Oval Office rug gets history wrong  —  A mistake has been made in the Oval Office makeover that goes beyond the beige.  —  President Obama's new presidential rug seemed beyond reproach, with quotations from Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy …

In defense of Alan Simpson  —  (updated below)  —  The President's Deficit Commission is designed to be as anti-democratic and un-transparent as possible.  Its work is done in total secrecy.  It is filled with behind-the-scenes political and corporate operatives who steadfastly refuse to talk to the public about what they're doing.

NO ONE SHOULD BE SURPRISED BY THE SHUTDOWN.... Josh Marshall had an item yesterday that I suspect represents the way many observers consider reports of a government shutdown next year: “When I first heard this talk of another ‘government shutdown’ in 2011, I figured it was just Democrats whipping it up as a cudgel for the election.

Tony Blair pelted with eggs at book signing in Dublin  —  Activists clashed with Irish police as they tried to push down a security barrier outside the bookshop  —  Eggs, bottles and shoes have been thrown at the former prime minister Tony Blair as he attended a book signing in Dublin.

Democrats add fiscal austerity as a campaign issue  —  The candidate was outraged - just outraged - at the country's sorry fiscal state.  —  “We have managed to acquire $13 trillion of debt on our balance sheet,” he fumed to a roomful of voters.  “In my view, we have nothing to show for it.”

30 False Fronts Won Contracts for Blackwater  —  WASHINGTON — Blackwater Worldwide created a web of more than 30 shell companies or subsidiaries in part to obtain millions of dollars in American government contracts after the security company came under intense criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq …

The Ungreat Debate  —  We do not generally look to gubernatorial debates for excitement.  But this week there was a fascinating one in Arizona, where Gov. Jan Brewer gave a bad performance of epic proportions.  Really, Richard Nixon in 1960 was Demosthenes in Athens compared with this one.

Rahmism  —  Jon Cohn's post about what the administration may be considering, and what it isn't considering, makes we want to cry.  —  Look: early on the administration had a political theory: it would win bipartisan legislative victories, and each success would make Republicans who voted no feel left out …

Millions Die Due to Withheld Medical Treatment  —  What's Your Reaction:  —  Imagine we found the cure for heart disease or diabetes, but as a society chose to withhold that treatment from those who need it most.  Would it be ethical to withhold effective treatments when the result …

Broke—and Building the Most Expensive School in U.S. History  —  Benches that talk, a Cocoanut Grove auditorium, and a marble slab engraved with quotes from Ted Kennedy.  —  Los Angeles  —  At $578 million—or about $140,000 per student—the 24-acre Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools complex …

Salahi in Playboy?  Just ‘another rumor.’  —  Michaele Salahi (right) has not received an offer to appear in Playboy, her spokesman told CNN on Saturday.  —  (CNN) - A spokesman for Michaele Salahi of White House party-crasher fame batted down on Saturday morning a story that claims the …

Arizona colleges accused of immigrant discrimination  —  Before this year, Phoenix-area community colleges asked legal immigrants to show a green card before hiring them.  The Justice Department calls the policy ‘document abuse’ and seeks damages.  —  Reporting from Washington —

Tea Party candidate sparks backlash in Delaware  —  The Tea Party Express launched new ads supporting Delaware Republican primary Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell.  —  Washington (CNN) - Fresh on the heels of Joe Miller's surprising win over Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Alaska Republican Senate primary …