Dean: If I Were A Senator I'd Vote For Opt-Out Public Option  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  One of the most respected progressive voices on health care reform said on Thursday that he could live with and even support a compromise to the public plan that would grant states the right to reject the option entirely.

Calling 'Em Out: The White House Takes on the Press  —  There was never a single moment when White House staff decided the major media outlets were falling down on the job.  There were instead several such moments.  —  For press secretary Robert Gibbs, the realization came in early September …

Barack Obama: Taleban can be involved in Afghanistan future  —  President Obama is prepared to accept some Taleban involvement in Afghanistan's political future and is unlikely to favour a large influx of new American troops being demanded by his ground commander, a senior official said last night.

American Voters Oppose Obama Health Care Plan, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; GOP Gets Lowest Grades Since Obama Elected  —  American voters oppose 47 - 40 percent President Barack Obama's health care reform plan, and don't want an overhaul that only gets Democratic votes …

Do the Watusi: Art, imitation, and the Obamas  —  Yesterday, we chuckled over the indecision-themed “word art” that the Obamas chose to hang in the White House.  —  Today, a Free Republic poster notices another of the Obamas' curious art choices: “Watusi (Hard Edge),” by Alma Thomas …

O'Reilly to Bachmann: You ‘drive the far-left crazy’ because you're ‘good looking.’  —  Last night, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly discussed why she is “second to Sarah Palin in far-left angst,” setting off a conversation between the two about why Bachmann faces …

McDonnell Widens Lead in Virginia Governor's Race  —  Republican Withstands Rival's Attacks on Conservative Social Views  —  Republican Robert F. McDonnell has taken a commanding lead over R. Creigh Deeds in the race for governor of Virginia, as momentum the Democrat had built with an attack …

French minister in ‘boy sex’ row  —  France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is facing intense pressure over a book he wrote that described paying for “young boys” in Thailand.  —  The book was written four years ago, before he joined the government, but is back in the headlines following …

Treason and Sedition  —  Article III of the Constitution defines treason against the United States in three ways: levying war against the country, adhering to the country's enemies, or giving aid or comfort to enemies.  The punishment for treason is death, but the article requires a high burden of proof.

ROMAN POLANSKI BACKERS GAVE $34K TO BARACK OBAMA, DNC  —  Movie industry types calling for the release of director Roman Polanski last year gave $34,000 to Obama's presidential campaign and the Democratic Party, FEC records show.  —  Polanski's arrest late last month by Swiss authorities …

House GOP leaders voting against defense bill  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) are voting against the House/Senate fiscal year 2010 defense authorization bill — because it contains hate crimes provisions designed to protect gays and lesbians.

In First Lady's Roots, a Complex Path From Slavery  —  WASHINGTON — In 1850, the elderly master of a South Carolina estate took pen in hand and painstakingly divided up his possessions.  Among the spinning wheels, scythes, tablecloths and cattle that he bequeathed to his far-flung heirs …

Corzine Points a Spotlight at His Rival's Waistline  —  It is about as subtle as a playground taunt: a television ad for Gov. Jon S. Corzine shows his challenger, Christopher J. Christie, stepping out of an S.U.V. in extreme slow motion, his extra girth moving, just as slowly, in several different directions at once.

Congress' Torture Cover-Up.  —  Since 2003, the ACLU has been seeking torture documents through a FOIA lawsuit.  In 2005, the Southern District Court of New York ordered the government to release a set of photos depicting detainee abuse, a decision that was affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in September of 2008.

Little Soldier Girl “Didn't Want to Let Go”  —  Four-year old Paige didn't want to say goodbye to her daddy before he was shipped off to Iraq  —  A family photo that shows a little girl beside her father and his fellow soldiers in uniform as they prepare to go to war has resonated well beyond the tight knit Bennethum clan.

Mixed Views of Economic Policies and Health Care Reform Persist  —  Support for Health Care Principles, Opposition to Package  —  Public opinion is conflicted regarding the two major domestic issues of the day - the economy and health care reform.  On the economy, most Americans remain optimistic …

Brooke Astor's Son Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Her  —  The son of Brooke Astor, the legendary New York society matriarch, was convicted on Thursday of stealing from her as she suffered from Alzheimer's disease in the twilight of her life.  —  Barring an appeal, the jury's verdict means …

Tuesdays With Rahm  —  If you've spent time in progressive circles these last nine months, you've certainly heard the “make me do it” story.  The details bounce around, even the name of the president who allegedly said it (sometimes it's Johnson, most often it's Roosevelt), but the basic tale is this …

Burr looking better  —  There is probably no politician in the country whose fate better exemplifies the shift in the national political climate over the last four months than Richard Burr.  —  His approval this month comes in at a very mediocre 36% with an almost equal 35% disapproving of his work in the Senate.

Independents  —  I was listening to all the gasbags drone on all day yesterday about how the “independents” are all unhappy with Obama and are probably going to vote for the Republicans again when just a couple of years ago they were all unhappy with Bush and voted with the Democrats.

Is health on the way?  —  Jonathan Chait may be tempting fate a bit here, but it is increasingly looking as if reform has weathered the storm.  —  The key point about health care is that the Democrats have the votes if they hang together.  Against that, there are clearly some Democratic senators …