Sen. Sanders: 'As of this point, I'm not voting for the bill.'  —  Moments ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that he is prepared to vote against the Senate health care bill in light of the recent decision to strip the public option and the Medicare buy-in provision from the legislation.

The Left Is Playing With Fire  —  Liberals frustrated with the decision to drop a public option are now attacking a core principle of health care reform: the individual mandate.  Greg Sargent and Ben Smith quote Jim Dean, brother of Howard, in an e-mail that just went out to Democracy for America:

Climategate goes SERIAL: now the Russians confirm that UK climate scientists manipulated data to exaggerate global warming  —  Climategate just got much, much bigger.  And all thanks to the Russians who, with perfect timing, dropped this bombshell just as the world's leaders are gathering …

Michael Moore calls for boycott of Connecticut  —  Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore on Thursday called for a boycott of the state of Connecticut in reaction to Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) opposition to key provisions of healthcare reform legislation.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid …

Person of the Year 2009  —  The story of the year was a weak economy that could have been much, much weaker.  Thank the man who runs the Federal Reserve, our mild-mannered economic overlord  —  Ben Bernanke  —  A bald man with a gray beard and tired eyes is sitting in his oversize Washington office, talking about the economy.

Sanders withdraws single-payer healthcare bill amendment  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday withdrew his single-payer healthcare amendment after Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) initiated a procedural maneuver to shipwreck the measure.  —  Coburn earlier in the day forced the Senate clerk …

NBC POLL: PUBLIC SOURS ON HEALTH REFORM  —  From NBC's Mark Murray  —  As the Senate sprints to pass a health-care bill by Christmas, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that those believing President Obama's health-reform plan is a good idea has sunk to its lowest level.

Two Black Role Models Done In By Hubris  —  In the past few weeks, the two most famous and arguably most successful black men in America have taken a huge fall.  It has become clear that both pro golfer Tiger Woods, just named Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, and the American president …

SHENANIGANS: SCHUMER HAS A FLIGHT TO FORGET  —  Schumer has a flight to forget  —  Sen. Chuck Schumer loves the sound of his own voice, but it carried a bit farther than he might have liked on the US Airways shuttle from New York to Washington on Sunday.  —  According to a House Republican aide …

Would cutting the minimum wage raise employment?  —  It seems that more and more Serious People (and Fox News) are rallying around the idea that if Obama really wants to create jobs, he should cut the minimum wage.  —  So let me repeat a point I made a number of times back when the usual suspects …

CFACT drops the banner on Greenpeace ships in daring land and sea raids  —  Activists tag Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior with “Propaganda Warrior” banner; Arctic Sunrise hit with “Ship of Lies” banner earlier in the day  —  Global warming skeptics from CFACT yesterday pulled off …

Last Day for Air America Cruise Contest  —  Lux takes lead with 24 hours to go.  Who will win it?  —  In a seemingly herculean lift of support, Mike Lux from Open Left has superseded the strong lead that Joe Jervis nearly locked down earlier on in Round Two.  —  First place - Mike Lux (45%)

Election 2010: Florida Senate  —  2010 Florida Senate: Rubio, Crist Both Lead Meek  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Florida finds former state House Speaker Marco Rubio leading Democrat Kendrick Meek 49% to 35%.  Governor Charlie Crist leads Meek 42% to 36%.

Terrorists Beat the System in Federal Prisons  —  More Than 200 With Terror Ties Are Already In Custody, And Several Have Done Damage  —  White House officials said Tuesday Americans have nothing to fear from the Guantanamo detainees to be transferred to Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois …

Americans Oppose Closing Gitmo, Moving Prisoners to U.S.  —  Support is 8% among Republicans, 28% among independents, and 50% among Democrats  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans remain opposed to closing the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and moving some of the terrorist suspects being held there to U.S. prisons …

Newsrooms Don't Need More Conservatives  —  What's important is the willingness to hold power accountable.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  This is a terrible time for newspapers, but the solutions suggested over the last year by the deep thinkers of the floundering industry give one little hope.