Obama's Trust Problem  —  According to news reports, the Obama administration — which seemed, over the weekend, to be backing away from the “public option” for health insurance — is shocked and surprised at the furious reaction from progressives.  —  Well, I'm shocked and surprised at their shock and surprise.

‘Wee-weed up:’ White House explains it  —  So what did the president mean when he said this week that everyone's getting all “wee-weed up” in Washington?  —  “It's a phrase I use,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today, hesitating at his press briefing to offer a physical demonstration of the phraseology.

Hoyer: Public option may have to go  —  A day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that health reform won't get through the House without a public option, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Friday that the public option may have to go in order to get a bill passed.

Newspaper corrects ‘Jackass’ Keith Olbermann mix-up  —  Thank goodness The Times is the forthright, ethical institution that it is.  —  And when a mistake happens, it rushes to set the journalistic record straight with an honest repair.  —  Here is an actual correction from Page A4 of today's print edition:

Rise of the Super-Rich Hits a Sobering Wall  —  The rich have been getting richer for so long that the trend has come to seem almost permanent.  —  They began to pull away from everyone else in the 1970s.  By 2006, income was more concentrated at the top than it had been since the late 1920s.

Seller, beware: Feds cracking down on garage sales  —  WASHINGTON — If you're planning a garage sale or organizing a church bazaar, you'd best beware: You could be breaking a new federal law.  As part of a campaign called Resale Roundup, the federal government is cracking down on the secondhand sales …

No Health Care Reform Without Legal Reform  —  President Obama's health care “reform” plan has met with significant criticism across the country.  Many Americans want change and reform in our current health care system.  We recognize that while we have the greatest medical care in the world …

Who do the birthers love?  —  We decided to break down the birthers by their opinions of Barack Obama and the various leading 2012 contenders.  Here's what we found:  —Not surprisingly only 16% of them approve of Obama's job performance while 75% disapprove.

Honest Debate Needed on End-of-Life Talk  —  Let's see if we can have a reasoned discussion about end-of-life counseling.  —  We might start by asking Sarah Palin to leave the room.  I've got nothing against her.  She's a remarkable political talent.  But there are no “death panels” …

Lawyers Showed Photos of Covert CIA Officers to Guantanamo Bay Detainees  —  Justice Dept. Looking Into Whether Attorneys Broke Law at Guantanamo  —  By Peter Finn, Page A01  —  The Justice Department recently questioned military defense attorneys at Guantanamo Bay about whether photographs …

Where Obama Is Losing Ground  —  The Pew Research Center for The People & The Press national survey released Wednesday joined a lengthening line of polls showing President Obama's approval rating sinking from its heights earlier this year back to levels closer to his actual vote in November 2008.

Bush Official, in Book, Tells of Pressure on '04 Vote  —  WASHINGTON — Tom Ridge, the first secretary of homeland security, asserts in a new book that he was pressured by top advisers to President George W. Bush to raise the national threat level just before the 2004 election in what he suspected was an effort to influence the vote.

Idaho GOP leader who helped spur coup arrested  —  BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho Republican Party leader who helped oust the state GOP chairman in 2008 faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after an altercation escalated while he photographed a home with a delinquent mortgage.

Basic Math for the Math Challenged  —  Since Richard Posner has decided to exhibit his math skills again, I thought it useful to work through some math to see how one can obtain back-of-the-envelope estimates for the stimulus package.  I'll use Mr. Posner's numbers to illustrate.

Voight: Is Obama creating a civil war in America?  —  Inside the Beltway column  —  CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE  —  A Hollywood conservative has headed East.  It's “Freedom Concert” time for Jon Voight.  The Academy Award winner will join Sean Hannity in Cincinnati and Atlanta this weekend …

Betsy McCaughey Pt. 1  —  Jon asks Betsy McCaughey to find the page in the health care bill that makes end-of-life consultations mandatory.  —  Guest(s):Betsy McCaughey  —  A Taliban threat causes low voter turnout in Afghanistan's election.  Americans turn in their Ford Explorers, and banks profit from overdraft fees.

Huckabee: Evangelicals more supportive of Israel than Jews  —  Mike Huckabee, a longtime Christian Zionist wrapping up a trip to Israel, tells CBN that he was struck by firmer support for Israel — as he sees it — from American Christians than from American Jews.

Key Senators Discuss Trimming Health Bill  —  President Calls Public Option a ‘Good Idea’ but Not Essential to Reform Effort  —  Senate health-care negotiators agreed late Thursday to ignore the increasingly strident rhetoric from Republican and Democratic leaders and to keep working toward …

REMEMBER, HE LOST.... Chris Cillizza let readers know this morning about what to watch on Sunday morning. … Cillizza described McCain's appearance as “Must Watch TV.”  I have no idea why.  —  First, let's note that John McCain is not a key senator right now.

Five Keys to Understanding New 2009 Deficit Estimates  —  Next week, the President's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will update their economic and budget projections for fiscal year 2009, which ends on September 30, and the next ten fiscal years.

Hillary Clinton Pledges to ‘Banish Sexual Violence’  —  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton  —  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may be taking some well-earned R&R in Bermuda this week, but last week, the former First Lady and U.S. Senator wrapped up a grueling seven-nation diplomatic mission to Africa.

STATEWIDE POLL: Poll suggests Gibbons a guaranteed election loser  —  Two preferred choices not even seeking office yet  —  Talk about a mandate for change, Nevadans' favorite candidates for governor aren't even running for office.  —  Respondents to a statewide poll said if the governor's election …

No Maine Miracle Cure  —  Another state ‘public option’ that failed.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Want a preview of ObamaCare in action?  Sneak a look at what has happened in Maine.  In 2003, the state to great fanfare enacted its own version of universal health care.