GOP leaders to Steele: Back off  —  GOP leaders, in a private meeting last month, delivered a blunt and at times heated message to RNC Chairman Michael Steele: quit meddling in policy.  —  The plea was made during what was supposed to be a routine discussion about polling matters …

Breaking: Louisiana Attorney General: Rathke Embezzled $5 Million From ACORN  —  From NOLA.COM: … Whole blockbuster story here.  —  Update: According to the new subpoena issued by the Louisiana Attorney General, it seems ACORN leadership was aware of the full extent of the embezzlement.

2 Democratic Senators Withhold Support of Health Bill  —  At least two Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee have refused to pledge support for the health-care reform bill scheduled for a vote this week, underscoring the hard work ahead for President Obama as he tries to enact …

Apple Resigns From Chamber Over Climate  —  Apple has become the latest company to resign from the United States Chamber of Commerce over climate policy.  —  “We strongly object to the chamber's recent comments opposing the E.P.A.'s effort to limit greenhouse gases,” wrote Catherine A. Novelli …

FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials  —  Changes Affect Testimonial Advertisements, Bloggers, Celebrity Endorsements  —  The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep …

SHEILA JOHNSON'S PARTY FOUL  —  At a rally for Bob McDonnell's campaign, Sheila Johnson mock-stutters when talking about Bob's “o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-opponent” Creigh Deeds.  When Bob comes up to speak he says nothing.  —  Pathetic.  We deserve more class than this in the Governor's mansion.

Obama Rallies Doctors  —  President Obama gathered doctors at the White House Monday for a pep rally in support of his health care reform plans, which he argued would help them spend more time treating patients and less time filling out forms.  —  Obama said little new about his signature …

ROVE FOR RUBIO  —  From NBC's Chuck Todd  —  Over the past few weeks, Florida GOP Gov. Charlie Crist has found himself being put on the defensive more and more in the primary thanks to the challenge by ex-state House Speaker Marco Rubio.  While Crist has financially overwhelmed Rubio to date …

Criminalizing everyone  —  Needed: A ‘clean line’ to determine lawfulness  —  “You don't need to know.  You can't know.”  That's what Kathy Norris, a 60-year-old grandmother of eight, was told when she tried to ask court officials why, the day before, federal agents had subjected her home to a furious search.

Ahmadinejad has no Jewish roots  —  Rumours that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's family converted to Islam from Judaism are false.  In fact, they are proud Shias  —  In June 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's meteoric rise from mayor of Tehran to president of one of the most influential countries in the Middle East took everyone by surprise.

No Exit  —  The never-ending lunacy of Betsy McCaughey.  —  On an ordinary day, Henry Aaron, senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, comes across as the quintessential policy wonk: knowledgeable, thoughtful, measured, perhaps even a tad boring.

You Can't Say That  —  At the UN, the Obama administration backs limits on free speech.  —  The Obama administration has marked its first foray into the UN human rights establishment by backing calls for limits on freedom of expression.  The newly-minted American policy was rolled …

Red Eye Resurgence: More Demo Viewers Watch Fox At 3am Than CNN at 8pm  —  Fox News' 3amET comedy/news hybrid Red Eye is in a league of its own when it comes to cable news shows.  But that doesn't mean it isn't a player in the ratings.  —  Despite its late (or early, depending on your sleep habits) …

Why Rupert Murdoch Will Fire Glenn Beck  —  Rupert Murdoch is a smart man.  In the U.K, Murdoch aligns his newspapers with the popular political party and helps them enact their policies by giving them favorable coverage.  For the past 12 years, he supported the Labour Party.

Barack Obama cancels meeting with Dalai Lama ‘to keep China happy’  —  President Barack Obama has refused to meet the Dalai Lama in Washington this week in a move to curry favour with the Chinese.  —  The decision came after China stepped up a campaign urging nations to shun the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Obama to Address Gay Rights Organization  —  President Obama will speak to a gathering of gay rights activists this weekend, a day before thousands of people are expected to march on Washington in a demonstration calling for greater legal protections for gays, lesbians and transgendered Americans.

Election 2010: Kentucky Senate  —  2010 Kentucky Senate: Early Match-ups Suggest Tight Race for GOP Vacancy  —  Republicans look like they're in for a tough fight in Kentucky to maintain the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Jim Bunning.  —  The first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 survey …

The demise of the dollar  —  In a graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading  —  In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning …

Wall Street's Near-Death Experience  —  With the implosion of Lehman Brothers, in September 2008, the realization dawned: Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs could be next.  In an excerpt from his new book, the author reveals the incredible scramble that took place—desperate phone calls …

Fun With “Journalists”: Sacramento Bee Edition  —  My eyebrows arched when I read Andrew McIntosh's September 24 Sacramento Bee article on former eBay CEO-turned candidate for California governor Meg Whitman and her spotty voting record.  I have interviewed Whitman on air a couple of times …

Special report: A parental revolt against the SEIU's home invasion robbery  —  The SEIU Purple Army: Coming to a home near you?  —  Last month, I noted the appalling story about the SEIU's power grab in Illinois to unionize home health care workers.  —  But you haven't heard the half of it.

Frist Backing Health Care Bill?  Not So Fast...  ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Rick Klein report: Former Senate Republican leader Bill Frist declared last week that, were he still in the Senate, “I would end up voting for” the health care reform efforts now being debated in Congress.

Dems: GOP rooting against America  —  During the Bush era, Republicans from Karl Rove to Joe Wilson questioned — in ways both veiled and overt — the patriotism of Democrats who challenged the administration's Iraq policy, pre-war intelligence and surveillance programs.

One nagging thing you still don't understand about yourself  —  The email edition of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest has reached the milestone of its 150th issue.  That's over 900 quality, peer-reviewed psychology journal articles digested since 2003.