Fort Hood suspect warned of threats within the ranks  —  Cited stress facing Muslims Hasan spoke at Walter Reed in 2007  —  The Army psychiatrist believed to have killed 13 people at Fort Hood warned a roomful of senior Army physicians a year and a half ago that to avoid “adverse events,” …

Boxer: Senate Has Votes To Block Stupak Amendment  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  With Reporting By Ryan Grim  —  One of Congress's foremost champions of abortion rights said on Monday that the Senate did not have the votes to add a more restrictive anti-abortion amendment to health care reform legislation.

Dunn leaving White House, Pfeiffer takes over  —  White House communications director Anita Dunn will step down from her post at the end of the month and Dan Pfeiffer, her deputy, will take over, according to sources familiar with the move.  —  Dunn, a longtime Democratic media consultant …

Political eyes on Republican Scozzafava after conservatives urge her to quit  —  It's a Grand Old Purging as moderate's ouster spotlights Republican dysfunction  —  GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. — Over Halloween weekend, Dede Scozzafava morphed from a rosy-cheeked Republican mom to a political figure of speech.

Confessions of an ObamaCare Backer  —  A liberal explains the political calculus.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  The typical argument for ObamaCare is that it will offer better medical care for everyone and cost less to do it, but occasionally a supporter lets the mask slip and reveals the real political motivation.

Justice Dept. Asked For News Site's Visitor Lists  —  Posted by Declan McCullagh In a case that raises questions about online journalism and privacy rights, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a formal request to an independent news site ordering it to provide details of all reader visits on a certain day.

Carrie Prejean confirms ‘sex tape,’ but ...  Carrie Prejean, some might remember, is the California beauty queen who gained instant ignominy in some circles by agreeing with President Obama's ridiculous notion that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

Tough future for Snowe as a Republican  —  It looks like Olympia Snowe could have a pretty hard time getting nominated for another term in the Senate as a Republican.  —  There are now more folks in her party who disapprove than approve of Snowe's job performance.

Obama's modest proposal: A Lieberman swap  —  A source at the White House for the president's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reports that Obama ended the event with a modest proposal for the domestic politics of both men.  —  At the meeting's conclusion …

Senators expect ‘several weeks’ to craft health deal  —  Senators anticipate having “several weeks” to wrangle over the final details of their health bill, one Democratic member said Tuesday.  —  Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) emphasized that no bill in the Senate is “dead on arrival,” …

Stupak Amendment Would Reach Well Beyond Public Plan, Insurance Marketplace  —  The Stupak amendment reaches far beyond any of the reporting so far.  It could effectively stop many employer-provided health insurance plans from covering abortions for tens of millions of Americans.  It reads:

Over the Top!  USMC Birthday Blogburst  —  Two days away from the end of the competition, and on the 234th Birthday of the Marine Corps, the Marine team stands about $2000 away from our goal.  We've worked hard, but we're coming into the home stretch.  I'd like to issue a challenge to all of you …

N.Y. Senate Delays Vote on Gay Marriage Bill  —  ALBANY - The State Senate on Tuesday delayed a highly anticipated vote on same-sex marriage, putting off the issue indefinitely as gay rights supporters continued to lobby for additional votes.  —  Republicans and Democrats said that as of Tuesday afternoon …

Ingraham: Pelosi did everything but “sell her own body” on health vote  —  Conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham — who, as far as I recall, wasn't at Saturday night's health care vote in the House — seems to have discovered a heretofore unrevealed Nancy Pelosi lobbying tactic.

Shhh — Don't Tell Anyone, But Obama Hurt Deeds in Virginia  —  Democrats and the press are on a self-delusional kick that Barack Obama had nothing to do with the results in Virginia and New Jersey.  That's fine by me.  The more the Dems deny to themselves that Independents moved to the GOP …

Environmental Agency Warns 2 Staff Lawyers Over Video Criticizing Climate Policy  —  The Environmental Protection Agency has directed two of its lawyers to makes changes to a YouTube video they posted that is critical of the Obama administration's climate change policy.

Shindell, Methane, and Uncertainty  —  A recent study by Shindell et. al, entitled Improved Attribution of Climate Forcing to Emissions, (Science Magazine, 30 October 2009, Vol. 326) reports on interactions between aerosols and methane and other greenhouse gases.

Afloat in the Ocean, Expanding Islands of Trash  —  ABOARD THE ALGUITA, 1,000 miles northeast of Hawaii — In this remote patch of the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from any national boundary, the detritus of human life is collecting in a swirling current so large that it defies precise measurement.

The House Bill Is “Worse Than Nothing”?  Really?  —  Marcia Angell, M.D., is one of the nation's most well-respected experts on health care issues.  And with good reason.  A board-certified pathologist who also trained in internal medicine, she's a former editor of the New England Journal …