Barack Obama furious at General Stanley McChrystal speech on Afghanistan  —  The relationship between President Barack Obama and the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has been put under severe strain by Gen Stanley McChrystal's comments on strategy for the war.

Obama quietly tries to shore up Senate support for public option  —  The president has backed off from vocally supporting the idea of government-run healthcare, but he's working to build a coalition of supporters.  The challenge: Find a version that can pass.

The Politics of Spite  —  There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago's bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games.  —  “Cheers erupted” at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard …

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.

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 …

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 …

Some Republican Ideas for Health Care Reform  —  A majority of so-called Republican strategists believe that health care is a Democratic issue.  They are wrong; health care is an American issue, and the Republican Party has an opportunity to demonstrate that conservative principles work when applied to real-world problems.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Sandra Day O'Connor says rulings are being ‘dismantled’  —  WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor says she regrets that some of her decisions “are being dismantled” by the current Supreme Court.  —  O'Connor, who generally has avoided questions on the substance …

Inequality as Usual  —  Not long ago, liberals were insisting that income inequality was America's most serious economic problem.  —  Now there are more immediate crises: A 9.8 percent unemployment rate, a yawning budget deficit.  But the inequality issue hasn't gone away.

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's Meeting With the Dalai Lama Is Delayed  —  In an attempt to gain favor with China, the United States pressured Tibetan representatives to postpone a meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Obama until after Obama's summit with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, scheduled for next month …

Two Firefights: One Video  —  In July, British soldiers and I boarded a CH-47 helicopter at Camp Bastion for the flight to FOB Jackson at Sangin where fighting is brutal.  The helicopter was so stuffed with men, gear and supplies that the cargo was not even strapped down.