GOP casting call: ‘hicky’ W.Va. look  —  A new Republican ad that shows a couple of guys at the counter of a diner, wearing ball caps and plaid shirts as they take shots at West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D), was shot with actors, from a script, in Philadelphia.

Waivers Address Talk of Dropping Health Coverage  —  As Obama administration officials put into place the first major wave of changes under the health care legislation, they have tried to defuse stiffening resistance — from companies like McDonald's and some insurers …

Lou Dobbs, American Hypocrite  —  Research support for this article was provided by the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.  —  In Lou Dobbs's heyday at CNN, when he commanded more than 800,000 viewers and a reported $6 million a year for “his fearless reporting and commentary,” …

Election 2010: South Dakota House of Representatives  —  South Dakota House: Noem (R) Regains Small Lead Over Herseth-Sandlin (D)  —  Republican Kristi Noem has edged back into the lead over incumbent Democrat Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin in South Dakota's U.S. House race.

Foreclosure Cover for Banks Seen in Bill at Obama's Desk  —  A bill that homeowners advocates warn will make it more difficult to challenge improper foreclosure attempts by big mortgage processors is awaiting President Barack Obama's signature after it quietly zoomed through the Senate last week.

New York Asks to Bar Use of Food Stamps to Buy Sodas  —  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg sought federal permission on Wednesday to bar New York City's 1.7 million recipients of food stamps from using them to buy soda or other sugared drinks.  —  The request, made to the United States Department of Agriculture …

Vargas Llosa Is Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature  —  The Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, whose deeply political work vividly examines the perils of power and corruption in Latin America, won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.  —  Announcing the award in Stockholm …

Poll: Sarah Palin Favorable Rating Just 22 Percent  —  CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.  —  Sarah Palin is viewed unfavorably by nearly 50 percent of Americans, a new CBS News poll finds …

Panel: Gov't blocked scientists on spill estimate  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration blocked efforts by government scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could become and committed other missteps that raised questions about its competence and candor during the crisis …

The Westboro Baptist Church politely shows the court how to be obnoxious.  —  Quick constitutional pop quiz: What do you hate?  (And by you, I mean you.)  —  If you answered: homosexuals, Jews, Catholics, the military, the pope, and more or less everyone except Fred Phelps …

Crist pledges to ‘crash that Tea Party in Washington’  —  Gov. Charlie Crist (I) and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) were on the attack during a debate in Florida's three-way Senate race Wednesday night, with most of their fire aimed at Republican Marco Rubio, who holds a double-digit lead in recent polls.

Once Again- Greta Takes Down Gloria Allred: “You Know What Gloria... If You Can't Protect the Client You Shouldn't Do the Job” (Video)  —  Similar Situation - Similar Results  —  Greta Van Susteren and Gloria Allred went back at it tonight on FOX News.  Greta schooled the Brown supporter and democratic hack.

REPUBLICANS STILL JUST DON'T LIKE THE UNEMPLOYED.... That Republican officials seem to actively dislike unemployed Americans isn't exactly new.  We're talking about a party that's waged war against jobless benefits and tried to kill jobs bills during a recession — which should tell the public quite a bit about the GOP's priorities.

The Man Who Never Was  —  Desperate to keep his Senate seat, John McCain repudiated his record, his principles, and even his maverick reputation, entrenching himself as the anti-Obama.  Which raises the issue of whether the leader so many Americans admired—and so many journalists covered—ever truly existed.

Naked Cowboy, Times Square staple, to run for President in 2012 as Tea Party candidate  —  Yee-huh?  —  The Naked Cowboy — Time Square's tighty-whitey wearing, guitar-toting tourist magnet — announced he's running for President in 2012... as a member of the Tea Party.

Federal subpoenas issued in John Edwards investigation  —  john edwards, rielle hunter, local/state  —  RALEIGH (WTVD) — The ABC11 Eyewitness News I-Team has learned federal prosecutors in Raleigh have issued a new round of subpoenas in their investigation of former NC Senator John Edwards.

At this point during the 2008 presidential cycle, candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney were already jockeying for position and building their campaign teams, each attempting to sign the most talented operatives before the other guy did.  —  That is less the case in the current cycle …

Pakistan Urges On Taliban  —  Members of Pakistan's spy agency are pressing Taliban field commanders to fight the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan, some U.S. officials and Afghan militants say, a development that undercuts a key element of the Pentagon's strategy for ending the war.

Murkowski's ‘Alaska Mafia’ and the public dole  —  Once insurgent conservative Joe Miller knocked off moderate Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Senate primary, almost all Beltway Republicans lined up behind Miller.  But thanks to Alaska's unique political culture, there is a small cadre …

U.S. companies buy back stock in droves as they hold record levels of cash  —  For months, companies have been sitting on the sidelines with record piles of cash, too nervous to spend.  Now they're starting to deploy some of that money - not to hire workers or build factories, but to prop up their share prices.

CASTING NOTICE SEARCH RESULTS  —  LANDAU MUSIC, CRUISE SHIP MUSICIANS Landau Music is hiring cruise ship entertainment.  Andrew Landau, entertainment mgr.  Contracts are ongoing on board cruise ships with various destinations.  Seeking—Lounge Acts: solo piano/vocalist, solo guitar/vocalist …

David Axelrod, Elie Wiesel lament fanaticism  —  NEW YORK — David Axelrod, arrived in Washington two years ago with President Obama and his promise of a new, less divisive, and more hopeful politics.  —  But in a public conversation here Wednesday night, Axelrod and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel mused …

Santorum Forums Iowa PAC  —  He's serious, folks.  Former Senator Rick Santorum is abetting speculation that he's planning a presidential run 2012 in a serious way.  Today, he's formed a political action committee in Iowa, called the Iowa Keystone Political Action Committee …