McDonald's May Drop Health Plan  —  McDonald's Corp. has warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul.  —  The move is one of the clearest indications …

Emanuel's Departure Set; Rouse to Replace Him  —  Updated President Obama will give his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, a send-off Friday as Mr. Emanuel officially announces his departure from the West Wing to run for mayor of Chicago, officials familiar with the decision said.

Gloria Allred Says Letter Is Proof Meg Whitman Knew Housekeeper Was Illegal  —  Meg Whitman Accuses Jerry Brown of Orchestrating ‘Smear’  —  Lawyer Gloria Allred released a letter today that she claims proves California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman knowingly employed an undocumented immigrant as her housekeeper.

Obama 52%, Clinton 37% for 2012 Democratic Nomination  —  Clinton's support highest among conservative, less well-educated Democrats  —  PRINCETON, NJ — If Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were to challenge President Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012 …

New Yorkers outraged as bureaucrats order city to change lettering on every single street sign  —  The city will change the lettering on every single street sign - at an estimated cost of about $27.5 million - because the feds don't like the font.  —  Street names will change from all capital letters …

Private Moment Made Public, Then a Fatal Jump  —  It started with a Twitter message on Sept. 19: “Roommate asked for the room till midnight.  I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam.  I saw him making out with a dude.  Yay.”  —  That night, the authorities say …

Sen. Murkowski targets Tea Party Express in new ad  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Wednesday released two new TV ads her campaign says will counter the Tea Party Express.  —  Earlier this week, the group unveiled its own TV ad targeting Murkowski, which spokesman Levi Russell said he hopes …

Exclusive: Ben Wetmore Explains CNN Boat Sex Prank  —  On Wednesday CNN reported that right-wing provocateur James O'Keefe — the fake pimp whose YouTube video cost ACORN its federal funding, and who pled guilty to entering Senator Mary Landrieu's office under false pretenses — planned to …

Democrats defend agenda as they exit Hill  —  Hours after adjourning a week early and punting on tax cuts and appropriations bills, House Democratic leaders offered a broad defense of their agenda, framing their accomplishments as historic while casting Republicans as obstructionists not worthy of the public trust.

O'Donnell's Oxford Education Claim On Second Website Was Authored By Her, Says Site Spokesman  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell has responded to accusations that she overstated her education in her resume by insisting …

Linda McMahon: ‘We Ought To Review’ The Minimum Wage  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Linda McMahon, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Connecticut, suggested Thursday that the U.S. ought to take a second look at the federal minimum wage.  —  “The minimum wage now in our country …

White House scorecard: MSNBC up, bloggers down  —  At one point not that long ago, Greenwald's critiques were taken as constructive criticism, in much the same way Maddow's are.  Marc Ambinder wrote in The Atlantic in May 2009 that “whereas the White House does not give a scintilla of attention …

Sen. Saxby Chambliss Just Called Me To Offer His “Sincerest Apologies”  —  I just got off the phone with Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who said he was calling to personally apologize for the “All faggots must die” comment left here on JMG last Tuesday.  I'll paraphrase what Chambliss said to me …

Senate blocks recess appointments with deal between Dems, GOP  —  Senate Democrats struck a deal Wednesday night with Republicans to keep President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is out of town campaigning for the midterm elections.  —  Democratic leaders have agreed …

Many Big Donors to Democrats Cut Support  —  Many wealthy Democratic patrons, who in the past have played major roles financing outside groups to help elect the party's candidates, are largely sitting out these crucial midterm elections.  —  Democratic donors like George Soros …

Locked and Loaded: The Secret World of Extreme Militias  —  Camouflaged and silent, the assault team inched toward a walled stone compound for more than five hours, belly-crawling the last 200 yards.  The target was an old state prison in eastern Ohio, and every handpicked member of Red Team 2 knew …

'Obama's Wars': The gang that couldn't shoot straight — or shut up  —  Senior Washington officials, in this administration or its predecessors, talk to Bob Woodward for all kinds of reasons — to fluff up their vanity, to avenge slights, to neutralize rivals, to gratify egos or, most laughably, to shape the historical record.

In a Computer Worm, a Possible Biblical Clue  —  Deep inside the computer worm that some specialists suspect is aimed at slowing Iran's race for a nuclear weapon lies what could be a fleeting reference to the Book of Esther, the Old Testament tale in which the Jews pre-empt a Persian plot to destroy them.

Judge who struck down Prop. 8 to retire  —  (09-30) 11:19 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage last month, will retire in February, his court said Wednesday.  —  The unexpected announcement gave no reason …

J Street, Down the Rabbit Hole  —  Jeremy Ben-Ami, the founder and president of J Street, the liberal Jewish group, e-mailed Goldblog last night: “Reports of our demise (including from you) are greatly exaggerated....” He was referring to a question I posted earlier in the day …