Sources: White House Pushing Back Against Senate Public Option Opt Out Compromise  —  Multiple sources tell TPMDC that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is very close to rounding up 60 members in support of a public option with an opt out clause, and are continuing to push skeptical members.

When Asked Where the Constitution Authorizes Congress to Order Americans To Buy Health Insurance, Pelosi Says: ‘Are You Serious?’  —  (CNSNews.com) - When CNSNews.com asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday where the Constitution authorized Congress to order Americans to buy health insurance …

CNN Poll: GOP favorable rating lowest in a decade  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Republican Party's favorable rating among Americans is at lowest level in at least a decade, according to a new national poll.  —  Thirty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday …

Americans' Views on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize  —  Majority say it is not deserved, although about half are glad Obama received it  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The majority of Americans do not believe President Barack Obama deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize (61%), but the public is split in its personal reaction to the announcement.

Top employees leave financial firms ahead of pay cuts  —  Grass is greener where bonuses are sky-high  —  NEW YORK — Even before the Obama administration formally tightened executive compensation at bailed-out companies, the prospect of pay cuts had led some top employees to depart.

Pawlenty ‘Concerned’ About NY GOP Candidate; Plans Endorsement Soon  —  ABC News' Rick Klein reports:  —  With the Republican Party splintering over a House race in upstate New York, Gov. Tim Pawlenty said on ABCNews.com's “Top Line” today that he has significant concerns …

Scozzafava Declares Herself Part of Abramoff Wing of GOP: Funnels Campaign Cash to Family  —  Jack Abramoff, present jailbird, was convicted of all sorts of crooked schemes.  One of his favorites was to funnel money through various organizations into the hands of other people.

It's His Rubble Now  —  And the American people want him to fix it.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  At a certain point, a president must own a presidency.  For George W. Bush that point came eight months in, when 9/11 happened.  From that point on, the presidency—all his decisions, all the credit and blame for them—was his.

Biden's Response to Cheney Criticism: ‘Who Cares?’  —  PRAGUE — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had a blunt response Friday to the latest broadsides from former Vice President Dick Cheney: “Who cares?”  —  In the latest exchange between old and new administrations …

Denmark in ISAF  —  Danish Defense Minister Søren Gade with Robert Gates (Denmark MOD photo)  —  The news that NATO defense ministers are prepared to back a counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan seems a little bit weird given that we're in the middle of a debate about what to do here in the United States.

Former governor calls for party reform  —  Jeb Bush argues Republicans need to be more welcoming  —  Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, unveiled a six-point plan to help strengthen the Republican Party Wednesday night - including shedding the image of being the “old white guy party” and advocating for limited government.

Former Sen. Hagel: GOP being ‘irresponsible’ on healthcare  —  Republican senators trying to kill healthcare reform have acted irresponsibly, one of their former colleagues asserted.  —  Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) chided some of his former colleagues who have suggested …

Bush: I regret standing in front of the ‘Mission Impossible’ banner.  —  President Bush was in Canada yesterday to speak at a luncheon of the Montreal Board of Trade.  Approximately 300 protesters gathered outside the venue, blowing plastic horns, throwing shoes, and burning the former president in effigy.

Trust on Issues  —  Voters Trust Republicans More On 10 Top Issues  —  For the first time in recent years, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports.  The GOP holds double-digit advantages on five of them.

Abortion Kills More Black Americans Than the Seven Leading Causes of Death Combined, Says CDC Data  —  (CNSNews.com) - Abortion kills more black Americans than the seven leading causes of death combined, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2005 …