Why President Obama loses by winning  —  The imminent passage of financial reform, just a couple months after the passage of comprehensive health care, should decisively end the narrative that President Obama represents a Jimmy Carter-style case of naïve hope crushed by the inability to master Washington.

Financial Overhaul Clears a Final Senate Hurdle  —  WASHINGTON — A broad overhaul of the nation's financial regulatory system, intended to address the causes of the 2008 economic crisis and rewrite the rules for a more complex — and mistrustful — era on Wall Street, cleared one last procedural hurdle …

Pretty Bad 2012 numbers for Obama  —  With his approval numbers hitting new lows it's no surprise that Barack Obama's numbers in our monthly look ahead to the 2012 Presidential race are their worst ever this month.  He trails Mitt Romney 46-43, Mike Huckabee 47-45, Newt Gingrich 46-45, and is even tied with Sarah Palin at 46.

(Bumped) Think Progress proves the Tea Party is not racist by posting video of racists not in the Tea Party  —  The claims of racism in the Tea Party movement are so overblown and unsubstantiated that the best Think Progress could do to prove racism was post a video of four supposed racist Tea Partiers.

18th-Century Ship Found at Trade Center Site  —  In the middle of tomorrow, a great ribbed ghost has emerged from a distant yesterday.  —  On Tuesday morning, workers excavating the site of the underground vehicle security center for the future World Trade Center hit a row of sturdy …

Three Million Imaginary Jobs  —  The White House says the stimulus worked beyond even its hopes.  Seriously.  —  It may be that the last people in America who believe that the $862 billion economic stimulus of February 2009 created millions of net new jobs are Vice President Joe Biden and the staff economists in the White House.

Fund-Raising Before House Vote Draws Scrutiny  —  WASHINGTON — Lawmakers take contributions every day from corporate executives and lobbyists hoping for their votes.  The question of whether that represents business as usual in Washington or an ethics breach is at the heart …

Byrd's successor to take oath Tuesday  —  The Senate will swear in the successor to the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) at 2:15 pm next Tuesday, even though the identity of the new senator remains unknown.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told colleagues Thursday that Democrats …

My Biggest Mistake in the White House  —  Failing to refute charges that Bush lied us into war has hurt our country.  —  Seven years ago today, in a speech on the Iraq war, Sen. Ted Kennedy fired the first shot in an all-out assault on President George W. Bush's integrity.

Argentina Approves Gay Marriage  —  BUENOS AIRES — Argentina's Senate narrowly approved a measure early on Thursday authorizing same-sex marriages, making Argentina the first country in Latin America to allow gay couples to wed.  —  After 15 hours of debate, the Senate voted 33 to 27 …

The Daily Caller acquires KeithOlbermann.com  —  The Daily Caller, one of the fastest-growing online media properties, announced today its acquisition of KeithOlbermann.com, expanding the company's global reach into a new segment of the online political market.

In Dodging a Budget Vote, Dems Take Reconciliation Off the Table  —  Decision Could Preclude a Jobs Bill Next Year … On Tuesday, the Treasury Department announced that the country's deficit had hit the $1 trillion mark just nine months into the fiscal year.

The Google Algorithm  —  Google handles nearly two-thirds of Internet search queries worldwide.  Analysts reckon that most Web sites rely on the search engine for half of their traffic.  When Google engineers tweak its supersecret algorithm — as they do hundreds of times a year …

Sarah Palin in '12?  Why She's for Real  —  The music swells and then picks up tempo.  Sarah Palin is talking about how 2010 will be the year that “commonsense conservative women get things done for our country.”  She's worried about “these policies coming out of D.C. right now …

Surprise player in Iowa GOP primary revealed  —  (CNN) - Beginning in May, a group called Iowans for Responsible Government spent over three quarters of a million dollars on television ads and mailers lumping Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad in with “liberal” …

Senate VIP Loans Mount  —  Countrywide Dealt With More Lawmakers and Staffers Than Previously Known  —  Angelo Mozilo, former Countrywide Financial chairman  —  U.S. senators or Senate employees received 30 loans—far more than had previously been known—under a controversial lending program …

2008 voter-intimidation case against New Black Panthers a political bombshell  —  A 2008 voter-intimidation case has become a political controversy for the Obama administration as conservative lawyers, politicians and commentators raise concerns that the Department of Justice has failed to protect the civil rights of white voters.

Oklahoma congressional candidate says he will not accept money from an Islamic group.  —  Oklahoma congressional candidate Kevin Calvey says he will not accept money from a state Islamic group.  Group's director said he made the personal donation in hopes of starting a dialogue with Calvey.

Do conservatives care about the deficit?  Do Democrats?  —  Matt Yglesias asks the question and assembles some evidence.  The two modern conservative presidents, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, “both presided over massive increases in both present and projected deficits.”

Obama: ‘Jobs of the future’ in Mich.  —  HOLLAND, Mich. — President Barack Obama trudged through a muddy construction site — and messy politics — to break ground Thursday on a high-tech battery factory here, calling it proof that his emergency spending programs are lifting the nation out of deep recession.

Conyers Releases Committee Interview of Torture Memo Author Bybee and Sends to Justice Department Bybee: “CIA did not have an opinion from OLC” when it exceeded limits in interrogation memos  —  (Washington, D.C.) - House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. D-Mich.) …

Election 2010: Wisconsin Senate  —  Wisconsin Senate: Johnson (R) 47%, Feingold (D) 46%  —  Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold and his chief Republican challenger Ron Johnson remain locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey …

Free Blagojevich ringtones are (bleeping) golden  —  Now you can enjoy the profanity-laced tirades of Illinois' least-favorite son when you're on the go.  Beginning today, The State Journal-Register is offering free Blagojevich ringtones for your (bleeping) phone.

Erskine Bowles and the Price of Ignorance: $335,000 a Year  —  Erskine Bowles is one of the co-chairman of President Obama's deficit commission.  He gained notoriety recently by revealing the fact that he had no clue as to the size of the country's deficit problem even after engaging …

Senate Passes Sweeping Finance Overhaul  —  WASHINGTON—Sweeping financial-overhaul legislation passed the Senate 60-39 Thursday, giving President Barack Obama a major domestic-policy victory.  —  The measure will touch all areas of the financial markets, affecting how consumers obtain credit cards …

Vatican: female ordination a crime  —  Revised Catholic rules put female ordination in same category of crime under church law as clerical sex abuse of minors  —  The Vatican today made the “attempted ordination” of women one of the gravest crimes under church law, putting it in the same category …

First thoughts: Super freak (out)  —  When the going gets tough, Democrats, well, freak out... But is the freak-out over Gibbs' comment over?... Why the expectations game may be out of control for Republicans... Obama to deliver speech on the economy/stimulus in Michigan at 1:30 pm ET …