Haaretz Poll: Most Israelis see Obama as fair and friendly  —  U.S. President Barack Obama's popularity may be declining in American public opinion, but a sweeping majority of Israelis think his treatment of this country is friendly and fair, according to a Haaretz-Dialog poll conducted this week.

CBO: Obamacare Would Cost Over $2 Trillion  —  The CBO's most recent analysis is out, and it's not likely to convince wavering House Democrats to jump to the Obamacare side of the fence.  Even the Democrats are granting that the latest version of their proposed health care overhaul would cost $69 billion more than the previous version.

CONFUSION-BASED RAGE, CONT'D.... Former Bush speechwriter David Frum enlisted some interns this week to survey Tea Party activists protesting in D.C. earlier this week.  The goal was to get a sense of the activists' understanding of taxes — ostensibly, the “movement's” raison d'etre — and factual knowledge.

Now for the Slaughter  —  On the road to Demon Pass, our leader encounters a Baier.  —  Excuse me, but it is embarrassing—really, embarrassing to our country—that the president of the United States has again put off a state visit to Australia and Indonesia because he's having trouble passing …

From Bitter Campaign to Strong Alliance  —  WASHINGTON — On a snowy Thursday shortly before her weekly meeting with President Obama last month, Hillary Rodham Clinton got a distressing phone call: her husband, Bill Clinton, was in a hospital with chest pains and needed an urgent heart procedure.

Joint Statement by the Quartet  —  Washington, DC  —  The Quartet - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell, and High Representative for Foreign Affairs …

Ensign's refusal to resign harms many in his circle  —  It's no longer a question of “if” but of “when” between now and January 2013 that John Ensign's short, previously happy, suddenly unhappy life as a senator will end.  —  One week after I told you about Ensign's breathtakingly obtuse statement through …

In Health Vote, Democrats Weigh Success vs. Survival  —  WASHINGTON — In the homestretch of the health care debate, one obvious question being asked across the capital is whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi will find 216 votes to pass the bill.  For a group of particularly jittery Democrats …

Are Anti-Abortion Democrats Open to a Deal on Health Care?  —  Rep. Bart Stupak Says He and His Supporters are Holding Firm But They Are Open to Negotiations  —  Anti-abortion Democrat Rep. Bart Stupak says he will vote “No” on the health care bill unless changes are made to accommodate …

Ex-general links gay troops to Bosnian genocide  —  A retired Marine general told senators on Thursday that the Dutch Army failed to protect the city of Srebrenica during the Bosnian war partly because of the presence of gay soldiers in its armed forces.  —  John J. Sheehan …

Op-Ed Columnist: Closing Arguments on Health Care  —  One way or another, the fate of health care reform is going to be decided in the next few days.  If House Democratic leaders find 216 votes, reform will almost immediately become the law of the land.  If they don't, reform may well be put off …

Boccieri decision at 10:40  —  Freshman Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio) will announce his health care vote at a press conference at 10:40 a.m. at the Capitol.  —  The fact that he's holding a press conference suggests it's a win for the Democratic leadership.  It seems unlikely he'd make a big show …

FIRST THOUGHTS: DEMS AND BIG MO  —  After a couple of months of catching very few breaks, Dems have the momentum on health care... But that doesn't mean everything will be smooth sailing between now and Sunday... First Read names names on Dems that still need convincing …

Setbacks Zero Out Gains in Whip Count  —  House Democrats officially gained two and lost two on Thursday as they continued their painstaking zigzag toward 216 votes and final passage of a sweeping health care overhaul, now likely on Sunday.  —  Leaders got two pieces of good news …

State of the health care debate: Talk radio attacks an 11-year old  —  WASHINGTON — Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a “sob story” exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a …

Obama blocks delivery of bunker-busters to Israel  —  WASHINGTON — The United States has diverted a shipment of bunker-busters designated for Israel.  —  Officials said the U.S. military was ordered to divert a shipment of smart bunker-buster bombs from Israel to a military base in Diego Garcia.

Rival warned regulators over Lehman  —  Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Reserve officials were warned by a leading Wall Street rival that Lehman Brothers was incorrectly calculating a key measure of its financial health months before its collapse in 2008, people familiar with the matter say.

Pakistan arrests halt UN contacts with Taliban  —  KABUL - The arrests of top Taliban figures in Pakistan abruptly halted secret U.N. contacts with the insurgency at a time when the efforts were gathering momentum, the U.N.'s former envoy to Afghanistan said Friday.

Michele Bachmann Means No Disrespect When She Accuses Media Of “Treason”  —  BACHMANN (On Bill Bennett's radio show 3/18/10): Well, I'm amazed that they actually were willing to be shocked.  Because for most of the time they have been, and you know, I don't mean any disrespect, but they've been treason media.

Stephen Lynch strong ‘no’ on health bill despite talk with President Obama  —  Not even President Barack Obama could sway U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch from voting against a health-care reform package now headed for a dramatic weekend showdown.  —  After emerging from a 40-minute Oval Office meeting …

Deal Near on Gitmo, Detainee Trials  —  The White House is nearing a deal with a bipartisan group of senators to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and pave the way for more detainees to be tried before military commissions, a move that would reverse a signature Obama administration security policy.

The Undecideds  —  Political circumstances have changed for many members since the November health care vote, but especially for those who have announced their retirements in the ensuing months.  —  Without ballot box pressures, it will be extremely difficult for these members to turn …

Computer glitch blamed for years of police raids on elderly Brooklyn couple's home  —  A computer database glitch has sent police to the home of an elderly Brooklyn couple more than 50 times since 2002, sheepish cops admitted today.  —  Walter and Rose Martin endured the most recent raid on Tuesday …

The right way to mend immigration  —  Our immigration system is badly broken.  Although our borders have become far more secure in recent years, too many people seeking illegal entry get through.  We have no way to track whether the millions who enter the United States on valid visas each year leave when they are supposed to.

It's Now or Never — By: Ed Whelan  —  If you want to make your voice heard on the health-care bill before the House votes on Sunday, you'd better do so quickly.  To make things easier for you, here, organized in alphabetical order by state, are the 40 key Democratic members …

CBO: Health Bill Would Force Families to Buy Insurance Costing a Minimum of $12,000 Per Year—Whether Government or Employer Helps Them or Not  —  (CNSNews.com) - If Congress passes the Senate health-care plan, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office …

16,500 more IRS agents needed to enforce Obamacare  —  New tax mandates and penalties included in Obamacare will cause the greatest expansion of the Internal Revenue Service since World War II, according to a release from Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.  —  A new analysis by the Joint Economic Committee …