Clueless  —  I'm with Simon Johnson here: how is it possible, at this late date, for Obama to be this clueless?  —  The lead story on Bloomberg right now contains excerpts from an interview with Business Week which tells us: … Oh.  My.  God.  —  First of all, to my knowledge …

Palin's bigger blunder  —  Last weekend, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate gave the keynote speech at the first National Tea Party Conference.  It was a speech carried by many news channels and one that is still receiving a lot of attention.

Snowstorm: East Coast Blizzard Tied to Climate Change  —  As the blizzard-bound residents of the mid-Atlantic region get ready to dig themselves out of the third major storm of the season, they may stop to wonder two things: Why haven't we bothered to invest in a snow blower, and what happened to climate change?

JOHN EDWARDS ASKS MISTRESS RIELLE HUNTER TO MARRY HIM!  —  John Edwards has proposed to his mistress Rielle Hunter, and is buying a luxury $3.5 million beachfront home where they can live happily ever after with their love child, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively.

Congressman Charlie Wilson dies at 76  —  Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, a hard-partying Democrat who played a key role in the United States' covert war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, has died.  He was 76.  —  Wilson was taken to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin …

Pelosi Aide: Health Care Summit a Trick, Strategy on Pro-Abortion Bill Decided  —  Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama has proposed a bipartisan health care summit for later this month that Republican detractors bill as a publicity stunt designed to generate more support …

Nelson defects from Dems over trials  —  Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson joined a bipartisan effort on Wednesday to block the administration from trying the Sept. 11th suspects in civilian courts.  —  Nelson (Neb.) signed onto legislation offered by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John McCain …

Palin's ‘an engaging person,’ Biden says  —  (CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday he's a fan of Sarah Palin's personality but questions where some of the former Alaska governor's comments “come from.”  —  “I do I like her.  She's an engaging person.

A Dubai court annuls marriage to ‘bearded lady’  —  An Arabic country's ambassador to Dubai has had his marriage contract annulled after discovering the bride was cross-eyed and had facial hair.  —  The woman had worn an Islamic veil, known as the niqab, on the few occasions the couple had met.

PRESS ROOM LAUGHTER DIES DOWN  —  The White House press room was a jovial place to be in the early days of President Barack Obama's presidency.  But times have changed.  —  Back in May, POLITICO analyzed the press briefings and found that the instances of laughter — as indicated by " …

Another Showdown at the Mullahs' Corral  —  I believe that the Iranian regime has assembled the largest armed force in history to protect it from the Iranian people's righteous indignation on Thursday the 11th.  There will be hundreds of thousands of police, revolutionary guards, Basij …

But, Newt, Padilla Didn't Talk  —  Newt Gingrich has Tweeted that, when he refered to the case of British citizen Richard Reid on the Daily Show last night, he meant to refer to Jose Padilla, a US citizen who was captured by federal authorities and turned over to the military and held by the US Navy for years.

Black Helicopters Over Nashville  —  Never mind Sarah Palin and the tricornered hats.  The tea-party movement is dominated by conspiracist kooks.  —  The tea-party movement has no leader.  But it does have a face: William Temple of Brunswick, Ga. For months, the amiable middle-aged activist …

Marvel admits to ‘mistake’ in controversial Captain America comic  —  It looks like Marvel Comic's Captain America is throwing his mighty shield at the Tea Party Movement.  Warner Todd Huston wrote on his Publius forum blog that the super-powered soldier who fought the Nazis in WWII goes under-cover …

Think big with a gig: Our experimental fiber network  —  Imagine sitting in a rural health clinic, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web and discussing a unique condition with a specialist in New York.  Or downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes.

Human microchips seen by some in Virginia House as device of antichrist  —  The House of Delegates is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill that would protect Virginians from attempts by employers or insurance companies to implant microchips in their bodies against their will.

New and improved Romney  —  He's more fiscal, less social.  And he's got millions.  But will GOP voters give a Mitt?  —  Scott Brown's unexpected victory in last month's special US Senate election captured the attention of the country — and particularly of core Republican voters …

Federal government shutdown extends to Thursday  —  Winds whip around the Washington Monument on Wednesday.  (Ricky Carioti/Post)  —  You're living history, Washington: Federal agencies across the nation's capital will close Thursday for a fourth straight day — taking the week-long shutdown …

A Mountain of a Problem Rises in Nation's Capital  —  WASHINGTON—All plows can do here is push snow from one spot to another, displacing it into shoulder-high escarpments, walling off parked cars, confounding pedestrians and blocking drivers' lines of sight.  —  William Howland has his own plan.

Having It Both Ways on Medicare  —  One of the truly amazing things about the health care debate is the way Republicans have managed to pose as defenders of Medicare.  The death panel thing has been absolutely central to their argument.  For example, when I was debating Roger Ailes on This Week …