Health Policy Is Carved Out at Table for 6  —  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.

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.

Senate Panel Endorses Sotomayor in 13-6 Vote  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted, 13 to 6, on Tuesday to endorse the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, easing her path to likely confirmation as the first Hispanic member of the tribunal.

Bill Kristol Says Things That Are The Opposite of True … “One reason the price of health care is going up so fast is because of government programs,” says Kristol.  “The price of Medicare and Medicaid have gone up faster than private insurance.  That's well-documented.”

Blue Dogs still chewing on Waxman's offer  —  The fate of the House healthcare proposal rested in the hands of the Blue Dogs on Tuesday morning as the coalition review the healthcare compromise offered Monday night by Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).

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.

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.

Should Henry Louis Gates Sip or Sue?  —  The Issue  —  Last week in Cambridge, Mass., Sgt. James Crowley arrested Henry Louis Gates Jr., a professor at Harvard, for disorderly conduct while responding to a reported break-in at Gates's home.  The charges were subsequently dropped …

Iowa parties agree on Saturday caucuses for 2010  —  Sources from both the Iowa Democratic Party and Republican Party of Iowa say they are getting ready to jointly announce a date for the 2010 Iowa caucuses.  For the first time, they'll be held on a Saturday afternoon in January.

Quit Whining!  —  The United States in 2009 is living through the fiercest challenge to market institutions and limited government since the mid-1970s.  —  Defenders of free institutions will need the utmost energy, courage and perseverance for the work ahead.

Fox's Beck: Obama is ‘a racist’  —  On Fox & Friends today, Glenn Beck called Obama “a racist” during a discussion of how the president handled the arrest of Henry Louis Gates.  —  “This president, I think, has exposed himself as a guy, over and over and over again, who has a deep-seated hatred …

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.

Keyes and Birthers, Buckley and Birchers … I've held fire for the last several months as I've watched the so-called “Birther” movement gain steam.  —  At first it was amusing, like playing a drinking game — you know, like taking a shot every time Chris Matthews explains why he insists …

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.

GOP's teachable moment on the risks of Obamacare  —  Pick your average member of the House of Representatives, one who has a lot of work to do but hasn't been deeply involved in crafting the massive health care makeover bill.  Who knows more about what's in that bill — Mr. Average Democrat, or Mr. Average Republican?

Just 23% Believe Health Care Costs Will Go Down if Reform Passes Congress  —  Americans are fairly evenly divided on the health care reform proposals working their way through Congress, but most remain convinced that the plans will raise costs and hurt the quality of the care they receive.