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 …

White House's botched ‘op’  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama yesterday rolled out the red carpet — and handed out doctors' white coats as well, just so nobody missed his hard-sell health-care message.  —  In a heavy-handed attempt at reviving support for health-care reform …

The Obamas' Ego Trip to Copenhagen  —  In the Niagara of words spoken and written about the Obamas' trip to Copenhagen, too few have been devoted to the words they spoke there.  Their separate speeches to the International Olympic Committee were so dreadful, and in such a characteristic way …

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.

Af-Pak border is ‘modern epicentre’ of jihad: Gates  —  Washington: Strongly opposing any move to withdraw the US troops, Defence Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday said that such a decision would allow al-Qaeda to gain a foothold in Afghanistan and described the tribal region between Af-Pak border as the “modern epicentre” of jihad.

Afghanistan and Leadership  —  Gen. McChrystal needs more troops now precisely so Afghans can take over the war effort later.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  'We're at a point in Afghanistan right now in our overall campaign," the U.S. general says, “where increasingly security can best …

Morning Fix: Landscape Sparks Republicans Recruiting  —  The decline in President Obama's poll numbers — and those of his party — over the first eight months of his administration has led to a bumper crop of Republican recruits in the House as GOP candidates who sat on the sidelines …

AMA Endorses Largest Denier of Health Care Claims  —  What appears to be the official blog of President Obama's administration is all aflutter because the President will welcome, “doctors from across the United States to the White House to share their unique perspective on the struggles …

ARE YOU “THE UNKNOWN LIBERAL”?  Pick me, pick me!  —  Jerry Falwell's offspring of Liberty University, the Liberty Counsel has a wonderful new idea! … How does it work, you ask? … I nominate myself as “The “Unknown Liberal.  No, really, that's a choice.  You can't make this crap up.

FTC meddles in blogger content, free speech  —  More big government.  The FTC says basically anyone receiving anything (due to broad, poorly-written regulations) must pay an $11,000 fine. … Because Uncle Sam think the public is too stupid to make decisions alone or to recognize endorsements verses common reviews.

As Job Loss Rises, Obama Aides Act to Fix Safety Net  —  WASHINGTON — With unemployment expected to rise well into next year even as the economy slowly recovers, the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress are discussing extending several safety net programs as well as proposing …

Obama Team Says Zazi Case Illustrates Balanced Approach to Terror Threat  —  President Obama will make his first visit to the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean on Tuesday morning, telling intelligence officials that their recent successes have proved how effectively multiple agencies can perform when they work in concert.

Burden of Proof on Obama's Origins  —  A dentist and lawyer, Orly Taitz has plenty to keep her busy.  But a side passion is what consumes her these days: challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to be president.  —  RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif.  —  The dental office of Orly Taitz, DDS …

Did Viacom find smoking gun in YouTube case?  —  Lawyers working on a $1 billion copyright lawsuit filed by Viacom against Google's YouTube may have uncovered evidence that employees of the video site were among those who uploaded unauthorized content to YouTube.

Sotomayor Takes Active Role on Court's First Day  —  The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with an inquisitive new justice and a case from Maryland about how long police must honor a suspect's request for an attorney.  —  Justice Sonia Sotomayor displayed no reticence …

Paul Krugman asks a Question  —  He argues that the Recalculation story falls apart … This is a good question.  I would say that answer may be that the dynamics of booms and busts are asymmetric.  —  Note that the housing boom took place slowly, and it built up over a period of years.

NRCC chief says GOP ‘far ahead’ of '94  —  Republican campaign efforts are “far ahead” of where they were the year before the party took back the House in 1994, the leader of the GOP's midterm campaign efforts said Monday.  —  Republican campaign efforts are “far ahead” …

WIRE WATCH: Obama Talks Afghanistan and Counterterrorism, Acorn Chief Addresses Scrutiny, Feingold Examines ‘Czars’  —  Afghanistan Update: President Barack Obama is hosting a bipartisan, bicameral meeting at the White House today with congressional leaders to discuss Afghanistan …

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.

Pay Czar Targets Salary Cuts  —  Top Earners at Firms Getting Aid Would See Compensation Shift From Cash to Stock  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration's pay czar is planning to clamp down on compensation at firms receiving large sums of government aid by cutting annual cash salaries …