Okay, Prove You Didn't Say It!  — By: Mark Steyn  —  For some reason, Rush Limbaugh's mooted purchase of a sports franchise has prompted CNN and others to distribute far and wide what appear to be entirely fabricated racist quotes by Rush.  As Tim Blair points out: … Just so.  What's the theory here?

Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds  —  Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) — Some of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's closest aides, none of whom faced Senate confirmation, earned millions of dollars a year working for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other Wall Street firms …

Health Insurers Emerge as Obama's Top Foe in Reform Effort  —  Now they have an enemy.  —  For months, President Obama and his administration waged their fight for a health-care overhaul without a clear opponent, even courting the industry executives and interest groups that helped kill reform efforts 15 years ago.

Americans, In Reversal, Now Back Afghan Troop Surge  —  As President Obama mulls the military's request for a big troop build-up in Afghanistan, Americans have swung in favor of such a move, according to a new IBD/TIPP Poll.  —  The survey of 927 adults found that a plurality of 48% favors sending …

Schumer To Reid: The Fate Of The Public Option May Be In Your Hands  —  Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) threw down the gauntlet on the public option for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) last night.  Appearing on The Rachel Maddow Show, Schumer essentially put the fate of the public option …

Saudis Seek Payments for Any Drop in Oil Revenues  —  Saudi Arabia is trying to enlist other oil-producing countries to support a provocative idea: if wealthy countries reduce their oil consumption to combat global warming, they should pay compensation to oil producers.

Olbermann: Without ‘Fascistic Hatred,’ Malkin Is Just a ‘Mashed-Up Bag of Meat with Lipstick’  —  On Tuesday's Countdown show, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann spewed bile at conservative commentator Michelle Malkin, accusing her of possessing “fascistic hatred,” and comparing her to a “mashed-up bag of meat with lipstick on it.”

Poll shows Specter staring at ‘near fatal’ 31 percent re-election figure  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  HARRISBURG — Only 31 percent of Pennsylvania voters believe Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter should be re-elected, and 59 percent believe it's time to give someone else a chance, a state poll released today shows.

The Curious Resignation Of Robert Wexler  —  Today, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), a well-regarded young congressman with a good job and enough seniority to ensure that he is comfortable, will announce his resignation from the House of Representatives.  The reason: he intends to perform other work in a “public policy” capacity.

Biden No Longer a Lone Voice on Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — A few hours after getting off a plane from America's war zones, Joseph R. Biden Jr. slipped into a chair, shook off his jet lag and reflected on what he had seen.  The situation in Iraq, he said, was much improved.

Apartment residents told to take down U.S. flags  —  Residents of the Oaks Apartments in Albany have reportedly been told to take down their flags.  Even this one, on the back of a motorcycle, is part of the reported ban.  —  ALBANY, Ore. - At the Oaks Apartments in Albany …

Christie Vilsack: “I'm well-qualified” to run for US Senate  —  Christie Vilsack, Tom Vilsack (file photo)  —  Christie Vilsack, the wife of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, sounds as if she may be the “mystery candidate” the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party said was poised to run for the U.S. Senate.

Now who loves America more?  —  Twenty-five years ago, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick famously lambasted Democrats as “blame America firsters” and a party plagued by “self-criticism and self-denigration” of America.  It was a speech at pace with an emerging political stereotype …

Daily Number: 15% - America's Health Care is ... Fairly Average  —  Only 15% of Americans believe that the U.S. has the best health care in the world.  Read more  —  THE TOP STORY INDEX  —  New Media Index  —  Celebrity Jeopardy: Polanski on Blogs  —  8 Oct 09 The Roman Polanski saga …

An Apartment Complex Teeters  —  High-Profile Tishman/BlackRock Property in New York in Danger of Default  —  The giant Stuyvesant Town apartment complex on Manhattan's East Side, shown Tuesday, was developed by MetLife for World War II veterans.  —  One of the biggest …

Poll: 51.8% plan to vote no on question 1  —  in - Central Maine Newspapers - Portland Press Herald  —  According to new poll data, 51.8 percent of people who plan to vote in November say they will vote no or are leaning in that direction on question 1, the people's veto of Maine's same-sex marriage law.

House Republicans accuse Muslim group of trying to plant spies  —  Four House Republicans are accusing a Muslim advocacy group of trying to plant spies on Capitol Hill.  —  Republican members of the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus said the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) …

Steele: I'm The ‘Cow On The Tracks’ Trying To Block The Health Care Train  —  Today on Fox News, RNC Chairman Michael Steele railed against Democratic efforts to reform health care and said how proud he was that Republicans have stalled action.  “They told us in June that there would be a health care bill …

Daisy Chain of Cheneys  —  I imagine that if you called the new consulting firm of Cheney, Cheney & Cheney and got put on hold, you'd hear the “Ghostbusters” theme: … It's hard to believe that the Bush dynasty, which limped away in disgrace after smashing our economy and the globe, has spawned another political dynasty.

Russia's Putin warns against intimidating Iran  —  BEIJING (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned major powers on Wednesday against intimidating Iran and said talk of sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme was “premature”.