Pelosi Backs Off Having Set Rates for Public Option  —  WASHINGTON — Under pressure from moderate-to-conservative members of the House Democratic caucus, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to propose a government-run insurance plan that would negotiate rates with doctors and hospitals …

Obama seeks Afghanistan data to determine U.S. troop levels  —  Details should help president determine need  —  President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders …

Obama Visits Returning War Dead  —  President Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base early Thursday morning to meet with family members and pay his respects as the flag-draped coffins carrying bodies of 18 American troops killed this week in Afghanistan were returned to the United States.

U.S. Economy Started to Grow Again in the Third Quarter  —  For the first time in a year, the United States economy grew, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.  But even if a recovery is technically in the offing, job seekers likely will not begin to feel the benefits for months to come.

Tuesday's Elections and the Democratic Agenda  —  Losses in New Jersey or Virginia could spook Congress.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Democratic enthusiasm for President Barack Obama's liberal domestic agenda—particularly for a government-run health insurance program …

Republican dirty tricks in NY 23  —  A brand-new organization calling itself Common Sense in America is up with a major television ad buy in the New York special election, praising Republican Dede Scozzafava as the “best choice for progressives.”  —  At first glance, the group's ad looks like it's an endorsement of Scozzafava.

Stimulus jobs overstated by thousands  —  WASHINGTON — An early progress report on President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan overstates by thousands the number of jobs created or saved through the stimulus program, a mistake that White House officials promise will be corrected in future reports.

Palin: Levi Johnston ‘Mean-Spirited,’ ‘Malicious,’ Selling ‘Body for Money’  —  ABC News' Rick Klein reports: Former Gov. Sarah Palin is blasting away at the father of her grandson, issuing a blistering statement today that impugns Levi Johnston's motives in continuing to speak out against the Palin family …

Economy in U.S. Expands for First Time in a Year  —  Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. economy grew in the third quarter for the first time in more than a year, propelled by stimulus-driven gains in consumer spending and home building.  —  The world's largest economy expanded at a 3.5 percent pace …

Victory for Obama Over Military Lobby  —  When the Obama administration proposed canceling a host of expensive weapons systems last spring, some of the military industry's allies in Congress assumed, as they had in the past, that they would have the final say.

Politicians Butt In at Bailed-Out GM  —  Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg was no fan of the $58 billion federal rescue of General Motors Co., saying he worried taxpayer money would be wasted and the restructuring process would be vulnerable to “political pressure.”  Now the lawmaker says it's his “patriotic duty” to wade into GM's affairs.

Police: SC state attorney caught with stripper  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — A deputy assistant attorney general who said he was on his lunch break when an officer found him with a stripper and sex toys in his sport utility vehicle has been fired, his boss said Wednesday.

How bad should I feel about taking hot showers?  —  I know that taking long, hot showers is an environmental no-no. But now that the weather's getting colder, I just can't face the day without one.  Exactly how much damage am I doing to the planet?  —  Guilt is a tricky thing to quantify.

Parents banned from watching their children in playgrounds... in case they are paedophiles  —  Parents are being banned from playing with their children in council recreation areas because they have not been vetted by police.  —  Mothers and fathers are being forced to watch their children …

Did Schwarzenegger say f**k you to legislature?  —  Did Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger mean to hide a message in this note?  —  (CNN) - Was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's message to state lawmakers unhappy - or obscene?  —  That's the current debate in California after the governor sent a letter directed to …

Did Charlie Crist and Rich Heffley Create the Charlie Crist Hitler Video?  —  UPDATE: Within an hour of posting this, the anti-Rubio site is now totally offline — server will not respond.  —  The plot thickens in Florida.  —  A video popped up on YouTube on October 24, 2009 …

Republican vs. Conservative  —  Which side are the Democrats against?  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  You might have heard about the unusual election next week in New York's 23rd Congressional District.  It's unusual for several reasons: It's taking place in an odd-numbered year, there was no primary, and there are three candidates.

Loosening of F.B.I. Rules Stirs Privacy Concerns  —  WASHINGTON — After a Somali-American teenager from Minneapolis committed a suicide bombing in Africa in October 2008, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating whether a Somali Islamist group had recruited him on United States soil.

NYT Drags German Miracle Through the Mud  —  Okay, I'm not on vacation, but this is a BTP flashback.  My original write-up of this NYT news article was way too positive.  This article was essentially a diatribe against Germany's welfare state.  To make its case, it turned an incredible success story …

Rush's Response: Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) Grills Goodell on Rush  —  Watch It!  YouTube  —  Rush's Response to Commissioner Goodell's Answer:  —  Of course, Goodell's a total weasel.  He had no answer about the Dolphins' owners so wouldn't even address the question …