were really breaking arms on it.

Sorry to State the Obvious, But ...  For all the obvious reasons, I hesitate to even enter this discussion.  But (famous last words) I can't help myself.  —  As you know, high on the list of current right-wing conspiracy theorizing (and sort of a stalking horse for underlying beliefs …

CDC Tops Agency Ratings; Federal Reserve Board Lowest  —  NASA ratings remain high, while Federal Reserve has lost ground  —  PRINCETON, NJ — At a time when Americans are discouraged about the direction of the country and hesitant about the scope of President Barack Obama's federal budget plans …

The War We'd Like to Forget  —  It was the kind of symbolic moment that George W. Bush must have yearned for during the Iraq war's darkest days.  Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the prime minister of a sovereign (sort of), stable (up to a point) and democratic (within limits) Republic of Iraq came …

‘Impeach Obama’ bumper stickers spark a shopping mall protest  —  CHARLOTTE, N.C. — While protesters rallied in his support, the owner of a Concord Mills kiosk that sells conservative merchandise said he met with the mall's manager Sunday to see what arrangements can be made for him to remain after his lease expires Friday.

Teenage bombers are rescued from Taleban suicide training camps  —  Murad Ali, one of five schoolboy suicide bombers rescued from a Taleban training camp, looks haggard beyond his 13 years.  —  He was thrilled at first when he was given a gun, but Murad told The Times last week of his ordeal …