GOP POISED TO KILL TAX-EXTENDERS BILL.... For weeks, Senate Democrats have tried to pass what's called the “tax-extenders bill” — a key economic package that extends unemployment benefits, maintains popular tax breaks, protects doctors from Medicare cuts, and boosts state aid to prevent massive job layoffs in the states.

Gates advocated keeping McChrystal, source says  —  Washington (CNN) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates backed keeping Gen. Stanley McChrystal on the job because he was vital to the war effort in Afghanistan, but Gates was overruled, a senior Pentagon official told CNN's Barbara Starr.

An apology to my readers  —  I'm a member of an off-the-record list-serv called “Journolist,” founded by my colleague Ezra Klein.  Last Monday, I was deluged with angry e-mail after posting a story about Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) that was linked by the Drudge Report with a headline intimating …

Sarah Palin is toxic  —  Commentators keep telling us how influential Sarah Palin's endorsements are, and even if the whole “mama grizzly” meme is clearly overstated, there's no quibbling with the fact that Palin has pull among GOP primary voters.  —  But the more interesting point …

Judge Faces Death Threats After BP Gulf Oil Drilling Moratorium Ruling  —  New Orleans—While many Americans undoubtedly agree with the decision of U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman to overturn the Obama administration's moratorium on deep water drilling, not everyone is happy.

Justices Limit Use of ‘Honest Services’ Law Against Fraud  —  WASHINGTON — Ruling for two prominent corporate executives in prison for fraud, the Supreme Court on Thursday dramatically narrowed the scope of a law often used by federal prosecutors in corruption cases.

Al Gore A “Crazed Sex Poodle?”  —  Masseuse's claims read like R-rated vice presidential fan fiction  —  In a bizarre statement to police, the Oregon woman who claims that Al Gore fondled and groped her during a massage session described the former Vice President as a giggling “crazed sex poodle” …

Harris: Obama knew of Blagojevich plot  —  A top aide to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he believed Barack Obama knew of Blagojevich's plot to win himself a presidential Cabinet post in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate.  —  John Harris, Blagojevich's former chief of staff …

Iranian aid flotilla cancelled, won't sail to Gaza  —  Organizers cite ‘Israeli threats’ as the reason for canceling the flotilla; separate Iranian ship heads to Gaza via Caspian Sea.  —  One of the organizers of an Iranian aid flotilla that was to said to Gaza in efforts to break Israel's naval blockade …

House passes campaign finance bill  —  Overcoming opposition from within their own ranks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Democratic leaders pushed through a controversial campaign finance reform bill on Thursday on a 219 to 206 vote.  —  The DISCLOSE Act - Democracy is Strengthened …

Rand Paul speaks on McChrystal and BP  —  I got a chance to talk to Rand Paul after his low-dollar D.C. fundraiser Wednesday, and asked him about the McChrystal kerfuffle and the controversy over his take on the BP spill.  —  RN: Do you agree with the president's decision to accept Gen. Stanley McChrystal's resignation?

Group of youths attack Jewish dance group  —  BERLIN - A Jewish dance group was attacked with stones by a group of children and teenagers during a performance at a street festival in the Germany city of Hannover, police said Thursday.  One dancer suffered a leg injury and the group then canceled their performance.

Bank execs panic over proposed change to orderly liquidation authority — Dodd unhappy with Brown — Zero hour arrives as derivatives, ‘Volcker rule’ remain unresolved  —  Presented by Merchants Payments Coalition  —  DOUBLE SIREN EXCLUSIVE - Bank executives were panicking last night …

Longest match ever comes to an end  —  • Isner wins 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68  —  • First-round match lasted 11 hours five minutes  —  John Isner finally brought an end to the longest match in tennis history today as he broke the serve of Nicolas Mahut to secure a 70-68 victory …

Scarborough: “Why is Joe Barton being allowed to keep his job?”  —  “Why is Joe Barton being allowed to keep his job, when Joe Barton apologized to a corporation that is destroying my home town's economy, and is destroying the environment across the Gulf Coast?”

Texas Republicans' Idea of “Small Government”: Criminalizing Homosexuality, Blow Jobs  —  I keep hearing that the Teabaggers lean libertarian and are supposedly the future of the GOP - but apparently no one's told the Republican Party of the nation's second-largest state. … Nice.