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.

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.

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.”

Sen. Akaka Says 'I'm Not Aware' of Constitution Giving Congress Authority to Make Individuals Buy Health Insurance  —  (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) says he is “not aware” of the Constitution giving Congress the authority to make individuals purchase health insurance …

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 …

Among Obama Aides, Debate Intensifies on Troop Levels  —  WASHINGTON — The disclosure that the United States ambassador in Kabul has expressed written opposition to deploying more American troops to Afghanistan lays bare the fierce debate within the Obama administration over the direction of the war …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.