Letterman reveals extortion attempt  —  ‘Late Show’ host also admits sex with staffers  —  In an uncharacteristically personal revelation for David Letterman, the host took to his “Late Show” stage Thursday to admit that he was the victim of an extortion attempt — and acknowledge …

Reid: Final health bill will have a ‘public option’  —  U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today there will be a “public option” in whatever health insurance reform bill comes out of Congress.  —  “We are going to have a public option before this bill goes to the president's desk,” …

Kerry blocks DeMint trip to Honduras  —  Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has blocked Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) trip to Honduras slated to begin Friday, according to DeMint's office.  —  DeMint's office informed The Hill of Kerry's decision Thursday afternoon.

Obama, enroute to Denmark, hails Mahatma Gandhi  —  (UPDATE: 12:44 a.m. Friday.  President Obama concluded his remarks to the Olympic selection committee, which intends to vote on the final site — Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo — Friday afternoon.

McCain's mission: A GOP makeover  —  Fresh from a humbling loss in last year's presidential election, Sen. John McCain is working behind-the-scenes to reshape the Republican Party in his own center-right image.  —  McCain is recruiting candidates, raising money for them and hitting the campaign trail on their behalf.

Senator's Aid After Affair Raises Flags Over Ethics  —  WASHINGTON — Early last year, Senator John Ensign contacted a small circle of political and corporate supporters back home in Nevada — a casino designer, an airline executive, the head of a utility and several political consultants …

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 …

Is Conservatism Brain-Dead?  —  Over his decades as a columnist, lecturer, TV host and debater, William F. Buckley Jr. lost his cool in public only once — when he threatened to sock Gore Vidal “in your goddamn face” on the third night of their joint appearances on ABC during the ill-fated 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

How Politics Destroyed a Great TV Show  —  Either you are with me, or you are my enemy!" shouted a young Darth Vader in 2005's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, one of the execrable prequels to the original films by George Lucas.  In response to this all-or-nothing provocation …

Springtime for Mullahs  —  The Geneva talks rehabilitate Iran's beleaguered regime.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  From Geneva yesterday come all kinds of good diplomatic vibrations.  Iran may allow U.N. inspectors into a recently unveiled uranium-enrichment plant “within two weeks.”

White House Considers Narrower War Effort in Afghanistan  —  Top Officials Challenge General's Assessment  —  Senior White House officials have begun to make the case for a policy shift in Afghanistan that would send few, if any, new combat troops to the country and instead focus …

Is the Obama Administration Supporting Calls to Outlaw Supposed Hate Speech?  —  That's what it looks like, with this Joint U.S./Egypt draft U.N. Human Rights Council resolution (dated Sept. 2005).  The resolution generally seems to be an attempt to urge more protection for free speech throughout the world …

Mission Not Accomplished  —  Stocks are up.  Ben Bernanke says that the recession is over.  And I sense a growing willingness among movers and shakers to declare “Mission Accomplished” when it comes to fighting the slump.  It's time, I keep hearing, to shift our focus from economic stimulus to the budget deficit.

Grant gives Grateful Dead archive new life online  —  SANTA CRUZ — The Grateful Dead Archive has taken another step in its long strange trip, from the UC Santa Cruz library to its own Web site, The Virtual Terrapin Station.  —  One of the most popular bands in rock ‘n’ roll history …

Oldest “Human” Skeleton Found—Disproves “Missing Link”  —  Move over, Lucy.  And kiss the missing link goodbye.  —  Scientists today announced the discovery of the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor.  The find reveals that our forebears underwent a previously unknown stage …

The Truth About Jobs That No One Wants To Tell You  —  Unemployment will almost certainly in double-digits next year — and may remain there for some time.  And for every person who shows up as unemployed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' household survey, you can bet there's another either …

Dallas judge paves way for gay couple to get divorce  —  rappleton@dallasnews.com  —  In a first for Texas, a judge ruled Thursday that two men married in another state can divorce here and that the state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution.

Sarkozy Snubs Obama on Nuclear Threat Stance  —  “President Obama, I support the Americans' outstretched hand.  But what did the international community gain from these offers of dialogue?  Nothing.”  —  When France chides you for appeasement, you know you're scraping bottom.

Washington Sketch  —  Helen Thomas is 89 years old and requires some assistance to get to and from the daily White House briefing.  Yet her backbone has proved stronger than that of the president she covers.  —  On Thursday afternoon, Thomas gave a clinic in fortitude to President Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, during the briefing.

Odierno: U.S. May Never Declare Victory in Iraq  —  Army Gen. Ray Odierno's comments came one day after he announced at a congressional hearing that he will send home about 4,000 additional troops by the end of October.  —  FOXNews.com  —  The top American commander in Iraq said Thursday …

EXCLUSIVE: ACORN Legal Memo Confirms Depths of Troubles … ACORN's lawyer warned ACORN 15 months ago to begin fixing its massive internal problems or face certain catastrophe.  It chose to do nothing.  —  The advice from Elizabeth Kingsley of Harmon, Curran, Spielberg Eisenberg LLP came …

Palin cover released  —  On Monday night, Harper announced that Sarah Palin's memoir would be hitting the stores early, arriving just in time for Christmas.  —  By yesterday, the book, which was written with the help of WORLD senior writer Lynn Vincent, had already risen to the top …