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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Watchdog excoriates execution of TARP  —  A Treasury Department watchdog is warning that a key $700 billion bailout program has damaged the government's credibility, won't earn taxpayers all their money back and has done little to change a culture of recklessness on Wall Street.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.”

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.

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?”

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 …

Emanuel at the Epicenter: Then and Now  —  WASHINGTON — When Heath Shuler, the former Washington Redskins quarterback, was thinking about running for Congress in 2006, he found he had a new best friend.  Every time the phone rang, it seemed, it was Rahm Emanuel or someone Mr. Emanuel had told to call.

Reporter never yelled at Scozzafava  —  Dede Scozzafava's campaign is now retracting its accusation that Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack yelled at her - which was what prompted her husband to call the police - after McCormack played the audiotape of the incident to the Associated Press:

Vitter dodges question about interracial marriage in Louisiana.  —  Although both Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) have publicly condemned Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell for refusing to issue marriage licenses to interracial couples, Sen. David Vitter (R) has stayed noticeably silent.

CDC shocker: Swine Flu killing young people at surprising rate … The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have confirmed what public health officials have been saying for some time.  The Swine Flu, pandemic H1N1, is unusually deadly for young people in the United States.