Obama strategy: Marginalize critics  —  This is the first of a two-part look at the marginalization of the GOP.  Tomorrow: GOP officials fear that the party's image is being defined increasingly by boisterous conservative commentators.  —  President Obama is working systematically …

House Dems want Medicare for everyone  —  Say hello to “Medicare Part E” — as in, “Medicare for Everyone.”  —  House Democrats are looking at re-branding the public health insurance option as Medicare, an established government healthcare program that is better known than the public option.

Volcker Fails to Sell a Bank Strategy  —  Listen to a top economist in the Obama administration describe Paul A. Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman who endorsed Mr. Obama early in his election campaign and who stood by his side during the financial crisis.

Obama's War on Fox News Becomes a Quagmire  —  THE WHITE HOUSE - Despite the President's promise of a swift and decisive victory, Obama's War on Fox News has developed all signs of an unwinnable quagmire, making the White House even more isolated in its unilateral attempts to crush the growing media insurgency.

Carnegie Hall Stagehand Moving Props Makes $530,044  —  Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) — After you practice for years and get to Carnegie Hall, it's almost better to move music stands than actually play the piano.  —  Depending on wattage, a star pianist can receive $20,000 a night at the 118-year-old hall …

Clinton helps Deeds — sort of  —  It's doubtful that any of the few hundred people who turned up for Democrat Creigh Deeds at a Northern Virginia campaign office needed a reminder that their candidate is trailing badly in his race for governor.  —  They got one anyway …

U.S. deeply split on troop increase for Afghan war  —  Majority says nation lacks clear strategy  —  As President Obama and his war cabinet deliberate a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, Americans are evenly and deeply divided over whether he should send 40,000 more troops there …

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 …

Iran nuclear fuel deal ‘agreed’  —  Iran and three world powers have been handed a draft agreement aimed at reducing international concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme.  —  The International Atomic Energy Agency, which proposed the plan after talks in Vienna, wants an answer by Friday.

The GOP's New York Fiasco  —  Republicans try to lose a House seat.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Republicans are telling themselves that a political wave is building that could carry them to big election gains next year.  Judging by their performance so far in a special election in New York …

Grassley Warns HHS Web Site May Be ‘Propaganda’  —  Senate Finance ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is raising concerns that a Department of Health and Human Services Web site that urges visitors to send an e-mail to President Barack Obama praising his health care reform plan may violate rules against government-funded propaganda.

General Powell  —  is one of the most distinguished and admired men in America.  As a four-star General, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Gen. Powell has experienced leadership at the highest levels.  Gen. Powell shows you precisely what it takes to be a leader …

Will lower health-care costs mean higher wages?  —  As we went over yesterday, the theory of the excise tax is that employers will buy less costly health-care plans and put the money they save into wages.  Most of you had one question in response to that, which was well expressed …

Filmmakers Show Video of ACORN ‘Sting’ in Philadelphia  —  The two independent filmmakers who posed as a pimp and a prostitute and received advice from ACORN employees in five cities on how to skirt tax and immigration laws claim the community organizer group lied when it said the pair …

A Drone Strike and Dwindling Hope  —  TWO deafening explosions shook the walls of the compound where the Taliban held us hostage.  My guards and I dived to the floor as chunks of dirt hurtled through the window.  —  “Dawood?” one guard shouted, saying my name in Arabic.  “Dawood?”

Limbaugh goes the extra mile  —  Shock jock turns on Andy Revkin after his comments on population and greenhouse gas emissions  —  US radio host Rush Limbaugh's main reason for existence is to go too far — and then drag mainstream conservative discourse out there with him.

Court papers claim Madoff's offices were full of cocaine, topless women  —  Bernie Madoff, cocaine kingpin?  —  New additions to a lawsuit against the jailed Ponzi schemer charge that he presided over an office so fueled by the drug that it was known as the “North Pole.”

How Paulson gave Goldman the Lehman heads-up  —  The secret Paulson-Goldman meeting wasn't the only time that Hank Paulson treated his buddies at Goldman Sachs especially well while at Treasury.  In fact, it wasn't the only time he did so before he got the now-famous waiver.

2010 Florida GOP Senate Primary: Crist 49%, Rubio 35%  —  The contest for the 2010 Republican Senate nomination in Florida is a little closer this month, but Governor Charlie Crist still holds a 14-point lead over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey …

America's secular saboteurs  —  There are many ways cultural nihilists are busy trying to sabotage America these days: multiculturalism is used as a club to beat down Western civilization in the classroom; sexual libertines seek to upend the cultural order by attacking religion …