‘Un-American’ attacks can't derail health care debate  —  Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care.  —  Health coverage for all was on the national agenda as early as 1912, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential run.

U.S. to Hunt Down Afghan Drug Lords Tied to Taliban  —  WASHINGTON — Fifty Afghans believed to be drug traffickers with ties to the Taliban have been placed on a Pentagon target list to be captured or killed, reflecting a major shift in American counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan …

Averting the Worst  —  So it seems that we aren't going to have a second Great Depression after all.  What saved us?  The answer, basically, is Big Government.  —  Just to be clear: the economic situation remains terrible, indeed worse than almost anyone thought possible not long ago.

How the White House's Deal With Big Pharma Undermines Democracy  —  I'm a strong supporter of universal health insurance, and a fan of the Obama administration.  But I'm appalled by the deal the White House has made with the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying arm to buy their support.

Deficit grew by $181 billion in July  —  Bailouts for financial firms and billions in tax revenue lost because of the recession drove the deficit to a record $1.3 trillion in July, according to the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO).  —  Tax receipts that have fallen due …

Let's mark this moment in the health debate as it happens  —  Nearly fifteen years ago, after the collapse of the Clinton health-reform effort, I spent a lot of time working on an Atlantic article (and subsequent book chapter) about how, exactly, the discussion of the bill had become so unmoored …

Opposition Emerges to House's Jet Spree  —  WASHINGTON — Bipartisan opposition is emerging in the Senate to a plan by House lawmakers to spend $550 million for additional passenger jets for senior government officials.  —  The resistance to buying eight Gulfstream and Boeing planes comes …

CONSERVATIVE PROTESTERS PREPPING FOR OBAMA N.H. TOWN HALL  —  From NBC's Chuck Todd  —  Pres. Obama holds his OWN town hall in New Hampshire this Tuesday where the issues of the economy and health care are likely to be the dominant issues.  Of course, what many will be watching …

Dissent is patriotic - not  —  Imagine it's four years ago and an aide to President George W. Bush posted a blog on the Whitehouse.gov Web site that bemoaned Internet criticism of the Iraq war, then continued: “These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain e-mails or through casual conversations.

Congressional Budget Expert Says Preventive Care Will Raise — Not Cut — Costs  —  In yet more disappointing news for Democrats pushing for health care reform, Douglas W. Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, offered a skeptical view Friday of the cost savings that could result …

Obama still isn't president in the south  —  Denying the leader's American birth is just another form of racism  —  A naive person might believe that Barack Hussein Obama was born, as he has long said he was, in Hawaii to a young American mother and a distant father from Kenya.

Town hall protests on health care are American, too  —  I have no illusions about protesters at the recent town hall meetings on health care.  —  Some are fueled by angry conservative groups.  Some are hopped up on radio hosts' rants and ravings.  Some are Barack Obama haters.

At AOL, It's Politics Daily, Not Hourly  —  After a quarter-century as a military correspondent, David Wood knew the drill as he reported from Afghanistan last week, in helmet and flak jacket, on the intricacies of the U.S. war effort.  —  But this time he was writing for a fledgling Web site …

'IT'S NOT IN THE BILL'.... The health care discussion between Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday was pretty good, and it covered a fair amount of ground in a short period of time.  There was one exchange, though, that stood out for me.

Does Linda Douglass know about this?  —  Last week White House flack Linda Douglass responded to a video of Barack Obama expressing support for a government takeover of the health care system (I.e., “single payer") with a vehement denial.  Douglass disparaged the video of Obama as “disinformation.”

Rep. Tsongas tries to explain why Congress is exempt from Obamacare.  Fails.  —  Herein lies the ultimate Achilles' Heel of Obamacare.  Watch as Democrat Rep. Niki Tsongas of Massachussetts attempts to explain why Congress is exempt from the government health care takeover mandates.

Northern Hemisphere Braces as Swine Flu Heads North  —  New Wave Expected After Virus Flourished in Southern Hemisphere  —  As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere's winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries …

Bank Will Allow Customers to Deposit Checks by iPhone  —  The Internet has taken a lot of the paperwork out of banking, but there is no avoiding paper when someone gives you a check.  Now one bank wants to let customers deposit checks immediately — through their phones.

He's on the trail and traveling light  —  Tim Pawlenty's political organization is ad hoc so far.  But he's getting his name out where it matters as a lower-key, fresh face in the GOP.  —  Heading to San Diego for a speech that would define him as a presidential contender …

The Gangs of D.C.  —  In the Senate, Small States Wield Outsize Power.  Is This What the Founders Had in Mind?  —  Wonder why President Obama is having a hard time enacting his agenda after sweeping to victory and with large congressional majorities on his side?