Gingrich or Romney: McCain prepares to play kingmaker  —  Arizona Sen. John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee in 2008, is moving toward endorsing a candidate for 2012.  —  Republican sources familiar with his thinking say he will probably endorse his onetime political enemy, Mitt Romney.

Obama's Kansas speech: some suspect facts  —  “I mean, understand, it's not as if we haven't tried this theory.  Remember in those years, in 2001 and 2003, Congress passed two of the most expensive tax cuts for the wealthy in history.  And what did they get us?  The slowest job growth in half a century.”

Sidwell Friends School, Sasha and Malia Obama's School, Opts For Asian, including Japanese Food On Pearl Harbor Day  —  Sidwell Friends School's website shows the menu for Wednesday December 7th, 2011, the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, as an Asian food day.

Ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years  —  Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison after he made a final plea for leniency, acknowledging his guilt and saying, “I am unbelievably sorry.”  —  “I believe he did, in fact, accept [responsibility] …

Harry Morgan, Colonel Potter on ‘M*A*S*H,’ Dies at 96  —  Harry Morgan, the prolific character actor best known for playing the acerbic but kindly Colonel Potter in the long-running television series “M*A*S*H,” died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles.  He was 96.

Israel rift roils Democratic ranks  —  Two of the Democratic Party's core institutions are challenging a bipartisan consensus on Israel and Palestine that has dominated American foreign policy for more than a decade.  —  The Center for American Progress, the party's key hub of ideas and strategy …

US will use foreign aid to defend gay rights abroad, Clinton, Obama declare: culture no excuse  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The Obama administration's declaration that it plans to use foreign assistance, international diplomacy and political asylum to promote gay rights abroad is a momentous step …

Bachmann Is Concerned About Bestiality In The Military  —  Michele Bachmann condemned Congress on Glenn Beck's web show last night for moving to repeal Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which outlaws both sodomy and sex with animals.  The repeal measure is part …

Tennessee family home burns while firefighters watch  —  A Tennessee couple helplessly watched their home burn to the ground, along with all of their possessions, because they did not pay a $75 annual fee to the local fire department.  —  Vicky Bell told the NBC affiliate WPSD-TV …

Crystal Cox, Oregon Blogger, Isn't a Journalist, Concludes U.S. Court—Imposes $2.5 Million Judgement on Her  —  ​A U.S. District Court judge in Portland has drawn a line in the sand between “journalist” and “blogger.”  And for Crystal Cox, a woman on the latter end of that comparison, the distinction has cost her $2.5 million.

Rick Perry TV ad hits President Obama ‘war on religion’  —  Rick Perry's latest spot in his Iowa ad buy rotation is another faith-based appeal, but one that has one of the most audible dog-whistles so far this cycle about President Obama.  —  In the spot, “Strong,” Perry says …

1. Occupy Wall Street Protests Spread  —  On Sept. 17, a couple hundred protesters demonstrating against the excesses of corporate execs and the pervasive influence of high finance in U.S. politics set up camp in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park and refused to leave.

Jon Huntsman dials back squishiness on climate change  —  POLITICO's James Hohmann reports:

Why Newt's surge is for real  —  Washington is waking up to a prospect that a week ago seemed far-fetched.

Death penalty dropped against Mumia Abu-Jamal  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Prosecutors announced Wednesday that they will no longer pursue the death penalty against former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison for gunning down a white police officer nearly 30 years ago.

Girl gang who kicked woman in the head while yelling ‘kill the white slag’ freed after judge hears 'they weren't used to drinking because they're Muslims'  — Judge: 'Those who knock someone to the floor and kick them in the head can expect to go inside, but I'm going to suspend the sentence'

Statement from FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, M.D. on Plan B One-Step  —  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been carefully evaluating for over a decade whether emergency contraceptives containing levonorgestrel, such as Plan B One-Step, are safe and effective for nonprescription use …

Polling Conservative Bloggers On The 2012 GOP Primaries  —  Right Wing News polled more than 250 right-of-center bloggers on which candidate they'd support if the 2012 Republican primaries were today.  The following 78 bloggers responded: 101 Dead Armadillos, Alarming News, All American Blogger …

Walsh complains about protesters' vomit in his office  —  All Rep. Joe Walsh saw when almost two dozen Americans came to talk to him about unemployment for six hours were expensive laptop computers and “vomit on the carpet,' he tweeted.  —  “My office was invaded by the Occupy Protesters today …

Defiant Assad Denies Ordering Bloody Syrian Crackdown  —  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defiantly denied any suggestion that he has ordered a bloody crackdown against protesters who are demanding that he resign, and claims instead that most of the people who died in the unrest were his supporters and troops.