Health Policy Now Carved Out at a More Centrist Table  —  WASHINGTON — On the agenda is the revamping of the American health care system, possibly the most complex legislation in modern history.  But on the table, in a conference room where the bill is being hashed out by six senators, the snacks are anything but healthy.

Bachmann blocks resolution declaring Hawaii to be Obama's birthplace.  —  Today, Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) introduced a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood.  The resolution also proclaims the state as President Obama's birthplace, a point …

Why Won't Obama Talk to Israel?  —  IN his global tours and TV appearances, President Obama has spoken to Arabs, Muslims, Iranians, Western Europeans, Eastern Europeans, Russians and Africans.  His words have stirred emotions and been well received everywhere.  —  But he hasn't bothered to speak directly to Israelis.

Sen. McCaskill's Office Holds Town Hall— TEA PARTY BREAKS OUT  —  Senator Claire “ACORN” McCaskill's office agreed to hold a town hall meeting on Obamacare.  —  A massive Tea Party Protest broke out!  —  Check this out:  —  This tea party protester fired up the crowd:

Sarah Palin's Gradual Descent Into Incoherency  —  Remember how Sarah Palin graduated from her fiftieth college with a degree in communications?  What the hell happened to addle this woman's mind so much that she can no longer form logical sentences?  We went to the tapes to investigate.

Obama's Health-Care Reform Plan Is Not the Answer  —  For the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance, the Obama health plan is bad news.  It means higher taxes, less health care and no protection if they lose their current insurance because of unemployment or early retirement.

The Power of Posterity  —  Every day, I check a blog called Marginal Revolution, which is famous for its erudite authors, Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, and its intelligent contributors.  Last week, one of those contributors asked a question that is fantastical but thought-provoking …

Born in the U.S.A.  —  Pres. Barack Obama has a birthday coming up, a week from Tuesday.  We hope he takes the day off—or even the whole week, the briefest of respites from his busy schedule of truncating our liberties while exhausting both the public coffers and our patience.

In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin  —  The first study of drivers texting inside their vehicles shows that the risk sharply exceeds previous estimates based on laboratory research — and far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions.

Shatner Does The Palin Farewell Speech  —  I haven't blogged on Sarah Palin's bizarre farewell speech, but Conan O'Brien's inspired idea to stage a dramatic reading by William Shatner has wakened me from my dogmatic slumbers:  —  Of course the definitive bizarre Shatner vocal performances can be found on his album The Transformed Man.

Voinovich slams DeMint and Coburn for GOP downfall; blames ‘the southerners’  —  Too many conservative senators like Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) are to blame for the GOP's downfall, one of their retiring Republican colleagues complained Monday.

911 Tape Raises Questions in Gates Case  —  CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The woman who called 911 to report a possible breaking and entering at the home of Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. told the dispatcher that she had “no idea” if the two men she saw were breaking in and said that, in fact, they might live there.

Q & A with Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal  —  You have said that in Afghanistan protecting the population is the top priority.  What does that mean you stop doing?  —  It means we put as much of our effort as we can to establish security for the population and we stay there so those other critical parts …

Bashing Goldman Sachs Is Simply a Game for Fools: Michael Lewis  —  From the moment I left Yale and started working for Goldman Sachs, I've felt uneasy interacting with those who don't.  —  It's not that I think less of Goldman outsiders than I did while I remained among you.

Is Pluto a planet after all?  —  HOW many planets are in the solar system?  The official answer is eight - unless you happen to live in Illinois.  Earlier this year, defiant Illinois state governors declared that Pluto had been unfairly demoted by the International Astronomical Union …

Must see: Cambridge cop says she won't vote for Obama again after Gatesgate  —  An amazing clip via Verum Serum.  God only knows how much heat she and Sgt. Lashley will take from the “authenticity” police for this; Crowley's a spectacularly lucky guy to have friends like them.

Newsweek's Obama Correspondent Joins Administration  —  Daren Briscoe, a Newsweek correspondent who was embedded with Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, has taken a job with the Obama administration, according to an email sent to a listserv of his classmates at the Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Obama 2004: Bush Rushed Legislation Through Congress Without Allowing Time to Read Or Debate  —  Hypocrisy alert!  —  A heretofore “unknown” 2004 interview with Barack Obama by leftwing radio host Randi Rhodes has just emerged.  And basically, as you shall hear, Obama is saying do as I say, not as I do.