Gen. McChrystal Has a Right to Speak Up on Afghanistan  —  Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has come under fire for making public comments about the war.  While answering questions after an Oct. 1 speech — in which he avoided taking sides in the policy debate …

The demise of the dollar  —  In a graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading  —  In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning …

White House's botched ‘op’  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama yesterday rolled out the red carpet — and handed out doctors' white coats as well, just so nobody missed his hard-sell health-care message.  —  In a heavy-handed attempt at reviving support for health-care reform …

The Obamas' Ego Trip to Copenhagen  —  In the Niagara of words spoken and written about the Obamas' trip to Copenhagen, too few have been devoted to the words they spoke there.  Their separate speeches to the International Olympic Committee were so dreadful, and in such a characteristic way …

Breaking: Louisiana Attorney General: Rathke Embezzled $5 Million From ACORN  —  From NOLA.COM: … Whole blockbuster story here.  —  Update: According to the new subpoena issued by the Louisiana Attorney General, it seems ACORN leadership was aware of the full extent of the embezzlement.

Castle running for the Senate  —  Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) will be running for Vice President Joe Biden's old Senate seat in Delaware, according to two GOP sources connected to the congressman, instantly giving Republicans the opportunity to flip a traditionally-Democratic seat in their column.

Burden of Proof on Obama's Origins  —  A dentist and lawyer, Orly Taitz has plenty to keep her busy.  But a side passion is what consumes her these days: challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to be president.  —  RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif.  —  The dental office of Orly Taitz, DDS …

ARE YOU “THE UNKNOWN LIBERAL”?  Pick me, pick me!  —  Jerry Falwell's offspring of Liberty University, the Liberty Counsel has a wonderful new idea! … How does it work, you ask? … I nominate myself as “The “Unknown Liberal.  No, really, that's a choice.  You can't make this crap up.

AMA Endorses Largest Denier of Health Care Claims  —  What appears to be the official blog of President Obama's administration is all aflutter because the President will welcome, “doctors from across the United States to the White House to share their unique perspective on the struggles …

Conservative Bible Project Cuts Out Liberal Passages  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Lo and behold, the Bible has gotten too liberal, according to a group of conservatives.  And it needs a little editing.  —  That's the inspiration behind the Conservative Bible Project …

FTC regulates our speech  —  The Federal Trade Commission just released rules to regulate product endorsements not just in advertisements but also on blogs.  (PDF here; the regs don't start until page 55.)  —  It is a monument to unintended consequence, hidden dangers, and dangerous assumptions.

As Job Loss Rises, Obama Aides Act to Fix Safety Net  —  WASHINGTON — With unemployment expected to rise well into next year even as the economy slowly recovers, the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in Congress are discussing extending several safety net programs as well as proposing …

Obama Team Says Zazi Case Illustrates Balanced Approach to Terror Threat  —  President Obama will make his first visit to the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean on Tuesday morning, telling intelligence officials that their recent successes have proved how effectively multiple agencies can perform when they work in concert.

Marco Rubio raises nearly $1 million  —  Charlie Crist ought to start worrying.  The Marco Rubio campaign says the underdog Republican candidate for U.S. Senate raised nearly $1 million in the last fundraising quarter — a giant improvement over his last quarter and a number sure to help eliminate doubts about his viability.

Pay Czar Targets Salary Cuts  —  Top Earners at Firms Getting Aid Would See Compensation Shift From Cash to Stock  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration's pay czar is planning to clamp down on compensation at firms receiving large sums of government aid by cutting annual cash salaries …

NRCC chief says GOP ‘far ahead’ of '94  —  Republican campaign efforts are “far ahead” of where they were the year before the party took back the House in 1994, the leader of the GOP's midterm campaign efforts said Monday.  —  Republican campaign efforts are “far ahead” …

Sotomayor Takes Active Role on Court's First Day  —  The Supreme Court began its new term Monday with an inquisitive new justice and a case from Maryland about how long police must honor a suspect's request for an attorney.  —  Justice Sonia Sotomayor displayed no reticence …

No Exit  —  The never-ending lunacy of Betsy McCaughey.  —  On an ordinary day, Henry Aaron, senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, comes across as the quintessential policy wonk: knowledgeable, thoughtful, measured, perhaps even a tad boring.

Morning Fix: Landscape Sparks Republicans Recruiting  —  The decline in President Obama's poll numbers — and those of his party — over the first eight months of his administration has led to a bumper crop of Republican recruits in the House as GOP candidates who sat on the sidelines …

Labor Department comes clean about fake jobs  —  FINALLY, a confession!  —  I've been writing in this column for years that the way the Labor Department calculates the number of jobs in this country is deceptive.  —  In 11 of the 12 months, the government adds massive numbers of jobs …

How Israel Was Disarmed  —  News analysis from the near-future.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Jan. 20, 2010  —  NEW YORK—When American diplomats sat down for the first in a series of face-to-face talks with their Iranian counterparts last October in Geneva, few would have predicted …