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.

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 …

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 …

SUNDAY SHOW BOOKERS REFUSE TO READ POLITICAL ANIMAL.... Maybe I should start taking this personally. … For crying out loud.  As of this weekend, there will have been 40 Sundays since President Obama's inauguration in January.  With his 15th Sunday show appearance, McCain will have been a guest on one of the programs every 2.6 weeks.

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 …

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.

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.

Graydon AWOL as Vanity Fair cuts staff  —  VANITY Fair yesterday took some of the deepest staff cuts at Condé Nast, but Editor  —  Graydon Carterdidn't deliver the bad news himself.  —  Although Carter was said to have been at his restaurant, The Monkey Bar last night, he was a no-show at the office during the day.

The Chinese Disconnect  —  Senior monetary officials usually talk in code.  So when Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, spoke recently about Asia, international imbalances and the financial crisis, he didn't specifically criticize China's outrageous currency policy.

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.