RNC to opt out of abortion coverage  —  The Republican National Committee will no longer offer employees an insurance plan that covers abortion after POLITICO reported Thursday that the anti-abortion RNC's policy has covered the procedure since 1991.  —  “Money from our loyal donors …

Palin: Couric was “Badgering” and Biased  —  Sarah Palin Writes in Book That There Were Tensions With McCain Aides; Criticizes “Evening News” Anchor Over Interview  —  (AP) The rumors are true, according to Sarah Palin: The McCain-Palin campaign was not a happy family.

Top White House Lawyer Pushed Out  —  TOKYO (CNN) - In the first major shakeup among President Obama's senior staff, CNN has learned that White House Counsel Greg Craig is being pushed out in favor of veteran Democratic lawyer Bob Bauer because of a dispute over the struggle to close the U.S. Military prison at Guantanamo.

UPDATED: So, what really happened to Lou Dobbs?  —  So, what really happened to Lou Dobbs?  According to The New York Times: “Months ago the president of CNN/U.S., Jonathan Klein, offered a choice to Lou Dobbs ...  [he] could vent his opinions on radio and anchor an objective newscast on television, or he could leave CNN.”

Gates Angry About Defense-Related Leaks  —  OSHKOSH, Wis. — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is normally a mild-mannered man, at least in public, but he unleashed a torrent on his plane on Thursday morning about leaks during the investigation of the Foot Hood shootings and President Obama's deliberations …

Major Hasan: Soldier of Allah; Many Ties to Jihad Web Sites  —  Officials Say Accused Fort Hood Shooter Used Multiple Hotmail, AOL Accounts for Overseas Contacts  —  United States Army Major Nidal Hasan proclaimed himself a “soldier of Allah” on private business cards he obtained over the Internet …

Get Us to 500 Donors, Or That's the Last You'll See of Lobster Girl  —  Take a good long look at this blog post.  Do you notice a woman kissing a lobster?  For longtime readers of the site, Lobster Girl is a familiar, even comforting presence.  Now move your eyes to the upper right-hand corner of the main blog page.

Irish priest kidnapped in Philippines released by MILF  —  Filipino militants released an elderly Irish priest late on Wednesday night after holding him in captivity for 32 days.  Father Michael Sinnott had worked in the Philippines for nearly 33 years when six armed gunmen kidnapped …

Recanvassing shows NY-23 race tightens even as Rep. Bill Owens is sworn into House seat … Washington — Conservative Doug Hoffman conceded the race in the 23rd Congressional District last week after receiving two pieces of grim news for his campaign: He was down 5,335 votes with 93 percent …

At Fort Hood, Witness Credits Second Officer  —  KILLEEN, Tex. — Sgt. Kimberly D. Munley has been applauded as a hero across the nation for shooting down Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan during the bloody rampage at Fort Hood last week.  The account of heroism, given by the authorities …

We Have A President  —  The news that Obama has refused to sign off on any of the four major options presented to him in Afghanistan reminds me of why he was elected president.  This critical decision - arguably the most critical of his young presidency - is one that will not be rushed the way such decisions often are.

Levi Johnston at Fleshbot awards: Sarah Palin ‘smart’ for not trashing me on Oprah  —  “She knows what I got on her.  It's a smart move on her part,” Johnson said of Palin's interview with Oprah.  —  Levi Johnston, the hunky baby daddy of Sarah Palin's grandson, called …

Catholic Church Threatens To Stop Feeding Homeless Over Gay Marriage  —  A few days ago, I wrote about Goldman Sachs's transition from a bank holding company into a public relations disaster machine.  I argued that Goldman's CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, has been behaving like he wants to be attacked by a ferocious mob.

ACORN: The LA Story, Part I  —  Today I received a phone call from my friend, Gary H., who said that ACORN was staging a protest outside the Fox News studios in West Los Angeles.  I called someone at the Fox News bureau to find out that there were no protesters there, but quickly realized ACORN had gotten that wrong too.

2010 COMPETITIVE HOUSE RACE CHART  —  Likely: These seats are not considered competitive at this point but have the potential to become engaged.  —  Lean: These are considered competitive races but one party has an advantage.  —  Toss-Up: These are the most competitive; either party has a good chance of winning.

Chavez's Economic Problems Turn Nasty  —  For a long time I have been saying (along with a lot of other people), that Hugo Chavez was running his country into the ground.  He diverted investment funds from PDVSA, Venezuela's state-run oil company, into social programs.

Obama Administration Intends to Purge Republicans From the Civil Service  —  Please see the update at the bottom of this post.  — Erick  —  “This is what happens in third world kleptocracies and totalitarian regimes.”  —  Via Instapundit comes word that the federal government's Office …

U.S. acts to seize skyscraper, 4 mosques  —  Prosecutors say building owners helping to illegally funnel money to Iran  —  Federal prosecutors took steps to seize four U.S. mosques and this Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by a nonprofit Muslim organization long suspected of being under Iranian government control.