RON SILVER DEAD  —  SUCCUMBS TO CANCER AT AGE 62  —  Actor and longtime political activist Ron Silver died Sunday morning, succumbing to a long battle with cancer, friends of the liberal Democrat-turned-GOP stalwart told The Post.  —  “Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around …

Bracing for a Bailout Backlash  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is increasingly concerned about a populist backlash against banks and Wall Street, worried that anger at financial institutions could also end up being directed at Congress and the White House and could complicate President Obama's agenda.

THE CINCINNATI TEA PARTY IS UNDERWAY, and a reader sends this photo via Blackberry.  —  Also, reader Russell Sayre sends this aerial view: “This was taken from the 17th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower above Fountain Square in Cincinnati as the rally began.  I have no idea how many people are there …

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My imam father came after me with an axe  —  Hannah Shah had been raped by her father and faced a forced marriage.  She fled, became a Christian and now fears for her life  —  We are all too familiar with the persecution of Christians in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Frayed Thread in a Free Society  —  BOSTON — The biggest challenge facing America's struggling newspaper industry may not be the high cost of newsprint or lost ad revenue, but ignorance stoked by drive-by punditry.  —  Yes, Dittoheads, you heard it right.

To Urge Passage of Budget, Obama E-Mails His Campaign Army  —  President Obama will kick off an all-out grass-roots effort today urging Congress to pass his $3.55 trillion budget, activating the extensive campaign apparatus he built during his successful 2008 candidacy for the first time since taking office.

Far right joins Israel coalition  —  Israel's PM-designate has signed his first coalition deal, which could see controversial right-winger Avigdor Lieberman becoming foreign minister.  —  Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud struck the deal with Mr Leiberman's party Yisrael Beiteinu, which has been accused by some critics of anti-Arab racism.

Red Cross Described ‘Torture’ at CIA Jails  —  Secret Report Implies That U.S. Violated International Law  —  The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded in a secret report that the Bush administration's treatment of al-Qaeda captives “constituted torture,” a finding that strongly implied …

Cheney, Bush Strongly Disagreed on Libby  —  Former vice president Richard B. Cheney said yesterday that he strongly disagreed with President Bush's decision not to pardon I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, saying his former chief of staff had been left “hanging in the wind.”

Health care hinges on Senate insiders  —  If you want to know whether President Barack Obama can get a health care overhaul done by year's end, keep an eye on the Board of Directors.  —  It's a bipartisan group of nine senators who share long years of service and a belief something must be done …

Goodwin: More than a bad day  —  Not long ago, after a string of especially bad days for the Obama administration, a veteran Democratic pol approached me with a pained look on his face and asked, “Do you think they know what they're doing?”  —  The question caught me off guard because the man is a well-known Obama supporter.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS NOT DUE.... Wall Street had a nice little rally this week, but former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino hopes President Obama doesn't get too much credit. … I see.  Just so we're clear, here's a helpful guide to the rules of market watching, as they relate to partisan politics: