Lieberman: I'll block vote on Reid plan  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Tuesday that he'd back a GOP filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's health care reform bill.  —  Lieberman, who caucuses with Democrats and is positioning himself as a fiscal hawk on the issue …

NY-23 Poll: Hoffman +5  —  For the second time in two days, a poll released by a conservative group finds Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman leading the Nov. 3 special election race for New York's 23rd District.  Neighborhood Research polled the district for Minuteman PAC …

Scalia: Some on court inventing rights  —  One of the most conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court said Monday his more liberal colleagues are trying to manufacture new constitutional rights that were never intended by the drafters.  —  “The fight is about the Supreme Court inventing …

U.S. official resigns over Afghan war  —  When Matthew Hoh joined the Foreign Service early this year, he was exactly the kind of smart civil-military hybrid the administration was looking for to help expand its development efforts in Afghanistan.  —  A former Marine Corps captain …

Obama: Grayson an outstanding member of Congress  —  Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) is drawing criticism from his congressional colleagues, but President Obama offered him some warm words at a Miami fundraiser for the Democratic congressional campaign committees last night.

Jones on J Street  —  Obama national security adviser Jim Jones spoke today to the assorted Zionists, anti-Zionists, and social justice advocates who had assembled for J Street's inaugural conference.  Genuine supporters of Israel would find little to object to in Jones's speech.

Bush's first stand on a new podium  —  FORT WORTH — After nine months of being nearly invisible — a big outing has been to a Dallas hardware store for flashlights — George W. Bush made his debut Monday in his latest incarnation: motivational speaker.  —  Nearly 15,000 people heard …

The Lethal Politics Of The Opt-Out Public Option  —  I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more attention.  But imagine for a moment that the opt-out public option passes and becomes law (I give it a 65 percent chance at this point).  Then what happens?  Well, there has to be a debate in every state …

MATTHEW CONTINETTI THINKS THERE ARE LITTLE TINY PEOPLE INSIDE HIS TV  —  Or maybe not, but the Weekly Standard writer, who was raised like a veal by Bill Kristol and other right-wing mentors, doesn't seem to understand the difference between TV characters and the people who play them.

Police: Gang rape lasted over two hours  —  (CNN) — A California high school student who police said was gang raped in a two-and-a-half-hour assault outside a homecoming dance remained hospitalized in stable condition Monday, two days after she was flown from the attack scene in critical condition.

Poll Suggests Virginia Gov Race Not A Referendum On Obama At All  —  There's been a fair amount of punditry of late to the effect that the Virginia governor's race is shaping up as a big referendum on Obama's presidency.  If GOPer Bob McDonnell wins, lots of people in DC will be eager to claim …

What if Bush had done that?  —  A four-hour stop in New Orleans, on his way to a $3 million fundraiser.  —  Snubbing the Dalai Lama.  —  Signing off on a secret deal with drug makers.  —  Freezing out a TV network.  —  Doing more fundraisers than the last president.  More golf, too.

Tax refugees staging escape from New York  —  New Yorkers are fleeing the state and city in alarming numbers — and costing a fortune in lost tax dollars, a new study shows.  —  More than 1.5 million state residents left for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008 …

New York Fed's Secret Choice to Pay for Swaps Hits Taxpayers  —  Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) — In the months leading up to the September 2008 collapse of giant insurer American International Group Inc., Elias Habayeb and his colleagues worked nights and weekends negotiating with banks …