What I Saw at the Afghan Election  —  Before firing me last week from my post as his deputy special representative in Afghanistan, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon conveyed one last instruction: Do not talk to the press.  In effect, I was being told to remain a team player after being thrown off the team.

‘I take exception’ to McCain's remark, Jones says  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - A top military adviser to President Barack Obama said Sunday that politics does not play any role in the advice he gives to the president.  —  Last week, Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, the former Republican presidential hopeful …

Report Says Iran Has Data to Make a Nuclear Bomb  —  Senior staff members of the United Nations nuclear agency have concluded in a confidential analysis that Iran has acquired “sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable” atom bomb.  —  The report by experts …

Notes About Bias, From Opposite Points of View  —  LAST Sunday's column about the coverage of Acorn prompted nearly 400 messages and online comments from readers, some convinced that The Times is suppressing news that might damage liberals, and others equally convinced that The Times is about to cave in to extremists on the right.

Will it be America's first failed state?  —  Los Angeles, 2009: California may be the eighth largest economy in the world, but its state staff are being paid in IOUs, unemployment is at its highest in 70 years, and teachers are on hunger strike.  So what has gone so catastrophically wrong?

The Rabbit Ragu Democrats  —  IN the annals of American excess, there often arrives a moment when those with too much money, too much clout and too much hubris just can't stop themselves from tempting the fates.  They throw an over-the-top party in public, or parade their wealth and power before the press …

Fear of Losing Private Health Insurance Trumps ‘Public Option’  —  Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters nationwide say guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their health insurance coverage is a higher priority than giving consumers the choice of a “public option” health insurance company.

Socialism and Christian-Bashing Crash at Box Office  —  Tough times for leftie Hollywood.  Nothing's gone right this week.  None of this is their fault, of course.  In order to understand that it might not be a good idea to rally around a child rapist, bash religion in a religious country …

Health care reform: Privately, Barack Obama strongly backs public option  —  White House discreetly labors to weave coalition on health care  —  WASHINGTON - — Despite months of seeming ambivalence about creating a government health insurance plan, the Obama White House has launched …