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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Why is HCAN Running Political Ads with Foundation Money?  —  I think HCAN has the wrong Nevada senator in its sights: … Ensign is not going to vote for any health care reform bill, especially not one with a public option.  As part of a health care reform effort, it's a complete waste of money.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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) …

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 …

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.

The story of the stimulus  —  I read the Ryan Lizza piece on Larry Summers with a great sense of relief.  It turns out that in talking to Ryan, I managed to say almost nothing worth quoting — which is, in these circumstances, very much the goal.  (If I have something controversial to say …

What We Would Have Told Obama  —  Though we weren't invited to the White House, here are better ideas to increase coverage for the uninsured.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  We aren't among the doctors invited to a Rose Garden event today to “join the President in pushing for health insurance reform …

Petraeus For President!  (12 Months Late)  —  It's certainly true that Washington was abuzz with the idea of the GOP trying to recruit General David Petraeus as a 2012 presidential candidate, but as I recall that was 12-18 months ago so I'm a bit puzzled to see it put at the heart …