Axelrod: Fox ‘not really news’  —  White House senior adviser David Axelrod said Sunday that the Fox News Channel is “not really a news station” and that much of the programming is “not really news.”  —  “I'm not concerned,” Axelrod said on ABC's “This Week” when George Stephanopoulos asked …

Exclusive: I Helped Richard Heene Plan a Balloon Hoax  —  For the first time, 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas reveals to Gawker how earlier this year he and Richard Heene drew up a master plan to generate a massive media controversy using a weather balloon.  To get famous, of course.

Mr. Deeds for Governor  —  A LEGACY of sound policies, coupled with the proximity of the federal government, has partially protected Virginia from the harsh retrenchments that the recession has forced on many states.  Yet the commonwealth faces a daunting crisis in the form of a drastic shortfall …

David Rohde's insights into what motivates the Taliban  —  (updated below)  —  The New York Times' David Rohde writes about the seven months he was held hostage by a group of extremist Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan and conveys this observation about what motivates them:

White House ‘Official’ Badmouths Labor Leader For Expecting Obama To Keep His Promises  —  Gerry McEntee is president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).  He leads the largest union in America and has been one of the most vocal advocates for progressive health care reform.

First paper to run Limbaugh “slavery” quote issues retraction  —  In the wake of the news that radio host Rush Limbaugh was hoping to buy a chunk of the St. Louis Rams, Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a column containing the now-infamous quote, supposedly from Limbaugh …

Thune: Public option compromises still public option  —  No matter what Congress calls it, the various public option compromises under consideration in Congress would do the same thing, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said on “Fox News Sunday.”  —  “It is still a government plan,” he said.

Harris poll puts Obama approval at 45%  —  Barack Obama might have hoped that an unexpected Nobel Peace Prize might halt his slide in the polls.  Not so, says the latest Harris interactive poll, conducted over the last week.  The survey contacted over 2200 adults on line …

Small Group Now Leads Closed-Door Reform Negotiations  —  Three months before he was elected president, Barack Obama vowed not only to reform health care but also to pass the legislation in an unprecedented way.  —  “I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table,” …

washingtonpost.com > Opinions > Outlook & Opinions  —  Iran's expanding nuclear program poses one of the Obama administration's most vexing foreign policy challenges.  Fortunately, the conditions for containing Tehran's efforts may be better today than they have been in years.

Shepard Fairey Is a Liar  —  By his own admission!  —  In addition to being a plagiarist and a serial hypocrite, the plagiarizing serial hypocrite also tells big fat lies when it suits him.  The LA Times reports: … If that's the case, why did he feel the need to lie and cover his tracks?