Binyamin Netanyahu humiliated after Barack Obama ‘dumped him for dinner’  —  Giles Whittell, Washington, and James Hider, Jerusalem  —  For a head of state to visit the White House and not pose for photographers is rare.  For a key ally to be left to his own devices while the President withdraws …

Going to Extreme  —  I admit it: I had fun watching right-wingers go wild as health reform finally became law.  But a few days later, it doesn't seem quite as entertaining — and not just because of the wave of vandalism and threats aimed at Democratic lawmakers.

David Frum and the Closing of the Conservative Mind  —  As some readers of this blog may know, I was fired by a right wing think tank called the National Center for Policy Analysis in 2005 for writing a book critical of George W. Bush's policies, especially his support for Medicare Part D. In the years since …

Coburn blocks extension of unemployment benefits, threatens start of recess  —  Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has blocked passage of a crucial package of expiring provisions, including extended unemployment insurance benefits that are scheduled to run out on April 5.

Iowa man joins protest against Obama and health-care reform  —  IOWA CITY, IOWA — He had no plans to throw bricks, issue death threats, spit in faces or scream racial slurs.  But Randy Millam, 52, intended to make a scene, so he woke up early Thursday morning to prepare for President Obama's visit.

McCain and Palin, Together Again: Palin Stumps for McCain in Arizona, Targets Reid in Nevada  —  For the first time since November 2008, Sarah Palin hits the campaign trail today for John McCain.  It's the first stop in a Republican counter-attack that she hopes to lead.  —  Sarah Palin's message to conservatives?

AN IMPLAUSIBLE REPORT IN THE SEATTLE TIMES: “A rock was thrown through the window of Driehaus' Cincinnati office Sunday.”  —  Justin Binik-Thomas emails from Cincinnati that Rep. Driehaus' office “is on the 30th floor of a skyscraper downtown.”  He also says that he spoke to Driehaus' office today and they said this never happened.

Mitt Romney rolls out 2010 endorsements  —  1. Days after former Alaska governor Sarah Palin unveiled her 2010 target list, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney ramped up his own involvement in the midterms — announcing six endorsements in Missouri.  —  Romney endorsed four sitting members …

Personal Income Drops Across U.S.  —  Personal income in 42 states fell in 2009, the Commerce Department said Thursday.  —  Nevada's 4.8% plunge was the steepest, as construction and tourism industries took a beating.  Also hit hard: Wyoming, where incomes fell 3.9%.

Obama readies steps to fight foreclosures, particularly for unemployed  —  The Obama administration plans to overhaul how it is tackling the foreclosure crisis, in part by requiring lenders to temporarily slash or eliminate monthly mortgage payments for many borrowers who are unemployed, senior officials said Thursday.

Pope Was Told Pedophile Priest Would Get Transfer  —  MUNICH — The future Pope Benedict XVI was kept more closely apprised of a sexual abuse case in Germany than previous church statements have suggested, raising fresh questions about his handling of a scandal unfolding under his direct supervision …

Health bill clears Congress  —  Congress completed its work Thursday night on the broadest social legislation in almost a half-century, as the House capped the year-long legislative saga over health reform by signing off on a package of fixes to the newly minted law.

In Possible Retirement, the Likelihood of an Election-Year Confrontation  —  WASHINGTON — No announcement has been made, but the widely anticipated retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens in coming weeks has the White House, Senate and lobbying groups bracing for an election-year confrontation over the future of the Supreme Court.

2010: A Race Odyssey — Disproving a Negative for Cash Prizes or, How the Civil Rights Movement Jumped the Shark  —  As I have said over and over and over, the left has one trick that it will use again and again when its back is in the corner: shout ‘racist’ in a crowded country.

JPMorgan, Lehman, UBS Named as Conspirators in Muni Bid-Rigging  —  JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and UBS AG were among more than a dozen Wall Street firms involved in a conspiracy to pay below-market interest rates to U.S. state and local governments on investments …

The Zeitgeist Shifts  —  The psychology of victory and defeat is a remarkable thing.  A week ago, the Democrats were perceived to have an enormous political problem.  Their agenda was stalled in Congress.  There was a mass groundswell of public anger they had to contend with.

“White Powder” Package Sent to Congressman Weiner's Office  —  Letter references “health care” vote  —  Law enforcement officials say a package with white powder was sent to Congressman Weiner's Queens office today.  —  A preliminary review shows the letter in part complained …

Paterson Seen With Key Role in Abuse Case  —  Gov. David A. Paterson personally helped draft a statement last month that he hoped would be endorsed by a woman involved in a domestic dispute with one of his top aides, proposing language asserting that there had been no violence in the encounter …