U.S.-Born al Qaeda Arrest News Incorrect  —  Confusion Over Militant's Identity Sparked Reports of Gadahn Arrest; Some Media Say It is Another U.S.-Born Terrorist  —  An “important Taliban militant” was arrested today in Pakistan.  But that is where the confusion started.

ACLU New York Times Ad Today Calls On President Obama Not To Back Down On 9/11 Civilian Trials  —  Group Makes Same Plea In Letter To President  —  CONTACT: Rachel Myers, (646) 206-8643 or (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org  —  NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today published …

Simpson on Iraq  —  Two blocks of flats in Baghdad were flattened by bomb attacks  —  These elections will certainly be seen as a big success - despite the depressing level of violence, which demonstrates that it is still altogether untrue to suggest that Iraq is now a country at peace.

Jesus Christ, Mike Allen, Reconciliation Is NOT THAT COMPLICATED  —  There are a lot of thorny issues in American politics that require a great deal of concentrated attention to grasp.  The controversy over budget reconciliation and health care is not one of them.

Consent of the governed - and the lack thereof  —  Our Declaration of Independence observes:  —  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Tom Delay: People Are Unemployed Because They Want To Be  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay called Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) “brave” on Sunday for launching a one-man filibuster of unemployment benefits, arguing that they dissuaded people from going out and finding work.

Baird: Healthcare votes of retiring Democrats aren't necessarily in the bag  —  Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) stressed Sunday that the votes of retiring Dems such as himself aren't necessarily in the bag.  —  Appearing across from Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen …

The end game for Europe: wage cutting and the battle for exports  —  Yesterday I argued that Latvia's cost-cutting efforts are evident compared to a cross-section of European Union countries.  Latvia's efforts, while commendable, were very much a function of the emergency IMF loan in December 2008 and the ensuing recession in 2009.

WABC Returns to Cablevision  —  Updated The Walt Disney Company and Cablevision announced they had agreed in principle to a new contract governing WABC about 15 minutes after the Academy Awards telecast started on Sunday night.  —  The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.

New York Times, Gretchen Morgenson Dazzle Us With Their Ignorance (Yet Again)  —  Earlier today, Twitter user (and good follow!)  Taste_Arbitrage alerted us - his followers, that is - an egregious error in Gretchen's latest article, wherein she attempts to inform us that - news alert …