The Race Card, Football and Me  —  My critics would have you believe no conservative meets NFL ‘standards.’  —  David Checketts, an investor and owner of sports teams, approached me in late May about investing in the St. Louis Rams football franchise.  As a football fan, I was intrigued.

Record-High Deficit May Dash Big Plans  —  $1.4 Trillion in Red Ink Means Less to Spend On Obama's Ambitious Jobs, Stimulus Policies  —  The federal budget deficit soared to a record $1.4 trillion in the fiscal year that ended in September, a chasm of red ink unequaled in the postwar era …

Bailout Helps Fuel a New Era of Wall Street Wealth  —  Even as the economy continues to struggle, much of Wall Street is minting money — and looking forward again to hefty bonuses.  —  Many Americans wonder how this can possibly be.  How can some banks be prospering so soon after a financial collapse …

Lefty anger splits Dems — and may sink them  —  “Harry Reid abdicates his leadership role,” reads the headline at the lefty Daily Kos Web site.  “Why Joe Biden should resign,” reads the headline at the Huffington Post.  “Whiner in Chief,” reads the headline at The Nation, referring to President Obama.

Taking On the ‘Democrat-Media Complex’  —  The conservative Internet entrepreneur on bringing down Acorn, Hollywood liberals, and embarrassing the mainstream media.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Hollywood  —  Dressing up as a pimp and prostitute in order to seek Acorn's help in starting …

Elder Bush Decries Lack of Civility in Politics  —  Posted by Peter Maer Former President George H.W. Bush told CBS News that President Obama “is entitled to civil treatment and intellectual honesty when it comes to critics.”  —  Referring to the tone of national discourse he said, “I don't like it.

White House to shift strategy on Sudan  —  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday will debut the Obama administration's new “incentives and pressure” strategy for Sudan.  —  The new approach — which will emphasize cooperation with the state's embattled government, not isolation …

The Very Separate World of Conservative Republicans  —  The self-identifying conservative Republicans who make up the base of the Republican Party stand a world apart from the rest of America, according to focus groups conducted by Democracy Corps.  These base Republican voters dislike Barack Obama …

The Secret New York Minute: Trains Late by Design  —  For a commuter rushing to catch a train, a minute can mean the difference between dinner with the family and leftovers in the microwave.  —  What most passengers do not realize is that their minute is already there.

How Turkey Was Lost to the West  —  Once the apotheosis of a pro-Western, dependable Muslim democracy, this week Turkey officially left the Western alliance and became a full member of the Iranian axis.  —  It isn't that Ankara's behavior changed fundamentally in recent days.

Pakistan Moves Troops Into Taliban Stronghold  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan moved large contingents of troops into the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan on Saturday, beginning a long-anticipated ground offensive against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in treacherous terrain …

Dunn fires back at Beck over Mao remarks  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — White House communications director Anita Dunn fired back at criticism from TV commentator Glenn Beck on Friday, saying that a Mao Tse-tung quote Beck took issue with was picked up from legendary GOP strategist Lee Atwater.

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Calls Hails Progress on Health Insurance Reform Despite Defenders of the Status Quo  —  WASHINGTON - In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised the progress that has been made on health insurance reform, and spoke out against those who defend …

Oy!  Noam Chomsky Compares Right-Wing Media To “Nazis”  —  Add Noam Chomsky to the growing list of people using the Nazi analogy lately.  Speaking to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, he alluded to right-wing media as “substantive content — crazy content, but it does give answers,” …

J Street: “We are winning”  —  The debate in Washington over the Jewish-American role in U.S.-Israel policy is at a fever pitch, as the new and controversial organization called J Street is reeling from the loss of support of several members of Congress who have backed away from the group under pressure from its detractors.