Behind the War Between White House and Fox  —  WASHINGTON — Late last month, the senior White House adviser David Axelrod and Roger Ailes, chairman and chief executive of Fox News, met in an empty Palm steakhouse before it opened for the day, neutral ground secured for a secret tête-à-tê te.

Pelosi lacks votes for most sweeping public option  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi counted votes Thursday night and determined she could not pass a “robust public option” — the most aggressive of the three forms of a public option House Democrats have been considering as part of a national overhaul of health care.

Morning Fix: Palin Endorses Hoffman  —  Sarah Palin's decision to endorse the Conservative party candidate over the Republican nominee in a special House election in upstate New York is the latest example that the former Alaska governor's allegiance is to her conservative principles rather than the edicts of the party.

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.

Bay State liberals shun Barack Obama's visit  —  President Obama blows into the bluest state today facing a cold shoulder from once true-blue admirers, as gay rights activists, anti-war protesters and vexed environmentalists vow to picket a fund-raiser he's headlining for Gov. Deval Patrick - a marquee event that hasn't even sold out.

Annie Leibovitz takes first family photo — Friends encourage Roger Ailes to seek GOP nom in 2012 — Geithner: ‘A big week’ — Endgame: Look for a trigger in final health bill  —  Annie Leibovitz takes first family photo — Friends encourage Roger Ailes to seek GOP nom in 2012 — Geithner …

Soupy Sales dies at 83; slapstick comic had hit TV show in 1960s  —  The comedian acquired a cult-like following among adults with a show ostensibly meant for children.  His signature routine, which he elevated to an art form, was pie-throwing.  —  Soupy Sales is embraced backstage …

The Rachel Maddow Show: Indefensible  —  As Rachel reports, it looks like the vote taken by 30 Republicans to protect contractors rather than rape victims is not playing very well for them in their local papers.  —  Jamie Leigh Jones and her attorney joined Rachel to talk about what happened …

Media Matters coordinates campaign against ‘lethal’ Fox  —  An official at a Democratic-leaning organization sends on a memo the group Media Matters is circulating today to progressive groups, calling Fox “a lethal 24/7 partisan political operation” and rallying a coalition of groups to join the White House assault on the network.

A Lone Cleric Is Loudly Defying Iran's Leaders  —  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A short midlevel cleric, with a neat white beard and a clergyman's calm bearing, Mehdi Karroubi has watched from his home in Tehran in recent months as his aides have been arrested, his offices raided, his newspaper shut down.

Suicide bomber strikes suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan  —  ISLAMABAD — A suspected nuclear weapons site in Pakistan was hit by a suicide bomb attack, raising fears about the security of the nuclear arsenal, while two other terrorist blasts made it another bloody day in the country's struggle against extremism.

NATO Defense Ministers Endorse Wider Afghan Effort  —  BRATISLAVA — NATO defense ministers gave their broad endorsement Friday to the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan laid out by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, increasing pressure on the Obama administration and on their own governments …