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.

OutFoxed?  —  Let me be precise here: Fox News peddles a fair amount of hateful crap.  Some of it borders on sedition.  Much of it is flat out untrue.  —  But I don't understand why the White House would give such poisonous helium balloons as Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity the opportunity …

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 …

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.

First on the Ticker: Obama to make final push for Corzine  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama will head back to New Jersey next weekend to campaign for Gov. Jon Corzine, who is in jeopardy of losing his re-election bid, CNN has learned.  —  “The Corzine campaign is excited to announce …

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.

The bogus death statistic that won't die  —  Creators Syndicate  —  Democrat Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida has found his calling: Death demagogue.  First, he accused Republicans of wanting sick patients to “DIE QUICKLY.”  Next, he likened health insurance problems to a “Holocaust in America.”

Biden Dismisses Cheney's Criticisms Over Afghanistan  —  PRAGUE — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had a blunt response on Friday to the latest broadsides from former Vice President Dick Cheney: “Who cares?”  —  In the latest exchange between old and new administrations …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Entering digital age an expensive proposition for GOP  —  The Republican National Committee shelled out $1.4 million dollars over the last six months for Web sites and services, much of which was spent on GOP.com, the party's major Web presence that was unveiled this month, new Federal Election Commission expense reports show.

Stimulus' big boost to the economy?  It already happened.  —  White House economist Christina Romer said Thursday that the stimulus package's impact on the economy will weaken from here on.  —  Americans hoping for a big economic boost from President Obama's economic stimulus programs got …

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.