Patrick Kennedy to retire  —  Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, the son of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, will announce on Friday that he is retiring, according to Democratic insiders.  —  Kennedy, 42, was first elected to the House in 1994.  His departure will leave Congress without …

Obama in nominee showdown  —  The Senate confirmed a huge group of administration nominees on Thursday, following a tense exchange between President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).  —  At a White House meeting with bipartisan congressional leaders on Tuesday …

Sen. Reid kills Baucus bill, narrows focus of jobs legislation after complaints  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is rewriting a jobs bill after Democrats complained of too many concessions to Republicans.  —  Reid announced Thursday that he would cut drastically …

Former President Bill Clinton Rushed to N.Y. Hospital  —  Clinton Had Quadruple Heart Bypass Surgery in 2004  —  Former President Bill Clinton was rushed to a Manhattan hospital late this afternoon, sources tell ABC News.  —  Clinton, 63, was transported to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital …

Poll Finds Edge for Obama Over G.O.P. Among the Public  —  WASHINGTON — At a time of deepening political disaffection and intensified distress about the economy, President Obama enjoys an edge over Republicans in the battle for public support, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Medina Campaign Responds to Glenn Beck Interview  —  I was asked a question on the Glenn Beck show today regarding my thoughts on the so-called 9/11 truth movement.  I have never been involved with the 9/11 truth movement, and there is no doubt in my mind that Muslim terrorists flew planes into those buildings on 9/11.

Health Reform in Limbo, Top Drug Lobbyist Quits  —  Billy Tauzin, the former Louisiana congressman, is resigning as president of the drug industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America amid internal disputes over its pact with the White House to trade political support …

Appeals court: Nude dancing still considered art  —  Hamburg, Ia.  — Nude dancing is still an art form in Iowa, at least at a strip club in the tiny town of Hamburg.  —  The Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday dismissed the state's request for a review of the issue.

Blame Rahm?  —  It's a bit weird to see so much blame accruing to Rahm Emanuel for the administration's woes.  Emanuel wasn't part of the campaign team.  He was brought in to help govern.  In that capacity, his primary job was shepherding the administration's agenda through the legislative process.

Republicans and Medicare  —  “Don't cut Medicare.  The reform bills passed by the House and Senate cut Medicare by approximately $500 billion.  This is wrong.”  So declared Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, in a recent op-ed article written with John Goodman, the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis.

3 House retirements spur debate on whether Republicans are losing momentum  —  A trio of House Republican retirement announcements over the past 10 days have sparked a debate between the leaders of the two major parties over whether the GOP is losing momentum in its quest to score major gains at the ballot box this fall.

House GOP document: We won showdown with President Obama  —  House Republicans won their televised debate with President Barack Obama last month, according to a GOP document distributed to lawmakers on Thursday.  —  The document, obtained by The Hill, notes that Obama's job approval ratings …

Brain Trust To Nowhere: Meet The Advisers Behind The Palin Road Show  —  As Sarah Palin relaunches her image for the next stage of her political career, there's a small set of advisers who are shaping the former governor's policy positions and public persona.