Desperate Dems try to Palinize Massachusetts Senate race  —  Frantic over the possibility that a Democrat might lose the race to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts, the Democratic National Committee has sent its top spinner, Hari Sevugan, to the aid of Democratic candidate Martha Coakley …

Sen. Reid and son Rory each considered a burden for the other's campaign in Nevada  —  LAS VEGAS — As if Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) didn't have enough problems, say hello to Rory Reid, his eldest son.  Looks just like him.  He's running for governor of Nevada.

Ford: I'm gearing up for Senate race  —  It's true: I am strongly considering running for the United States Senate.  —  I do so because our best as a nation has always come when we test our ideas and ourselves, and when we trust competition to refine the steel of our convictions and the truth of our arguments.

Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans  —  Over the past decade or so, divorce has gradually become more uncommon in the United States.  Since 2003, however, the decline in divorce rates has been largely confined to states which have not passed a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Federal Reserve earned $45 billion in 2009  —  Wall Street firms aren't the only banks that had a banner year.  The Federal Reserve made record profits in 2009, as its unconventional efforts to prop up the economy created a windfall for the government.  —  The Fed will return about $45 billion …

Reporters (Mostly) Barred From Tea Party Convention  —  For a while, I've been calling and emailing the organizers of the National Tea Party Convention with some basic logistical questions, to no avail.  Kevin Diaz explains why: the convention, held in Nashville next month, will be closed to all but “selected” members of the press.

Game over: The Clintons stand alone  —  A new book is out with a highly critical but unsourced portrait of Hillary Clinton.  This familiar occurrence — it's happened too many times to count over the years — has usually been greeted with an equally familiar response: A fast and furious counterattack from the Clinton inner circle.

Obama's Approval Rating Dips to New Low  —  President Obama's job approval rating has fallen to 46 percent, according to a new CBS News poll.  —  That rating is Mr. Obama's lowest yet in CBS News polling, and the poll marks the first time his approval rating has fallen below the 50 percent mark.

Iran Nuke Physicist, Opposition Supporter Killed in Motorcycle Bomb  —  TEHRAN, Iran — A nuclear physics professor who publicly backed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi in the June presidential election was killed Tuesday when a bomb-rigged motorcycle blew up outside his home.

Tax on Investment Income Is Weighed  —  Health-Bill Negotiators Consider Extending Medicare Levy as They Face Pressure to Ease Proposed Hit on Generous Insurance Plans  —  WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators are considering applying for the first time the Medicare payroll tax …

Vidal Loco  —  What has happened to Gore Vidal, the witty, tough-minded subversive of American letters, the 20th century's only possible answer to Oscar Wilde?  After 9/11, the author laments, Vidal's writings took a graceless lurch toward the crackpot, surpassing even the wilder-eyed efforts …