Palin: Obama birth certificate ‘a fair question’  —  Speaking to the conservative talker Rusty Humphries today, Sarah Palin left the door open to speculation about President Obama's birth certificate.  —  “Would you make the birth certificate an issue if you ran?” she was asked (around 9 minutes into the video above).

Gore cancels climate conference event  —  Former Vice President Al Gore on Thursday abruptly canceled a Dec. 16 personal appearance that was to be staged during the United Nations' Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, which begins next week.  —  As described in The Washington Times' Inside …

U.S. Economy Lost Only 11,000 Jobs in November  —  The United States economy shed 11,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate fell to 10 percent, down from 10.2 percent in October, the Labor Department said Friday.  —  The government also revised the October number to show …

Reform or Else  —  Health care reform hangs in the balance.  Its fate rests with a handful of “centrist” senators — senators who claim to be mainly worried about whether the proposed legislation is fiscally responsible.  —  But if they're really concerned with fiscal responsibility …

Nelson amendment expected to fall short even with GOP support  —  An amendment restricting abortions does not appear to have enough support to be attached to the Senate healthcare bill.  —  Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) said he expected that all but a few Republicans would support …

C.I.A. Authorized to Expand Use of Drones in Pakistan  —  WASHINGTON — Two weeks ago in Pakistan, Central Intelligence Agency sharpshooters killed eight people suspected of being militants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and wounded two others in a compound that was said to be used for terrorist training.

NATO Pledges 7,000 More Troops for Afghanistan  —  BRUSSELS — Responding to American entreaties for more soldiers in Afghanistan, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO secretary general, announced Friday that the alliance had agreed to contribute a further 7,000 “new forces” to the coalition …

Bernanke Channels Willie Sutton In Assault On Social Security: 'That's Where The Money Is'  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Ben Bernanke has overseen the greatest expansion of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet in its history, pouring trillions of dollars into Wall Street firms at roughly zero interest rates.

SENATE RACE: Reid in a battle, poll reveals  —  Nine Republicans running for seat  —  Nevadans aren't warming up to Sen. Harry Reid, despite plenty of early advertising designed to boost his image, a new poll shows.  —  Just 38 percent of respondents said they had a favorable opinion …

Romney defends Huckabee's clemency decision  —  Washington (CNN)- Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney defended Mike Huckabee's clemency decision that allegedly led to the shooting death of four police officers in Washington state..  —  During an interview Thursday night with CNN's Larry King Live …

Somebody at Fort Hood Should Be Walking the Plank — By: Andy McCarthy  —  Prepare to be infuriated.  —  It's been brought to my attention by several reliable sources that the Defense Department has brought Louay Safi to Fort Hood as an instructor, and that he has been lecturing on Islam …

The ‘science’ of global warming  —  These leaked documents reveal the greatest scientific scandal of our times—and a tragedy  —  “The gravest challenge that we face is climate change . .  . Every one of our compatriots must feel concerned”—Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the French Republic;

The battle for Teddy's seat  —  NEWTON, Mass. — For years, the anticipation loomed.  —  Just wait, Massachusetts politicos whispered, until one of the state's two coveted Senate seats comes open.  With all the ambitious, hard-charging Democrats in the House delegation and another generation …