Explosions Hit Baghdad as Iraqis Vote in Pivotal Election  —  BAGHDAD — A concerted wave of attacks struck Baghdad and other cities across the country on Sunday as Iraqis began voting to elect a new Parliament and possibly a new prime minister.  Explosions reverberated across the capital …

Obama Message Maven Finds Fingers Pointing at Him  —  WASHINGTON — David Axelrod was sitting at his desk on a recent afternoon — tie crooked, eyes droopy and looking more burdened than usual.  He had just been watching some genius on MSNBC insist that he and President Obama's other top aides …

Final push for proximity talks as Biden heads to Israel  —  Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell arrived in Israel Saturday to try to make the final push for the announcement of indirect proximity talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians ahead of the arrival of Vice President Joseph Biden in Israel Monday.

Mom, Apple Pie and Mortgages  —  FOR decades, the federal government has subsidized housing — particularly owner-occupied housing.  This has been especially true during the continuing financial crisis, with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration propping up the housing market …

Iran's Ahmadinejad: Sept. 11 attacks a ‘big lie’  —  TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a “big lie” used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported.

VIDEO: Sarah Palin writes on her hand because she is just like God  —  This is so jaw-droppingly convolutedly typical:  —  Sarah Palin Speaks at the Ohio Right to Life fundraiser on March 5, 2010.  —  Via Gryphen: … I particularly enjoyed the part about GodClone McJustify's compulsion to scribble a dollar sign on her hand.

If Reform Fails  —  As the fierce debate on President Obama's plan for health care reform comes to a head, Americans should be thinking carefully about what happens if Congress fails to enact legislation.  —  Are they really satisfied with the status quo?  And is the status quo really sustainable?

Obama Wields Analysis of Insurers in Health Battle  —  WASHINGTON — To bolster the case for a far-reaching overhaul of the health care system, the Obama administration is seizing on a new analysis by Goldman Sachs, the New York investment bank, recommending that investors buy shares …

Defectors Say Church of Scientology Hides Abuse  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of Scientology running, known as the Sea Organization, or Sea Org.

Catholic Bishops Want to Change Senate Rules to Restrict Choice in Health Care  —  Here's an amazing little article from Politico. … What are they talking about?  Well, the bishops want the Stupak amendment, which would effectively end coverage of abortion services in all insurance markets over time.