Taliban lackey's twisted mission  —  It was payback.  —  The Connecticut man charged yesterday with the botched Times Square car bombing confessed to trying to slaughter innocent people in retaliation for US drone attacks that wiped out the leadership of his beloved Taliban, The Post has learned.

Obey won't seek reelection  —  In a major blow to Democrats, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey announced that he will not seek reelection, saying he is “ready to turn the page” after a four-decade House career.  —  The Wisconsin Democrat faces tough poll numbers at home …

Here's how Joe Lieberman's citizenship-stripping bill would work  —  By now you've heard that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is proposing a new law that could potentially strip Americans of their citizenship if they're involved with foreign terrorist organizations.

Washington Post Co. to Sell Newsweek  —  Chairman Donald E. Graham cites multi-year losses.  ‘We are exploring all options to fix that problem,’ he said.  —  Newsweek Web Exclusive  —  The Washington Post Co. announced today that it has retained Allen & Company to explore the possible sale of NEWSWEEK magazine.

Dem Turnout Falls Off A Cliff  —  Turnout among Dem voters dropped precipitously in 3 statewide primaries on Tuesday, giving the party more evidence that their voters lack enthusiasm ahead of midterm elections.  —  In primaries in NC, IN and OH, Dems turned out at far lower rates than they have in previous comparable elections.

Black Hopefuls Pick This Year in G.O.P. Races  —  Among the many reverberations of President Obama's election, here is one he probably never anticipated: at least 32 African-Americans are running for Congress this year as Republicans, the biggest surge since Reconstruction, according to party officials.

Reid: GOP is ‘making love to Wall Street’  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) accused Republicans Wednesday of “making love to Wall Street.”  —  Reid charged that Republicans are stalling action on a Wall Street reform bill because “they are having difficulty determining how they're …

Time for some oil spill perspective  —  Eleven people died when BP's Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform exploded nearly two weeks ago in the Gulf of Mexico, 53 miles southwest of the Louisiana coast.  It's a sad measure of how much of the subsequent commentary on this disaster …

Obama biggest recipient of BP cash  —  While the BP oil geyser pumps millions of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama and members of Congress may have to answer for the millions in campaign contributions they've taken from the oil and gas giant over the years.

Thune: Corker breaks ranks because he ‘understands’ issues  —  In either a garbled thought or one of the great, classic gaffes, John Thune suggests that his colleague Bob Corker breaks from the party line a lot because he actually thinks about policy:  —  “I think he's a guy who's willing …

Suns to wear ‘Los Suns’ uniforms to honor Phoenix's Latino community  —  In general, people in the sports world keep their political leanings to themselves.  Sure, there are a few guys who regularly speak out on political issues, but for the most part that's considered bad business.

Fox refuses climate ad  —  Fox News last week refused to carry an advertisement from the liberal group VoteVets on the grounds that it was “too confusing,” a spokesman for the group said.  —  The ad, above, seeks to make the familiar case that climate legislation would have national security benefits …

DeMint at odds with McConnell in Kentucky GOP primary  —  Sen. Jim DeMint has endorsed Rand Paul in Kentucky's Senate GOP primary race, putting him at odds with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.  —  DeMint (R-S.C.) announced Wednesday that he would support Paul …

Ahmadinejad: Bin Laden Lives in DC  —  That strange claim was only one of the highlights of my feisty 30 minute talk with the Iranian president Tuesday morning at the Millennium Hotel across from the United Nations.  —  It didn't take long to get contentious, starting with my first question …