Republican centrists warn Reid's tough tactics could backfire  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has deployed unusually tough tactics to pressure Republicans to back Wall Street reform — a move that could shore up his liberal base, but one that GOP centrists say is counterproductive.

Laura Bush Opens Up About Fatal Crash  —  Laura Bush has finally opened up publicly about the mysterious car accident she had when she was 17, a crash that claimed the life of a high school friend on a dark country road in Midland, Tex.  —  In her new book, “Spoken from the Heart,” …

Why reporters are down on Obama  —  One of the enduring story lines of Barack Obama's presidency, dating back to the earliest days of his candidacy, is that the press loves him.  —  “Most of you covered me.  All of you voted for me,” Obama joked last year at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

Poll finds Americans in an anti-incumbent mood as midterm elections near  —  Members of Congress face the most anti-incumbent electorate since 1994, with less than a third of all voters saying they are inclined to support their representatives in November, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Huckleberry Hounds Senate: Graham Threatens to Filibuster Everything He Claims to Care About  —  Sen. Graham (R-SC) cares this much.  (photo: Michael Wuertenberg WEF)  —  I noticed with alarm that some of my friends on the left evinced a certain amount of sympathy for Lindsey Graham.

Democrats Take New Tack to Rally Base  —  Concerned About Possible Midterm Losses, Party Will Step Up Minority Outreach and Warn of GOP Vote Suppression  —  Increasingly concerned about a demoralized base, Democratic Party leaders are accusing opponents of trying to delegitimize President Barack Obama …

What America is Michael Gerson living in?  —  In the Washington Post, columnist and former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson pronounces the new Arizona immigration law “understandable — and dreadful.”  Gerson says states do not have the authority “to take control of American immigration policy …

Police state: How Mexico treats illegal aliens  —  This is what a “police state” looks like  —  My syndicated column today responds to Mexican President Felipe Calderon's demagoguery on Arizona's immigration enforcement law.  Calderon has a long history of bashing the U.S. …

Europe Worried That Greek Crisis Is Poised to Spread  —  With Greece inching closer to the brink of financial collapse, fear that the debt crisis will spread rattled global markets for a second day Wednesday as they awaited a signal from financial leaders gathering in Berlin.

Swing and a miss  —  Yesterday we learned that another “ethics” complaint that was filed against Governor Palin was dismissed as baseless.  (If you are counting, the Governor is 26-0-1 regarding such complaints or suits, with one still pending).  Only this complaint was actually filed after she left office …

Texas gov. shoots, kills ‘wily’ coyote during jog  —  AUSTIN, Texas — Pistol-packing Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a message for wily coyotes out there: Don't mess with my dog.  —  Perry told The Associated Press on Tuesday he needed just one shot from the laser-sighted pistol he sometimes carries …

City workers banned from official travel to Arizona  —  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced today a moratorium on official city travel to Arizona after the state enacted a controversial new immigration law that directs local police to arrest those suspected of being in the country illegally.

Suntanned women to be arrested under Islamic dress code  —  Iran has warned suntanned women and girls who looked like “walking mannequins” will be arrested as part of a new drive to enforce the Islamic dress code.  —  Brig Hossien Sajedinia, Tehran's police chief, said a national crackdown …

Has Noah's Ark Been Found on Turkish Mountaintop?  —  The remains of Noah's Ark have been discovered 13,000 feet up a Turkish mountain — according to a sensational claim by evangelical explorers.

Rove says he has ‘problems’ with AZ immigration law  —  THE VILLAGES - Karl Rove, chief political strategist for former President George W. Bush, today questioned a controversial new Arizona law designed to cut down on illegal immigration by making it a crime to not produce proof of citizenship when a law enforcement officer demands it.