Bush feels Obama ignoring ex-president's role in Osama Bin Laden strike for ‘victory lap’: source  —  WASHINGTON - George W. Bush won't be at Ground Zero with President Obama Thursday in part because he feels his team is getting short shrift in the decade-long manhunt for Osama Bin Laden.

Budget talks: Republicans offer to seek common ground with Democrats  —  Senior Republicans conceded Wednesday that a deal is unlikely on a contentious plan to overhaul Medicare and offered to open budget talks with the White House by focusing on areas where both parties can agree, such as cutting farm subsidies.

Obama floats plan to tax cars by the mile  —  The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive.  —  The plan is a part of the administration's …

Jay Carney is floundering under pressure, say Washington insiders  —  There is increasing concern in Washington that Jay Carney, the new White House Press Secretary, isn't up to the job.  Even when faced with an innocuous question that requires only that he trot out the official line …

Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Jump Due to Anomalies  —  The number of claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, pushed up by auto-plant shutdowns and other unusual events that seasonal variations failed to take into account, the Labor Department said.

GOP Hopefuls Get Ready to Rumble in First 2012 Presidential Debate  —  Republicans jockeying for position to challenge President Obama next year will have their first showdown Thursday night in South Carolina, a state that has held the first presidential primary in the South since 1980 …

CUNY Blocks Honor for Tony Kushner  —  In a rare move, the trustees of the City University of New York have voted to shelve an honorary degree that one of its campuses, John Jay College, planned to award to Tony Kushner, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of “Angels in America.”

Terrorist Group Setting Up Operations Near Border  —  Hezbollah Considered To Be More Advanced Than Al-Qaida  —  SAN DIEGO — A terrorist organization whose home base is in the Middle East has established another home base across the border in Mexico.  —  “They are recognized by many experts …

A Bin Laden Hunter on Four Legs  —  The identities of all 80 members of the Navy Seal team who thundered into Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden are the subject of intense speculation, but perhaps none more so than the only member with four legs.  —  Little is known about what may be the nation's most courageous dog.

If Supermarkets Were Like Public Schools  —  What if groceries were paid for by taxes, and you were assigned a store based on where you live?  —  Teachers unions and their political allies argue that market forces can't supply quality education.  According to them, only our existing system …

Raise Taxes, but Not Tax Rates  —  REDUCING the budget deficit and stopping the explosion of our national debt will require more tax revenue as well as reduced government spending.  But the need for more revenue needn't mean higher tax rates.  —  As the bipartisan fiscal commission appointed …

Allen being tracked by Alan  —  George Allen has a new shadow, and his name is Alan.  Alan Piracha.  —  Piracha, 23, is working as a tracker for the Democratic Party of Virginia, following Allen, a Republican U.S. senate candidate, around the state, videotaping his appearances.