Maddow/Olbermann Invited to White House Chat with Obama, But Fox Isn't a News Organization?  —  Here's a curious turn in the White House vs. Fox News fight.  —  On Monday, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow were among several people who attended an off-the-record briefing with Pres. Obama at the White House.

‘Die quickly’ congressman creates namesofthedead.com; GOP cries foul  —  Rep. Alan Grayson, whose “die quickly” remark gained him much attention, has created a new website based on his meme called “namesofthedead.com.”  —  On the site, visitors can log the names and stories of friends …

U.S. to Order Steep Pay Cuts at Firms That Got Most Aid  —  WASHINGTON — Responding to the growing furor over the paychecks of executives at companies that received billions of dollars in federal bailouts, the Obama administration will order the companies that received the most aid to deeply slash …

NY-23: Scozzafava Photo-Op Goes Horribly Wrong  —  Michael Patrick Leahy, the Tea Party activist who has been going after NY-23 GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava with hammer and tongs, produces this photo of the candidate stumping today outside of one of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman's offices.

ACORN Video: Prostitution Scandal in Philadelphia, PA Part I  —  *UPDATE Below*  —  Alinsky Rule #1: “Power isn't only what you have, it's what the enemy thinks you have.”  —  [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed.  Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Attention, Sarah Palin bashers: Lookalike book ‘Going Rouge’ is coming!  —  We know that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can hunt, and even field-dress a moose, but how will she take to poachers on her book sales?  Start-up publisher OR Books has announced plans to publish Going Rouge …

They All Look Alike: MSNBC Mistakes Jesse Jackson for Al Sharpton  —  Reverends!  All reverends look alike.  Jesse Jackson was on MSNBC today to help poor people, and Contessa Brewer introduced him as “the Rev. Al Sharpton.”  If Fox News did this, there would be sit-ins.

Coffee-making naked guy rebuffed by exposure charge  —  SPRINGFIELD, Va. - Eric Williamson faces an indecent exposure charge after a passerby saw him in the buff in his own home making coffee.  —  It happened at 5:30 a.m. Monday.  —  Channel 5 reports the woman and 7-year-old boy who saw …

‘Doc fix’ collapses, Reid tells colleagues AMA led him astray  —  A group of Democrats joined all Republicans in blocking a 10-year freeze of scheduled cuts to doctors' Medicare payments, legislation that was considered important to getting a broader healthcare bill through later this year.

Goldman Sachs's Griffiths Says Inequality Helps All  —  Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) — A Goldman Sachs International adviser defended compensation in the finance industry as his company plans a near-record year for pay, saying the spending will help boost the economy.

Senator Vitter's Office Finally Comments On Judge Who Denied Interracial Marriage  —  Okay, you may have heard that GOP Senator David Vitter of Louisiana has come under fire for refusing to comment on or condemn Keith Bardwell, a white justice of the peace from his state who refused to preside over the nuptials of an interracial couple.

7 Months After Stimulus 49 of 50 States Have Lost Jobs  —  America Now Over 6 Million Jobs Shy of Administration's Projections  —  The table below compares the White House's February 2009 projection of the number of jobs that would be created by the 2009 stimulus law (through the end of 2010) …

GOP launches sarcastic ‘friend czar’ Facebook application  —  The GOP has unveiled a new tactic in its ongoing effort to dominate social media sites like Twitter and Facebook: a sarcastic Facebook Application that assesses a “tax” on Facebook users deemed to have more than the average number of friends.

Obama Quarterly Approval Average Slips Nine Points to 53%  —  Largest second- to third-quarter drop for an elected president  —  PRINCETON, NJ — In Gallup Daily tracking that spans Barack Obama's third quarter in office (July 20 through Oct. 19), the president averaged a 53% job approval rating.

Oprah hopes Palin has the right stuff to win back viewers  —  Oprah Winfrey, on a campaign to climb back from last season's ratings slump, will attempt to kiss and make up with conservative viewers on Nov. 16 when she has Sarah Palin on her syndicated talk show .

Michelle Obama Hula-Hooping our way to health  —  First, the buff first arms.  Then the First Lady's White House playground.  Then the First Lady's White House victory garden.  Then the First Lady's patronage of farmer's markets for things that grow in the filthy ground or hang on trees where birds perch and do things.

Why we had to get rid of GM's CEO  —  The man who led the auto bailout tells about his shock at the state of the carmaker's finances and management. … Everyone knew Detroit's reputation for insular, slow-moving cultures.  Even by that low standard, I was shocked by the stunningly poor management …

San Francisco Alters When Police Must Report Immigrants  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco board of supervisors voted Tuesday to overturn a city policy that has been at the center of a national debate over offering illegal immigrants sanctuary.  —  The policy, ordered by Mayor Gavin Newsom …

Franken Schools Right-Wing Analyst On Medical Bankruptcies In Countries With Universal Care: 'It's Zero'  —  Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled “Medical Debt: Can Bankruptcy Reform Facilitate a Fresh Start.”  The hearing examined medical bankruptcies in America …

The New Untouchables  —  Last summer I attended a talk by Michelle Rhee, the dynamic chancellor of public schools in Washington.  Just before the session began, a man came up, introduced himself as Todd Martin and whispered to me that what Rhee was about to speak about — our struggling public schools …

Megan Williams to recant Logan County sex-torture testimony  —  CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Seven people pleaded guilty for their part in abusing Megan Williams — but now Williams says that abuse never happened.  —  She will hold a press conference Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, to recant her claims of abuse …

Former VP's Remarks Prepared for His Address to the Center for Security Policy  —  Remarks by former Vice President Dick Cheney  —  Center for Security Policy  —  Thank you all very much.  It's a pleasure to be here, and especially to receive the Keeper of the Flame Award in the company of so many good friends.