Iran Said to Have Covert Nuclear Facility  —  PITTSBURGH — President Obama and leaders of Britain and France accused Iran on Friday of building a secret underground plant to manufacture nuclear fuel, saying the country has hidden the covert operation from international weapons inspectors for years.

Democrats Are Jarred by Drop In Fundraising  —  Complacency, Absence of Big Donors Cited  —  Democratic political committees have seen a decline in their fundraising fortunes this year, a result of complacency among their rank-and-file donors and a de facto boycott by many of their wealthiest givers …

In Poll, Public Wary of Obama on War and Health  —  President Obama is confronting declining support for his handling of the war in Afghanistan and an electorate confused and anxious about a health care overhaul as he prepares for pivotal battles over both issues, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

White House Regroups on Guantanamo  —  Counsel Craig Replaced as Point Man on Issue as Deadline for Closing Looms  —  By Anne E. Kornblut and Dafna Linzer, Page A01  —  With four months left to meet its self-imposed deadline for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba …

Man arrested in alleged attempt to bomb Dallas skyscraper  —  Staff reports  —  Federal authorities arrested a 19-year-old Jordanian citizen whom they said placed an inactive car bomb today at Fountain Place, a 60-story skyscraper in downtown Dallas.

The Afghan Imperative  —  Always there is the illusion of the easy path.  Always there is the illusion, which gripped Donald Rumsfeld and now grips many Democrats, that you can fight a counterinsurgency war with a light footprint, with cruise missiles, with special forces operations and unmanned drones.

The Logic of Paul Kirk  —  In naming Paul Kirk, the former Democratic National Committee chair, to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, Gov. Deval Patrick (D) of Massachusetts followed the cardinal rule of Hippocratic politics: First, do no harm.  —  Patrick clearly learned from the experience …

Justice Ginsburg Is Hospitalized As Precaution  —  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to Washington Hospital Center on Thursday when she fell ill at the court after being treated for an iron deficiency.  —  Ginsburg, 76, “developed light headedness and fatigue” …

Elementary School Students Taught to Sing Praises of President Obama  —  Nearly 20 young children are captured in an online video as they sing songs that overflow with campaign slogans and praise for “Barack Hussein Obama,” as they repeatedly chant the president's name and celebrate his accomplishments.

At the U.N., Terrorism Pays  —  It was my duty as defense minister to stop Hamas rockets.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  This week the United Nation's Human Rights Council produced a 600-page report alleging that Israel carried out war crimes in Gaza.  The Goldstone Report …

Netanuyahu to UN: “Have you no shame?”  —  The Wall Street Journal report on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly today caught my attention: … The Jerusalem Post report on Netanyahu's dramatic speech is here.  The full text of the speech is here …

It's Easy Being Green  —  So, have you enjoyed the debate over health care reform?  Have you been impressed by the civility of the discussion and the intellectual honesty of reform opponents?  —  If so, you'll love the next big debate: the fight over climate change.

Blue Dog Opposition To Public Option Fades In Whip Count  —  Blocking a public health insurance option is a relatively low priority for conservative Blue Dog Democrats, according to an ongoing survey of its members.  The fading House opposition could clear the way for the public option to move through the chamber.

Morning Fix: Blame the Media!  —  With the health care debate raging in Washington, President Obama of late has turned to a dependable bogeyman to rally the Democratic base behind his proposal: the media.  —  During his round of interviews last weekend, the president repeatedly hit the media …

Democrat Wilder Withholds Endorsement in Va. Governor's Race  —  Former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder announced Thursday that he would not endorse either of the gubernatorial candidates this year, despite multiple overtures by the White House that he throw his support behind Democrat R. Creigh Deeds.

Why France's Health Care Is So Good, The Public Option So Bad and the Co-Ops So Incomplete: An Interview With Kent Conrad.  —  Sen. Kent Conrad chairs the Budget Committee, serves on the Finance Committee and was a member of the Gang of Six.  I spoke to Conrad today about what Americans …

Yosi Sergant Resigns  —  ABC News' Yunji de Nies Reports:  —  Embattled former National Endowment for the Arts communications director Yosi Sergant is out of a job.  Late this afternoon, the NEA released a short statement saying, “This afternoon Yosi Sergant submitted his resignation from the National Endowment for the Arts.

ACORN says it has sued filmmakers  —  Group charges breach of Md. taping law, may sue in other places  —  ACORN, the embattled community organizing group with employees who were captured dispensing financial advice to a young couple posing as a pimp and prostitute, says it has filed a lawsuit …