A Democrat's view from the House: Senate bill isn't health reform  —  Editor's note: Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, a Democrat, represents the 28th Congressional District of New York.  Slaughter is the first woman to chair the House Rules Committee and the only microbiologist in Congress.

McCain, GOP secretly courting another Dem to switch  —  Republicans are stepping up their efforts to persuade more House Democrats to switch parties and are zeroing in on a second-term Pennsylvanian who acknowledged the efforts but said he has “no plans” to do so.

A health-care victory that stinks  —  The health-care reform bill coming out of the Senate presents a real dilemma for spectators: How do you applaud while holding your nose?  —  There is so much that is wrong with it — and the way it was made — and, at the same time …

MSNBC Cancels ‘Dr. Nancy’  —  Breaking: TVNewser has learned MSNBC has canceled “Dr. Nancy” the NoonET health/medical show hosted by Dr. Nancy Snynderman.  —  The cancellation of “Dr. Nancy” is yet another daytime programming move by MSNBC, which has fallen to 4th and, on some days, 5th place in the daytime ratings.

CNN Poll: More Americans think Democratic policies better than Republican  —  Washington (CNN) - Despite the bruising battle over their health care reform proposals, congressional Democrats have maintained an advantage over their Republican counterparts on one key measure, according to a new national poll.

Is Obama Growing Weary Of The GOP's ‘Filibuster Everything’ MO?  —  There's growing sentiment on the left—most recently evinced by SEIU President Andy Stern and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman—that the Senate's quiet acceptance of the filibuster—and therefore a 60 vote threshold for most legislation …

Jane Hamsher, Grover Norquist Call for Rahm Emanuel's Resignation  —  Today, Grover Norquist and I are calling for an investigation into Rahm Emanuel's activities at Freddie Mac, and the White House's blocking of an Inspector General who would look into it.  The letter follows:

Yes, Obama did campaign on the public option  —  Oy.  I'll defend the argument that the health-care bill that looks likely to pass is structurally similar to the health-care proposal released by the Obama campaign.  But it's impossible to defend Obama's statement that “I didn't campaign on the public option.”

Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran  —  White House Wouldn't Oppose Trip, First by Top U.S. Official in 30 Years, to Chagrin of Iran's Opposition  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. John Kerry has suggested becoming the first high-level U.S. emissary to make a public visit to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution …

Gates proposes $2 billion in funds to aid unstable countries  —  Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has proposed a major overhaul of the way the Pentagon and State Department do nation-building, seeking to end friction between the bureaucracies by putting them jointly in charge of three huge …

‘Seinfeld’ over, but Festivus keeps giving  —  (CNN) — Long before company celebrators bench-pressed fax machines, partygoers performed competitive face-plants into ice water, or family members gathered around an aluminum pole to wield complaints at one another, the common people of ancient Rome began to act up.

Fort Hood: Hasan Asked Awlaki If It Was Okay to Kill American Soldiers  —  al-Qaeda Recruiter Mocks U.S. Intelligence, Says Accused Shooter Asked for Guidance About Shooting In 2008  —  In an interview published on Al Jazeera's Web site, radical Muslim cleric Anwar al Awlaki says that Maj. Nidal Hasan …

Iran Beats Mourners, Signaling Harder Line  —  DUBAI — Iranian security forces clashed with mourners in the city of Isfahan on Wednesday, according to opposition Web sites, signaling a possible hardening by Tehran in its response to protests following the death of a dissident cleric.

Who's Enforcing the Medical Loss Ratio?  —  Last night, former insurance industry executive Wendell Potter appeared on Countdown, claiming that the industry could get around the requirements on the medical loss ratio through accounting tricks.  To recap, under the Senate bill …

Recession Slows Population Rise Across Sun Belt  —  MIAMI — States in the South and the West that grew by exceptional leaps and bounds during the real estate boom of just a few years ago are now experiencing sharply slower growth in population, the Census Bureau said Wednesday.