Obama: 'I'd appreciate a little break'  —  It's often remarked that President Obama has enjoyed a number of getaways, vacations, and mini-vacations during his 20 months in office.  But at a Democratic fundraiser Thursday night, the president said, “I'd appreciate a little break.”

Assistant AG suspended over gay-bashing blog  —  Attorney General Mike Cox changed his stance Thursday, suspending Andrew Shirvell after the assistant attorney general attracted national attention for a controversial blog that ridicules and denounces a University of Michigan student leader …

Democrats will hold the House and Senate  —  For Democrats, it's Rove time: rally the base and save Congress  —  Maybe I'm wrong.  —  In fact, maybe I'm really, really wrong, which is the reaction I hear when I dare even to broach this notion to commentators and political strategists in both parties.

The demographics of 2010  —  Some nice demographic polling out from Gallup today.  Over the past seven months, middle-age voters have been pretty stable in their preferences between Democrats and Republicans.  It's the young and the old who've diverged, with the young swinging toward …

Coalition Picks Maliki in Move That May End Iraq Stalemate  —  An alliance of Iraq's Shiite political blocs has chosen the incumbent, Nuri al-Maliki, as its nominee for prime minister, alliance officials said on Friday, ending months of wrangling that had stalled formation of a government.

Why is Obama sending troops to Afghanistan?  —  From the beginning, the call to arms was highly uncertain.  On Dec. 1, 2009, commander in chief Barack Obama orders 30,000 more Americans into battle in Afghanistan.  But in the very next sentence, he announces that an American withdrawal will begin after 18 months.

TARP Bailout to Cost Less Than Once Anticipated  —  WASHINGTON — Even as voters rage and candidates put up ads against government bailouts, the reviled mother of them all — the $700 billion lifeline to banks, insurance and auto companies — will expire after Sunday at a fraction of that cost …

The Uncanny Accuracy of Polling Averages*, Part 2: What the Numbers Say  —  This is the second article in a three-part series in which I'm addressing a question from a reader whom I'm calling Skeptical Sam.  —  Sam wondered why our election forecasts seem so confident.

Report gives stimulus package high marks  —  The massive economic stimulus package President Obama pushed through Congress last year is coming in on time and under budget - and with strikingly few claims of fraud or abuse - according to a White House report to be released Friday.

Dozens of NATO oil tankers attacked in Pakistan  —  SHIKARPUR, Pakistan - Suspected militants in southern Pakistan set ablaze more than two dozen tankers carrying fuel for foreign troops in Afghanistan on Friday, highlighting the vulnerability of the U.S.-led mission a day after Pakistan closed a major border crossing.

Chambliss fires staffer over posting of anti-gay slur  —  Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) fired a staffer for having posted a threatening slur against gays on a blog.  —  Chambliss said that, following an investigation by the Senate Sergeant at Arms, he'd decided to fire the staffer …

Insurer Cuts Health Plans as New Law Takes Hold  —  The Principal Financial Group announced on Thursday that it planned to stop selling health insurance, another sign of upheaval emerging among insurers as the new federal health law starts to take effect.  —  The company, based in Iowa …

Whitman's husband says ‘it is possible’ handwriting on letter is his [Updated]  —  Dr. Griff Harsh, Meg Whitman's husband, just released a statement saying that it may be his handwriting on a 2003 letter that raised the possibility that their housekeeper was undocumented.

The Austerity Caucus  —  If I had as much money as Meg Whitman, I'd probably have a more exuberant house.  Hers is perfectly nice.  But at a time when other Silicon Valley moguls were installing underground squash courts, arcade-size game rooms and other gewgaws, she stuck with a New England-style colonial.

U.S. to apologize for STD experiments in Guatemala  —  Government researchers infected patients with syphilis, gonorrhea without their consent in the 1940s  —  U.S. government medical researchers intentionally infected hundreds of people in Guatemala, including institutionalized mental patients …

The Twister of 2010  —  America's political landscape will never be the same.  —  On a recent trip to Omaha, Neb., I found a note prominently displayed in my hotel room warning of the possibility of “extreme weather” including “tornadic activity.”  The clunky euphemism was no doubt meant …

Senate votes to turn down volume on TV commercials  —  WASHINGTON - Legislation to turn down the volume on those loud TV commercials that send couch potatoes diving for their remote controls looks like it'll soon become law.  —  The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday …

News Corp. gave $1 million to pro-GOP group  —  News Corp., the parent company of Fox News, contributed $1 million this summer to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the business lobby that has been running an aggressive campaign in support of the Republican effort to retake Congress, a source close to the company told POLITICO.

CNN's Rick Sanchez Calls Jon Stewart ‘Bigot’  —  Cuban-American anchor Rick Sanchez came on Stand Up! with Pete Dominick today for a loose exchange on current events, media, and journalism.  Throughout much of the interview, the discussion touched on race.  To our surprise, at various points …

Feds Sue Fox News Over Reporter Catherine Herridge's Charges Of Discrimination, Retaliation  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  WASHINGTON — Federal authorities are suing the Fox News Network for allegedly retaliating against a reporter after she complained about unequal pay and job conditions based on her gender and age.

The Meltdown Accelerates — at the Very Top  —  Here are some things Barack Obama said this evening to Democratic donors (I quote from Mark Knoller's Twitter feed):  —  “Now's not the time to quit...it took time to free the slaves...ultimately we'll make progress.”  —  “I need you to be fired up.”

O...M...G - Video explodes skeptical kids in bloodbath  —  My Inbox exploded with tips today, this one in particular.  This unbelievably vile video from the 10:10 campaign takes the award for the most disgusting climate and carbon reduction video ever.  It is in a class by itself, which is off the scale.