Democrat Ben Nelson Draws a Line in the Sand on Health Care  —  Nelson Won't Vote for Health Care Bill That Looks Like the House Version  —  In a warning sign for the White House, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska tells ABC News that he'll vote to block any health care bill that looks like the bill passed by the House.

Republicans Edge Ahead of Democrats in 2010 Vote  —  Registered voters prefer Republicans for the House, 48% to 44%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans have moved ahead of Democrats by 48% to 44% among registered voters in the latest update on Gallup's generic congressional ballot for the 2010 House elections …

Morning Fix: Obama's Ft. Hood moment  —  1. Key among the factors that make President Obama more personally popular than his policies are his considerable rhetorical gifts, which were on display in the remarks he delivered Tuesday at Fort Hood, days after shooting on the base that left …

3 Top Obama Advisers Favor Adding Troops in Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are coalescing around a proposal to send 30,000 or more additional American troops …

Pelosi's victory for women  —  Sure, her healthcare bill is a mess, but her gritty maneuvering shows her mettle.  Plus: Gainsbourg and Gaga  —  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi scored a giant gain for feminism last weekend.  In shoving her controversy-plagued healthcare reform bill …

Stimulus job boost in state exaggerated, review finds  —  Errors, incomplete data, estimated positions go into federal report  —  Revere spent $485,500 in stimulus funds to install solar panels on the roof of the Beachmont School and claimed to have created 64 jobs on the project.  (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

Even Fox News Fact-Checks Palin's Claims About Dollar Coin  —  Sarah Palin's public pronouncements have now reached an amazing point — where even Fox News is fact-checking her.  —  As Fox News anchor Bret Baier noted this evening, picking up on a Politico report, Palin said this past Friday …

Blackwater Said to Approve Iraqi Payoffs After Shootings  —  WASHINGTON — Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode …

‘No easy way out’ for Dems on abortion  —  The sudden spasm of intense debate over abortion on Capitol Hill this week threatens not only to stall the passage of health care legislation, but also to shatter the delicate cease-fire that has governed the abortion issue during the Obama era.

Republicans concerned with ascent of young Florida candidate  —  A brash, young political newcomer is causing a fuss in GOP circles in the race against Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.).  —  And what else would you expect in a district that has produced the most colorful member of Congress?

David Ignatius on saluting the military  —  In the aftermath of the Fort Hood shootings, some commentaries have examined the damage to the U.S. Army from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  A few have spoken about the alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, as an extreme version of what can happen with an overstressed force.

60% Want Fort Hood Shooting Investigated as Terrorist Act  —  Sixty percent (60%) of likely voters nationwide say last week's shootings at Fort Hood should be investigated by military authorities as a terrorist act.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% …

Blackouts Plague Energy-Rich Venezuela  —  CARACAS, Venezuela — This country may be an energy colossus, with the largest conventional oil reserves outside the Middle East and one of the world's mightiest hydroelectric systems, but that has not prevented it from enduring serious electricity …

Sarah Palin's memoir: Why the math might not add up for HarperCollins  —  Love her or hate her, Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate, is always a hot topic of conversation in the media.  Her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life …

DADT Likely To Be Part of Defense Bill  —  Repealing “don't ask, don't tell” will likely be included as part of next year's Department of Defense authorization bill in both chambers of Congress, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) said Wednesday.  —  “Military issues are always done as part …

AIG's Benmosche Threatens to Jump Ship  —  Chafing Under Government Oversight, Chief Executive Tells Board He's ‘Done’; ‘An Impossible Situation’  —  Robert Benmosche has told the board of American International Group Inc. that he is considering stepping down as chief executive …

Clinton headlines, but buzz is all Beau  —  Del. Democrats cheer Biden at Jefferson Jackson fundraiser  —  WILMINGTON — Beau Biden's name was on everyone's lips, including former President Bill Clinton's at the Democratic Party's annual fundraiser dinner Tuesday night at the Center on the Riverfront.

R.I. governor vetoes ‘domestic partners’ burial bill  —  PROVIDENCE, R.I. — An opponent of same-sex marriage, Governor Carcieri has vetoed bill that would have added “domestic partners” to the list of people authorized by law to make funeral arrangements for each other.

In Afghanistan, Taliban leaving al-Qaeda behind  —  Shifting power dynamic could influence where U.S. focuses firepower  —  KABUL — As violence rises in Afghanistan, the power balance between insurgent groups has shifted, with a weakened al-Qaeda relying increasingly on the emboldened Taliban …

The Late Movies: Dogs Welcoming Home Soldiers  —  I can't begin to imagine how hard it would be to leave my family for months at a time, especially if my destination were Iraq or Afghanistan.  And I don't know how I could deal with my wife being deployed overseas.

Tampa police: Marine reservist attacked Greek priest he mistook for terrorist  —  TAMPA — A Marine reservist armed with a tire iron beat and chased a man he thought was an Arab terrorist and even called 911 to say he was detaining the man, police said.  —  But the man he assaulted was actually …

Taxi boss jailed for threats against daughter  —  The city's taxi union boss was handed a year in jail Tuesday for what a judge deemed an “honour crime.”  —  Yusef Salam Al Mezel, 44, had pleaded guilty to criminally harassing his 23-year-old daughter, Eman, over three weeks in July 2007.

Bear Juror Says U.S. Case So Weak She'd Invest With Defendants  —  Nov. 11 (Bloomberg) — Prosecutors missed the mark so widely in the fraud trial of Bear Stearns Cos. hedge fund managers Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin that a juror said after their acquittal she would invest with them if she had the money.