Carper quietly devises third option  —  Sen. Tom Carper bided his time on health care reform.  —  Rarely in the spotlight, and unfailingly restrained, the Delaware Democrat never staked out a public position on the government insurance option, solidifying his status as the model of an undecided moderate in need of persuading.

Grayson Breaks the Rules  —  Representative Alan Grayson's statement that the Republican plan for health care amounts to “don't get sick” and if you do “die quickly” probably doesn't meet a test of literal accuracy.  Reality is I guess closer to “only get sick if you're stably employed in a good …

In Roman Polanski case, is it Hollywood vs. Middle America?  —  Reactions to the extradition of the fugitive filmmaker show a sharp divide.  —  Roman Polanski (Getty Images)  —  From Michael Moore's politics to on-screen sex and violence, the movie business is constantly being assailed for not sharing the country's values.

McChrystal Rejects Scaling Down Afghan Military Aims  —  LONDON — The top military commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, rejected calls for scaling down military objectives there on Thursday and said Washington did not have unlimited time to settle on a new strategy to pursue the eight-year-old war.

Pawlenty preps 2012 campaign team  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been quietly assembling the blueprint of a presidential campaign and will announce Thursday the support of a group of high-level political strategists and donors, complemented by a handful of top new media consultants, POLITICO has learned.

Iran Agrees to More Nuclear Talks With U.S. and Allies  —  GENEVA — Critical talks over Iran's nuclear ambitions that included the highest level bilateral discussions between the United States and Iran in many years ended Thursday evening with Iran agreeing to meet to talk again before the end of the month.

Kristol Floats ‘Plausible Rumor’ That Hagel Will Replace Gates, Calls Him ‘An Advocate Of Retreat Everywhere’  —  Yesterday, Foreign Policy Initiative co-founder Bill Kristol appeared on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, where he said that he now believes “for the first time that he will not accept …

Bachmann warns of abortions at school  —  Schools might start offering abortions if healthcare reform passes, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) warned last night.  —  Speaking on the House floor, Bachmann raise concerns about the “school based health clinics” discussed in H.R. 3200, which she labeled “sex clinics.”

Pennsylvania Senate Seesaw Tips To Toomey, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Obama's Approval Drops Below 50 Percent  —  The seesaw 2010 Senate race in Pennsylvania tips to Republican Pat Toomey, who has 43 percent to recently converted Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter's 42 percent, too close to call …

Olympics-2016 Games could be the last, says Tokyo governor  —  Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara warned on Wednesday the 2016 Olympics could be the last Games, with global warming an immediate threat to mankind.  —  Tokyo is bidding to host the 2016 summer Olympics with Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid also in the running.

Assessing the GOP brand  —  How weak is the Republican brand right now?  This issue came up yesterday when a Media Matters criticized The Hill for failing to mention the GOP's poor polling numbers in a story on the 2010 elections.  Similarly, I recently suggested that that the damaged …

AUSTAN GOOLSBEE TAKES THE PRIZE  —  White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee took home the top prize in the 16th annual “D.C.'s Funniest Celebrity” contest on Wednesday evening, and he did so in a very unconventional way.  Instead of adopting a traditional comedic routine of joke buildup and punchline …

Obama's not-so-secret plan to raise taxes  —  Does President Obama have a secret plan to raise taxes on middle-class Americans — and,well, pretty much everybody else — with a European-style, value-added tax?  Actually, it's not such a big secret.  Connect the dots:

Stimulus Spending Doesn't Work  —  Our new research shows no evidence of a Keynesian ‘multiplier’ effect.  There is evidence that tax cuts boost growth.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  The global recession and financial crisis have refocused attention on government stimulus packages.

Chart of the Day  —  The Office of the Speaker of the House emails to nominate this for chart of the day.  Sure.  Why not.  It's a good chart.  Bottom line: the public really likes the idea of having a choice between either a private or a public health insurance plan.

Carter walks back racism charge  —  Former President Jimmy Carter insisted Thursday that he did not say protests against President Barack Obama were driven by racism.  —  Carter touched off a firestorm three weeks ago when he said Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) “You Lie!” outburst was …