What It Takes  —  About a decade ago, one began to notice a profusion of Organization Kids at elite college campuses.  These were bright students who had been formed by the meritocratic system placed in front of them.  They had great grades, perfect teacher recommendations …

David Cameron is new UK prime minister  —  Conservative leader David Cameron has become the new prime minister after the resignation of Gordon Brown.  —  Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will be his deputy prime minister in the UK's first coalition government in 70 years.

Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level since 1950  —  Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found.  —  Some conservative political movements such as the …

Ok, so now I'm a liar  —  I had the opportunity — first time, and very cool — to appear on Rachel Maddow's show last night to discuss the nomination of Elena Kagan.  I was in segment B. Glenn Greenwald was in segment A. I had spent the afternoon reading up on Glenn's views about the nomination.

CBO ups health care cost projections  —  Congressional Budget Office estimates released Tuesday predict the health care overhaul will likely cost about $115 billion more in discretionary spending over ten years than the original cost projections.  —  The additional spending …

Finger-Pointing, but Few Answers at Hearings on Drilling  —  Three weeks after a drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people and rupturing a well that is still gushing crude oil uncontrollably, officials and lawmakers pressed angry questions in two separate hearings on Tuesday …

Alabama candidate denounces ‘lie’ that he believes in evolution  —  Evolution has obviously been a political issue for a while, but I'm not sure I've ever seen an attack ad like this one before: It mocks a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor of Alabama for believing in the theory.

Thieves Steal Mojave Desert Memorial Cross in Nighttime Heist  —  The 7-foot-tall metal cross in a 75-year-old war memorial that withstood the heat of the Mojave Desert and a blazing battle in the Supreme Court over its legality was ripped down and stolen Sunday night, according to federal officials.

U.S. may be passing up chances to stop terrorist plots  —  Did a captured Taliban leader know about the Times Square plot and withhold this information from his interrogators?  —  On Sunday, Obama administration officials, including counterterrorism chief John Brennan …

Obama's numbers hit high mark  —  For the first time since October a majority of Americans express approval of Barack Obama's job performance on PPP's monthly national poll.  50% give him good marks to 46% who disapprove.  —  Obama's numbers with Democrats are basically steady and he remains …

Sarah Palin's book, ‘America By Heart,’ out Nov. 23  —  NEW YORK — Sarah Palin's new book has a title, America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag, and a release date, Nov. 23, publisher HarperCollins announced Tuesday.  —  The Alaska ex-governor and former Republican vice …

Bill McCullom requested hiring of antigay psychologist now in Rentboy scandal  —  Attorney General Bill McCollum personally requested that the state's Department of Children & Families hire antigay psychologist George Rekers at $300 an hour as an expert witness to defend Florida's ban on gay people adopting, records show.

Why Sestak might really pull it off  —  Tomorrow, a third poll will come out finding Joe Sestak is leading Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania Dem primary.  The poll, from Franklin & Marshall College, will mirror others showing Sestak ahead by around five points, the poll's director confirms to me.

Video captures Seattle cop kicking Latino suspect in the face, using ethnic slur — and then releasing him  —  A Seattle freelance videographer recently captured a local cop kicking a man in the head while prone on the ground and using ethnic slurs: … One of the most disturbing aspects of the incident …

96-0: Fed Audit Passes Senate  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  UPDATE - 12:10 p.m. - The amendment to open the Fed to a one-time audit of its lending between December 1, 2007 and the present passed 96-0.  —  Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), the Federal Reserve's most outspoken defender …

BP makes enough profit in four days to cover the costs of the spill cleanup thus far.  —  “As hopes dim for containing the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico anytime soon” after a giant containment dome failed, the cost of cleaning up the spill will continue to rise.

Verizon Wireless, Google Work on Tablet  —  Verizon Wireless is working with Google Inc. on a tablet computer, Verizon Wireless Chief Executive Lowell McAdam said Tuesday, as the company works to catch up with iPad host AT&T Inc. in the area of devices that connect to wireless networks.

Muhammad cartoonist ‘head-butted’ during lecture  —  STOCKHOLM - A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was assaulted Tuesday as furious protesters interrupted his university lecture about the limits of artistic freedom.

The Kagan Rope-A-Dope?  —  There are three possibilities, it seems to me, behind the kerfuffle over Elena Kagan's emotional orientation.  The first is that her orientation is heterosexual and she is merely a dedicated career person who never had time for a date.