Obama White House v. CIA; Panetta Threatened to Quit  —  Tensions Lead to CIA Director's “Screaming Match” at the White House  —  A “profanity-laced screaming match” at the White House involving CIA Director Leon Panetta, and the expected release today of another damning internal investigation …

Obama's Plan to Desecrate 9/11  —  The Obama White House is behind a cynical, coldly calculated political effort to erase the meaning of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks from the American psyche and convert Sept. 11 into a day of leftist celebration and statist idolatry.

GOP Would Protect Health Care for Seniors  —  Americans are engaged in a critical debate over reforming our health-care system.  While Republicans believe that reforms are necessary, President Obama's plan for a government-run health-care system is the wrong prescription.

Franks goes on the attack  —  Congressman critical of Obama's policies  —  KINGMAN - A big, boisterous crowd largely supported an Arizona Congressman, who lambasted the Democratic president and his policies.  —  Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican representing Arizona's 2nd Congressional District …

Breaking: Baucus: “I Want a Public Option”  —  The press release today:  —  FOLLOWING RANCOR AMONG THE RANKS,  —  BAUCUS ASSURES MONTANA CONSTITUENTS:  —  “I WANT A PUBLIC OPTION TOO”  —  U.S. Senator Max Baucus has finally broken his silence regarding his personal position on including …

Now the Birthers are demanding to know: Was Obama circumcised?  —  The General digs up the, ah, hot tip: … Anyone remember how Republicans wound up obsessing over Bill Clinton's Johnson, ad nauseam, even on TV?  I remember Ann Coulter speculating over Paula Jones' claims about the shape …

UPDATED: Obama's VA pulls so-called ‘Death Book’ from website  —  Jim Towey wrote last week in the Wall Street Journal that Obama's Veterans' Affairs department had revived a controversial and previously discontinued 53-page pamphlet on end-of-life issues for wounded soldiers.

All the President's Zombies  —  The debate over the “public option” in health care has been dismaying in many ways.  Perhaps the most depressing aspect for progressives, however, has been the extent to which opponents of greater choice in health care have gained traction — in Congress …

Don't Blame Obama  —  Throughout the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama's most loyal constituencies were the national press corps and the left wing of the Democratic Party.  —  Those on the left loved him because they thought he was one of them.  They tolerated all the happy talk about bipartisanship …

BERNIE ‘DYING’ IN JAIL  —  ‘20 PILLS FOR CANCER’  —  Bernie Madoff had little to lose by confessing to masterminding the world's biggest Ponzi scheme — he's dying of cancer, sources told The Post.  —  Madoff, who is serving 150 years at a North Carolina federal lockup after pleading guilty …

TN-05: Natives aren't happy with Blue Dog Jim Cooper  —  Seriously, cue up a primary challenger.  —  Research 2000 poll of the Tennessee 5th Congressional District for Daily Kos. 8/17-19.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (no trend lines)  —  Favorable Unfavorable  —  Jim Cooper 47 41

Healthcare insurers get upper hand  —  Obama's overhaul fight is being won by the industry, experts say.  The end result may be a financial ‘bonanza.’  —  Reporting from Washington - Lashed by liberals and threatened with more government regulation, the insurance industry nevertheless rallied …

Feingold to Obama: Announce Withdrawal Timetable from Afghanistan  —  ABC News' David Chalian Reports:  —  The Obama administration has been keenly aware of discontent among many in its liberal base with regard to its Afghanistan policy and an expected request for additional troops following …

If Not Health Care, What?  —  The idea of postponing health care reform—until, say, the economy improves— doesn't seem appealing to many Democrats now.  ** But it might soon.  The problem, as Michael Goodwin's recent column points out, is that the issues waiting in the wings …

The risk of a double-dip recession is rising  —  The global economy is starting to bottom out from the worst recession and financial crisis since the Great Depression.  In the fourth quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009 the rate at which most advanced economies were contracting was similar …

$10B aimed at union retirees  —  Provision called welfare by some, not enough by others  —  WASHINGTON — Antilabor forces say it's welfare for the UAW and Democrats' union allies.  Labor supporters say it falls short of what's needed as tens of thousands of union members are pushed …

The Psychology of Health Reform  —  James Suroweicki takes an interesting look at the politics of health reform through the lens of the literature on loss aversion from psychology and behavioral economics.  The lesson: People fear change.  His advice: … This seems sensible.  However, two problems remain.