Ellie Light: Obama Astroturfer?  Or Very, Very, Very Energetic But Independent Letter Writer?  With Houses All Over the Nation?  —  A woman has written the same letter defending Obama to dozens of publications across the country, getting them published in at least 42 newspapers in 18 states …

White House Is Confident Bernanke Will Be Confirmed  —  WASHINGTON — After a full-scale mobilization, White House officials expressed confidence on Saturday that they had contained a populist uprising among Democratic senators that had threatened President Obama's nomination of Ben S. Bernanke …

Obama Moves to Centralize Control Over Party Strategy  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama is reconstituting the team that helped him win the White House to counter Republican challenges in the midterm elections and recalibrate after political setbacks that have narrowed his legislative ambitions.

After the Massachusetts Massacre  —  It was not a referendum on Barack Obama, who in every poll remains one of the most popular politicians in America.  It was not a rejection of universal health care, which Massachusetts mandated (with Scott Brown's State Senate vote) in 2006.

Bauer: Needy ‘owe something back’ for aid  —  GREENVILLE - Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer has compared giving people government assistance to “feeding stray animals.”  —  Bauer, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor, made his remarks during a town hall meeting in Fountain Inn …

Obama Turns Up Heat Over Ruling on Campaign Spending  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama took aim at the Supreme Court on Saturday, saying the justices had “handed a huge victory to the special interests and their lobbyists” with last week's 5-to-4 decision to lift restrictions on campaign spending by corporations and unions.

Phil Griffin's Memo To MSNBC Talent: Stop Fighting With Each Other  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  On the heels of yet another public incident between his anchors, MSNBC president Phil Griffin reined in his talent in a staff memo Friday afternoon.  —  Griffin sent a memo …

Justice Kennedy was key to conservatives' win in campaign finance decision  —  If there was a new boldness from the Supreme Court's conservative majority in last week's landmark ruling on campaign finance laws, there was also an underlying and familiar truth:

70-year gag on Kelly death evidence (Dr. David Kelly)  —  Well this latest news won't fuel any conspiracy theories (cough) or bring even more serious questions about the alleged murder (not suicide) of former UN weapons' inspector Dr. David Kelly (cough).  —  Before we get into the latest …

Jury duty for President Obama?  —  To serve or not to serve?  Is that the question?  —  • Translation: TV titan Oprah Winfrey may have honored her Cook County Circuit Court Jury summons, but it's a good bet President Obama won't.  —  • To wit: Sneed has learned Obama's name …

Biden pledges Blackwater appeal  —  US Vice-President Joe Biden says the US government will appeal against a court ruling dismissing manslaughter charges in the Blackwater shootings case.  —  Mr Biden was speaking after meeting Iraqi politicians in Baghdad.

They Still Don't Get It  —  How loud do the alarms have to get?  There is an economic emergency in the country with millions upon millions of Americans riddled with fear and anxiety as they struggle with long-term joblessness, home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and dwindling opportunities for themselves and their children.

Dulles flight to Las Vegas diverted because of unruly passenger  —  A United Airlines flight from Washington to Las Vegas was diverted to Denver on Saturday night after a passenger became unruly and tried to open a cabin door, authorities said.  —  Other passengers subdued the man …

Obama's evolution as commander-in-chief  —  Never a soldier himself, but suddenly their commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama wanted to learn the job from the ground up.  —  Including the salute.  —  Under the guidance of an expert, aides say Obama privately repeated his salute over and over again until he got it down.