Senate Dems unveil $1.1T spending bill  —  Senate Democrats have filed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that would fund the government through fiscal year 2011, according to Senate GOP sources.  —  The 1,924-page bill includes funding to implement the sweeping healthcare reform bill …

Liberals giving up tax fight  —  A House liberal who has led the effort to stop President Obama's tax compromise with the GOP says efforts to change the package are futile.  —  Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who just a week ago circulated a letter signed by 54 Democrats urging opposition to the deal, now says the “die is cast.”

WHITE HOUSE APPOINTS JON BON JOVI  —  Actor.  Poet.  Musician.  Performer.  Rocker Jon Bon Jovi can now add one more title to his impressive resume: White House appointee.  —  On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Council for Community Solutions …

Assange remains in jail as Sweden fights bail decision  —  Appeal will be heard in the high court this week against decision to free WikiLeaks founder on bail, on grounds that he may flee  —  Sweden tonight decided to fight a British judge's decision to grant bail to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange …

Air Force Blocks Sites That Posted Secret Cables  —  WASHINGTON — The Air Force is barring its personnel from using work computers to view the Web sites of The New York Times and more than 25 other news organizations and blogs that have posted secret cables obtained by WikiLeaks, Air Force officials said Tuesday.

Breaking News on EFF Victory: Appeals Court Holds that Email Privacy Protected by Fourth Amendment  —  In a landmark decision issued today in the criminal appeal of U.S. v. Warshak, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the government must have a search warrant before it can secretly seize …

Marine Commandant Suggests Presence Of Gays Would Endanger The Lives Of Straight Marines  —  Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos — who has opposed repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell — suggested that if Congress lifts the ban against open service and allows gays …

ROGER SIMON GIVES A STRAW MAN QUITE A LASHING.... The headline on Roger Simon's latest Politico column — “Class warfare is not the ticket” — was the first hint of trouble.  As is probably clear to everyone, when the media establishment refers to “class warfare,” they're invariably complaining …

The Inequality That Matters  —  Does growing wealth and income inequality in the United States presage the downfall of the American republic?  Will we evolve into a new Gilded Age plutocracy, irrevocably split between the competing interests of rich and poor?

GOP donors: We'll leave if Steele stays  —  Some of the Republican Party's most prominent donors reacted Tuesday with shock — and then fury — to Michael Steele's decision to seek re-election, bluntly warning that they would not raise money for the party if the controversial chairman wins another term.

Amazing: WaPo Fails to Publish Own Poll on ObamaCare's Lowest Popularity Ever  —  A new ABC-Washington Post poll found ObamaCare sunk to its lowest popularity yet: 52 percent opposed, and only 43 percent in favor.  ABC mentioned the poll without fanfare at the end of a Jake Tapper report …

Amateur Hour: VA Judge Makes Elementary Error In Health Care Ruling  —  The Virginia federal district court judge who ruled yesterday that the individual mandate in the health care bill is unconstitutional is catching a lot of flack — and not just for having a financial interest in an anti-health care reform consulting firm.

Holbrooke's Last Words On Afghanistan Clarified As Being Part Of A Humorous Exchange By Obama Administration  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Tuesday that the reported last words of veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke, its point person on Afghanistan …

Actress Thora Birch Fired From ‘Dracula’  —  The producers of the Off Broadway revival of “Dracula” fired their star actress Thora Birch on Friday, four days before the play's first performance, the production's director and Ms. Birch said in interviews on Monday.

Our World: The feminist deception  —  Nowhere is fraud at heart of feminist movement more apparent than in silence of inhumane treatment of women who live under Islamic law.  —  Talkbacks (38) - Opinion  — Facebook  — Twitter  —  Making the rounds on YouTube these days is a film …

Dan Choi Hospitalized; A Discussion About Our Community's Multi-Faceted Sacrifices  —  NOTE FROM PAM: Today brought news to our inbox that Autumn and I wanted to share with Blend readers in what we feel is an appropriate context.  We learned that Dan Choi, who sacrificed his privacy …

Assange's Extremist Employees  —  Why is WikiLeaks employing a well-known Holocaust denier and his disgraced son?  —  Last week, I wrote that the widely-linked article positing that the CIA was behind a Swedish woman's accusation of rape against Julian Assange was authored by a Russian-born …

Ben Franklin's Nation  —  After you read this column, go to YouTube and search “Hans Rosling and 200 countries.”  You'll see a Swedish professor describe the growth of global wealth and well-being over the past 200 years.  —  He presents an animated time-lapse chart.