Harkin: Reconciliation is a go  —  Sen. Tom Harkin told POLITICO that Senate Democratic leaders have decided to go the reconciliation route.  The House, he said, will first pass the Senate bill after Senate leaders demonstrate to House leaders that they have the votes to pass reconciliation in the Senate.

Rangel Steps Aside From Post During Ethics Inquiry  —  WASHINGTON — Representative Charles B. Rangel of New York announced on Wednesday that he would temporarily step down from his powerful post as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in an attempt to avert a politically bruising fight …

Palin: ‘I joined Fox’ because there's too much ‘opinion interjected in hard news’ in the mainstream media.  —  In January, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) joined paid contributer.  Last night, she appeared on Jay Leno's show and decried the state of the mainstream media as “quite broken …

GRAND JURY TO INDICT EDWARDS  —  The ultimate fall from grace, a Federal grand jury is about to indict John Edwards, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively.  —  In another shocker, close sources say Edwards' estranged wife Elizabeth could help send the former presidential candidate to jail!

Dem Source: Massa Won't Run (Updated)  —  Rep. Eric Massa is poised to announce this afternoon that he will not seek re-election in the 29th Congressional District this fall as planned, a Democratic source confirms.  —  The freshman congressman is going to make his announcement at 3 p.m., according to the source.

The Chief  —  You think it's so great being Rahm Emanuel?  —  One of the enduring mysteries about White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is why he took the job in the first place.  At the time he accepted it, he was the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, a position he'd attained with considerable effort.

Perry trounces Hutchison in Texas  —  Gov. Rick Perry won a decisive victory over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Texas GOP primary for governor Tuesday night, bringing a bruising fight between two of the state's most popular Republicans to an anticlimactic conclusion.

Governor Christie: “Time to Hold Hands and Jump Off the Cliff” - Chris Christie For President?  —  In an amazingly candid appraisal of the sorry state of affairs in New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie laid it on the line in a speech to about 200 mayors at the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

For Tuesday I Walk to the Village  —  Yesterday was election day in Texas, and I voted.  And I voted.  And then I voted some more.  If my count was correct, I voted fifty-two times.  I voted for Governor, and I voted for U.S. House and Texas House and Texas Senate...OK …

Michael Moore: 'Democrats are a bunch of wusses...It's disgusting... I'm sick of them'  —  America's top documentary filmmaker talks “Capitalism,” politics and Oscars with Raw Story  —  Just over a year ago, Michael Moore vigorously campaigned for President Obama and the Democratic Party.

The Texas Taliban  —  There's been talk lately in Texas about seceding from the US.  Even Republican Governor Rick Perry has broadly hinted that Texas should exercise its “tenth amendment” rights.  —  Well, here's a website that makes me think it might be a good idea to let them do it: Repent Amarillo.

Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands  —  Giles Whittell, Hannah Strange, Catherine Philp and Martin Fletcher in Stanley  —  Argentina was celebrating a diplomatic coup yesterday in its attempt to force Britain to accept talks on the future …

A minority of 59  —  Who sounds like the majority party in this exchange, and who sounds like the minority party? … And keep in mind, it's not the Republicans offering a deal here.  It's one Republican.  Bob Corker of Tennessee.  Give him his deal, and it's still Democrats voting …

Fuel Taxes Must Rise, Harvard Researchers Say  —  To meet the Obama administration's targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon.  —  To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent …

A Death in the Blogging Family  —  The great Jon Swift has died.  That's the “blogging” angle to a personal tragedy.  In reality, the voice of Jon Swift - the hilarious faux conservative blogger whose talent and passion were evident in every post - belonged to Al Weisel …

Dem will push for public option in separate bill if not included in existing package  —  If a public health insurance option is not added to existing healthcare reform legislation, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said Wednesday that he would push for one using a separate bill.

Same-sex couples line up as D.C. gay marriage law takes effect  —  Sitting at a desk in the marriage bureau of the D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday morning, Angelisa Young's eyes filled with so many tears, she eventually buried her face in her fiancee's chest.