Exclusive: Medicare buy-in attracting interest in the public option negotiations  —  Sources who have been briefed on the negotiations say that Medicare buy-in is attracting the most interest.  Expanding Medicaid is running into more problems, though there's some appeal because …

Shhh!  Don't confuse Reid with history while he's playing the race card!  —  It was the GOP that fought slavery and the Democrat Party that battled to preserve it.  —  It's the Democrat Party, not the GOP, that boasts an ex-Klansman among its senior leaders.

Man Chucks Tomatoes at Sarah Palin at MOA  —  The man misses and hits an officer instead  —  BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man was arrested for throwing tomatoes at Sarah Palin during her book signing on Monday at the Mall of America.  —  Jeremy Olson, 33, allegedly threw two tomatoes …

Ahmadinejad Reportedly Claims U.S. is Blocking Return of Mankind's Savior  —  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims the United States is attempting to thwart the return of mankind's savior, according to reports from Al Arabiya, a television news station based in Dubai.

CNN Poll: Palin's popularity on the rise  —  Washington (CNN) - Sarah Palin has erased her drop in the polls that followed her resignation as Alaska governor, according to new national survey.  —  But when it comes to opinions of Palin, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday suggests …

EPA: Greenhouse Gases Threaten Public Health and the Environment  —  Science overwhelmingly shows greenhouse gas concentrations at unprecedented levels due to human activity  —  WASHINGTON - After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments …

The Stolen E-Mails: Has ‘Climategate’ Been Overblown?  —  The controversy over e-mails stolen from global warming researchers at the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at Britain's University of East Anglia has become so divisive that there is even disagreement over what to call it.

Santorum: ‘Absolutely Taking a Look’ at Running in '12; Palin Will ‘Have to Do Some Explaining if She Runs’  —  ABC News' Rick Klein reports:  —  Former Sen. Rick Santorum has some more political travel on tap this week, with a trip scheduled for South Carolina to follow recent visits to Iowa …

Hitler's Remains Were Destroyed on KGB Orders, Interfax Reports  —  Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) — Adolf Hitler's remains were burned and dumped into an East German river by Soviet agents 25 years after the end of World War II, Interfax reported, citing Vasily Khristoforov, the Federal Security Service's chief archivist.

ACORN review: No illegality  —  An outside review of the beleaguered community group ACORN has found “serious management challenges,” but no pattern of illegal activity.  —  The review, commissioned by ACORN in the wake of a hidden video expose that showed a few of its employees appearing …

Boxer's message to men who support abortion riders: How would you like it if we singled out Viagara?  —  Today, the Senate began debate on Sen. Ben Nelson's (D-NE) amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used for abortions or for plans that include abortion services.

Primary likely to serve as de facto special election for Kennedy's seat  —  Massachusetts voters will pick a Democratic nominee for the race to replace the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on Tuesday, and that candidate is expected to have little trouble in next month's special election.

Debt Raters Avoid Overhaul After Crisis  —  When the financial crisis began, few players on Wall Street looked more ripe for reform than the Big Three credit rating agencies.  —  It wasn't just that Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings, played a crucial role …

Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Records Show  —  More than 20 percent of the nation's water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.  —  That law requires communities to deliver safe tap water to local residents.

President Obama to propose $200 billion for jobs creation  —  Washington (CNN) - President Obama will propose using $200 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to support creating jobs, White House officials confirmed Monda  —  The president, in an economic speech …

An Innovation Agenda  —  The economy seems to be stabilizing, and this has prompted a shift in the public mood.  Raw fear has given way to anxiety that the recovery will be feeble and drab.  Companies are hoarding cash.  Banks aren't lending to small businesses.  Private research spending is drifting downward.

Unhelpful Hansen  —  James Hansen is a great climate scientist.  He was the first to warn about the climate crisis; I take what he says about coal, in particular, very seriously.  —  Unfortunately, while I defer to him on all matters climate, today's op-ed article suggests …

Gates: 'We're in this thing to win'  —  In a surprise visit to Afghanistan, he aims to reassure troops, Karzai  —  KABUL — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in this war-torn country Tuesday morning on an unannounced visit, prepared to offer U.S. troops a message from Washington …

Columbus schools tapped stimulus for room rentals  —  Columbus City Schools have more than 120 buildings designed for teaching.  —  But in a three-day effort to teach its teachers, the district is renting banquet halls, high-end hotels and conference centers — using almost $145,000 in federal grant dollars.

A Peace Prize for a War President  —  Posted by Mark Knoller There'll be no effort by Barack Obama to disguise or obscure the fact that he's a war president when he accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Thursday.  —  The ceremony takes place ten days after he announced plans to escalate …

Obama's Afghanistan Decision and the Art of the Tick-Tock  —  No group can possibly be as smug as presidential advisers after a major national security decision has been announced.  —  Anyone who was ever allowed into the inner sanctum of the White House Situation Room …