Obama and the Bureaucratization of Health Care  —  The president's proposals would give unelected officials life-and-death rationing powers.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Writing in the New York Times last month, President Barack Obama asked that Americans “talk with one another …

How Obama Survived August  —  At the beginning of the month, I predicted that August might turn out be a bloodbath for Democrats.  At the time, the Democratic self-containment on health care had dissolved, cranks were taking over constituent meetings, and that real anxiety about Obama had found …

Employer Requirement in Baucus Health Package Would Have Unintended Effect of Discouraging Hiring of Low-Income and Minority Workers  —  While an employer responsibility requirement is an essential component of health care reform, a proposal included in the new health reform package …

Unmentionable: Best-Selling Conservative Books and the Networks that Ignore Them  —  Research reveals a glaring imbalance in network coverage of liberal best-sellers and comparable conservative titles.  —  Culture and Media Institute  —  The most coveted real estate in the publishing industry …

Adviser losing patience with Obama  —  One of President Barack Obama's former top campaign advisers is “losing patience” with the White House, he told POLITICO Tuesday morning, as frustrations among the president's liberal allies crest over issues from health care legislation to gay rights.

The Story Behind the Story  —  IF YOU HAPPENED to be watching a television news channel on May 26, the day President Obama nominated U.S. Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, you might have been struck, as I was, by what seemed like a nifty investigative report.

Why the public option matters  —  Most arguments against the public option are based either on deliberate misrepresentation of what that option would mean, or on remarkably thorough misunderstanding of the concept, which persists to a frustrating degree: I was really surprised to see Joe Klein worrying …

Olbermann Flip-flops, Tells Kossacks NOT to Dig Up Dirt on Beck  —  Want to know just how unstable MSNBC's Keith Olbermann is?  —  Within the course of 48 hours, he asked Daily Kos readers to send him everything they could dig up about Fox News host Glenn Beck, and then called off the dogs.

Rep. Jean Schmidt Tells Birther: ‘I Agree With You’  —  Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) spoke at the Voice of America tea party this Labor Day weekend outside of Cincinnati, OH.  Following a tense Q&A session — during which, the congresswoman was booed for acknowledging that the Constitution …

Chambliss: Obama Better Show Humility In Speech To Congress  —  Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said today that, because of angry town hallers and the like, President Obama should show “humility” when he speaks to Congress Wednesday night.  —  “What you're seeing is folks on my side anxious …

It's come to this: August wasn't a setback for us at all, says Gibbs  —  In which Beltway Bob channels Baghdad Bob.  Despite a month of near-daily “Obama's approval rating at new low” headlines and deteriorating numbers for ObamaCare itself, the spin oozes unceasingly forth …

Too late for Obama to turn it around?  —  Plus: The left's visionaries lost their bearings on drugs — but the GOP is led by losers  —  What a difference a month makes!  When my last controversial column posted on Salon in the second week of August, most Democrats seemed frozen in suspended animation …

WHO SET UP GOVERNMENT ‘PROPAGANDA’ CONFERENCE CALL?  Newly Revealed White House, NEA Audio Contradict  —  Another conference call has materialized, revealing a concerted effort by government to use the arts to address political issues.  —  Lee Rosenbaum, a blogger for Artsjournal.com …

What Obama Says vs. What He Does  —  The most important thing about what anyone says are not the words themselves but the credibility of the person who says them.  —  The words of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff were apparently quite convincing to many people who were regarded as knowledgeable and sophisticated.

Dodd to stay as Banking Chair  —  Sen. Christopher Dodd's expected announcement that he will remain in charge of the Banking Committee should give a big boost to his longtime colleague Tom Harkin while setting off a shuffle on other Senate panels.  —  Dodd has played stand …

Win a dinner with Palin  —  (CNN) - If you've ever wanted to eat dinner with Sarah Palin, now's your chance.  —  With bids starting at $25,000, eBay is auctioning off a dinner for five with the former Alaska governor and her husband, Todd.  The proceeds will go to “Ride 2 Recovery,” …

Obama warns students about posting on Facebook  —  For Immediate Release September 8, 2009  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.  So this is the first day of high school?  —  STUDENTS: Yes.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Wow.  I'm trying to remember back to my first day of high school.  I can't remember that far back.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA'S SCHOOLCHILDREN  —  THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody!  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.  How is everybody doing today?  (Applause.)  How about Tim Spicer?  (Applause.)

The Latest Human Rights Watch Bombshell  —  I'm a believer in the truth of O'Sullivan's First Law, formulated some years ago by the former editor of National Review, John O'Sullivan: … The law holds true for human-rights organizations as well, many of which over time have become staffed …

Seized Times Reporter Is Freed in Afghan Raid That Kills Aide  —  Stephen Farrell, a New York Times reporter held captive by militants in northern Afghanistan, was freed in a military commando raid early Wednesday, but his Afghan interpreter was killed during the rescue effort.

Mohamed ElBaradei left out evidence of Iran bomb, France claims  —  This is Mohamed ElBaradei's last year addressing the annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency.  —  He will not be universally missed.  Long chided for being soft on Iran, he goes into this year's conference amid …

Revolution Anyone?  —  Barack Obama hired Anthony “Van” Jones as a special adviser for green jobs, enterprise and innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.  Jones is an admitted “rowdy Black nationalist” and “communist” who was also a co-founder of the communist …

Cornyn expresses optimism, caution on 2010  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Texas Sen. John Cornyn emphasized Republican fundraising and recruiting successes for the upcoming midterm elections, but cautioned his fellow GOP senators Tuesday that early retirements put them at a disadvantage in 2010.