White House official: ‘Organized labor just flushed $10 million down the toilet’  —  A senior White House official just called me with a very pointed message for the administration's sometime allies in organized labor, who invested heavily in beating Blanche Lincoln, Obama's candidate, in Arkanas.

Indispensable  —  Michael Oren, a 55-year-old U.S.-born historian of the modern Middle East and the author of two best-selling books, one on the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and another on the United States' 200-year-old experience in the Middle East, renounced his U.S. citizenship at an emotional ceremony …

Reid Opponent Embraces Patriot Group That Warns Of ‘Giant Concentration Camps’  —  The peculiar ideology of Sharron Angle, the Republican nominee challenging Sen. Harry Reid in Nevada, is perhaps no better illustrated than by her embrace of the patriot group Oath Keepers …

Will anyone replace her?  —  In the end, Helen Thomas got the last laugh.  Before anybody could throw her out of the White House briefing room, she denied them the pleasure by walking out on her own.  —  Thomas herself couldn't defend her latest comments about Israel — and she didn't try.

Reuters Admits Cropping Photos of Ship Clash, Denies Political Motive  —  On the left, the uncropped photo.  On the right, Reuters' released photo.  (Reuters)  —  The British-based Reuters news agency has been stung for the second time by charges that it edited politically sensitive photos in a way that casts Israel in a bad light.

Carly Fiorina wins GOP Senate nomination [Updated]  —  Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina will be the Republican Party nominee in the November race against Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.  —  Fiorina was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's primary election …

Concession Statement  —  Mickey Kaus claimed a form of victory Tuesday night after he apparently drew more than 5% of the Democratic primary vote against three-term incumbent Barbara Boxer:  —  STATEMENT OF MICKEY KAUS  —  I congratulate Senator Boxer on her primary victory.

NATO Helicopter Shot Down in Helmand Province  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents shot down a NATO helicopter in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing four United States soldiers on board, according to Afghan and NATO officials.  —  The helicopter was shot down while it was providing support …

American Jewish community ends support of Turkish interests on Hill  —  In October 2000, the government of Turkey had a problem.  —  House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert had promised to bring a resolution commemorating the Armenian genocide to the floor for a vote, a move that Ankara said would be a slap in the face to a NATO ally.

Nikki Haley Can't Avoid Runoff in South Carolina  —  Updated 10:54 p.m. Eastern Time  —  South Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley easily outdistanced three competitors in the GOP primary today - but she did not meet the threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

‘Lying face to face’  —  NEW BRITAIN — A member of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's staff, himself a former major and judge advocate in the U.S. Marines, is calling Blumenthal a liar and disgrace to the Marine Corps for representing himself repeatedly as having served in Vietnam.

Keeping Politics Safe for the Rich  —  In a burst of judicial activism, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upended the gubernatorial race in Arizona, cutting off matching funds to candidates participating in the state's public campaign finance system.  Suddenly, three candidates, including Gov. Jan Brewer …

Legacy for One Billionaire: Death, but No Taxes  —  A Texas pipeline tycoon who died two months ago may become the first American billionaire allowed to pass his fortune to his children and grandchildren tax-free.  —  Dan L. Duncan, a soft-spoken farm boy who started with $10,000 and two propane trucks …

Bill Clinton calls La. senator ‘sinner’ in fundraising letter  —  Former President Clinton has sent out a fundraising letter on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee under his own name warning that Republicans are trying to “derail' President Obama's agenda.  —  Not much unexpected there.

‘Birther’ Advocate Orly Taitz Loses Bid in California  —  Among the most curious what-if scenarios in Tuesday night's primary was the possibility that Orly Taitz, widely known as the Birther Queen, might win the Republican primary for secretary of state in California.  —  It wasn't even close.

Lieberman attacks possibility of climate bill as amendment  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) on Tuesday attacked the notion that climate legislation he authored with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) would surface as an amendment to an energy bill on the Senate floor rather than being included from the get-go.