House health-care reform bill includes public option, Medicaid expansion  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will unveil a health-care reform bill on Thursday that includes a government insurance option and a historic expansion of Medicaid, although sticking points in the legislation involving abortion and immigration remain unresolved.

The Outlook for the 2009 Elections  —  We are still a few days away from Election Day, but party strategists, operatives and local activists are already blaming their own nominees for their defeats.  —  The clearest evidence that the Virginia gubernatorial race is over …

Iowa Republicans wince at Palin fee  —  A conservative Iowa group's effort to lure Sarah Palin to its banquet next month has had an unintended effect: Rather than exciting conservatives about the prospect of a visit from the former Alaska governor, the group's plan to raise a six-figure sum …

‘Audacity to Win’: Excerpt by Plouffe on Obama Campaign  —  In a new memoir, The Audacity to Win, David Plouffe, who managed Barack Obama's 2008 race for the White House, provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse inside the campaign.  Here's an excerpt:  —  Agony.  Ecstasy.

Corzine Leads Christie by Five Points in New Jersey  —  With less than a week to go before Election Day in New Jersey, a new survey conducted for Stan Greenberg and James Carville's organization Democracy Corps shows Democratic Governor Jon Corzine slightly expanding his lead over Republican Chris Christie to 5 points.

Gates, Crowley Spotted Together In Cambridge Bar  —  CAMBRIDGE (WBZ) ― Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge police Sergeant James Crowley were spotted at a pub in Cambridge Wednesday night.  —  The owner of “River Gods” told WBZ the two sat in a booth together and talked for about an hour.

U.S. Economy Began to Grow Again in the Third Quarter  —  Ending the longest contraction since World War II, the United States economy finally grew in the third quarter of this year, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.  —  The nation's gross domestic product expanded at an annual rate …

Orly Taitz Smacked Down: Birther Lawsuit Dismissed  —  Central District of California Judge David O. Carter has dismissed Barnett et al v. Obama et al, Orly Taitz's most successful lawsuit — that is, the one that got the furthest through the legal system — demanding proof of the president's citizenship.

New Jersey Police: Reports Like Lou Dobbs' ‘Not At All Uncommon’ During Hunting Season  —  Several media sources have reported that shots were fired at the residence of CNN's Lou Dobbs.  While Dobbs and his anti-immigrant supports were quick to jump to conclusions about the motive of the shooting …

Attorney O'Quinn killed in Houston wreck  —  Prominent Houston attorney John O'Quinn was one of two men who died this morning when their SUV slammed into a large tree on Allen Parkway after the driver apparently lost control, police said.  —  “I'm stunned.

Iran claims victory in nuclear battle with the West  —  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has proclaimed victory in his battle with the West, claiming he has compelled the US and its allies to ‘co-operate’ with Iran's nuclear programme.  —  As Iran's nuclear negotiator handed in the country's response …

Perry on Palin vs. Cheney  —  Gov. Rick Perry, a bit breathless from running, was on 98.1 KVET this morning to tout the Rise Across Texas Challenge, an 850-mile bike ride next March benefiting the Rise School.  —  The governor also talked politics a bit.  He said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour …

Democrats Ask New Jersey Secretary of State to Ignore Mismatched Signatures on Absentee-Ballot Requests — By: Jim Geraghty  —  This year, New Jersey's registered voters can request a mail-in ballot for any reason.  (Before 2005, voters needed to provide a reason for why they needed an absentee ballot.)

A Question  —  Last night at a roundtable for our nations's elite, that is to say, “bloggers,” Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President, implied, though did not say outright, that one consequence of the real estate bubble was that manufacturing and other types of businesses were finding it difficult to obtain credit at favorable terms.

Disgraceful: In 8 Years, George W. Bush Never Greeted Fallen Troops  —  This is what a president does. … NPR notes that, … Why? … Bush also preferred to go bed early, but apparently, could never get his ass out of bed early enough to honor the soldiers he so recklessly sent off to die.

Fox News Viewed as Most Ideological Network  —  Swine Flu Tops Weekly News Interest  —  The Fox News Channel is viewed by Americans in more ideological terms than other television news networks.  And while the public is evenly divided in its view of hosts of cable news programs having …

Corker Amendment Shall Not Be Introduced  —  Earlier today the [Finance]Banking Committee debated amendments to the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2009, a piece of legislation that is built around the Bayh-Kyl-Lieberman Iran sanctions bill that has garnered some 76 cosponsors in the Senate.