Official: Obama rejects war options  —  President seeks clarity on turnover to Afghan government, official says  —  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify …

Army sought ways to channel Hasan's absorption with Islam  —  Walter Reed psychiatrists ordered him to attend university lectures on religion  —  Army psychiatrists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who supervised Maj. Nidal M. Hasan's work as a psychiatric fellow tried to turn …

Recanvassing shows NY-23 race tightens even as Rep. Bill Owens is sworn into House seat … Washington — Conservative Doug Hoffman conceded the race in the 23rd Congressional District last week after receiving two pieces of grim news for his campaign: He was down 5,335 votes with 93 percent …

Lou Dobbs to Quit CNN  —  Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, said Wednesday that he is leaving the cable news channel effective immediately.  —  Sitting before an image of an American flag on his studio set, he said …

Obama To Give Interview To Fox News  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  President Obama will give an interview to Fox News' Major Garrett, Drudge reports.  —  The interview will take place in China next week and comes just one day after it was reported that Obama Communications Director Anita Dunn …

Reid might hike Medicare tax to pay for healthcare reform  —  Senate Democrats are now mulling a conditional increase in the payroll tax as a way to pay for their forthcoming healthcare reform bill.  —  That proposed hike — which would be added to the Medicare taxes employers and employees already pay …

The sleazy advocacy of a leading “liberal hawk”  —  Peter Galbraith's vast, undisclosed financial interests in the policies he spent years advocating as an “expert.”  —  The New York Times today details the unbelievably sleazy story of Peter Galbraith, one of the Democratic Party's leading so-called …

Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum  —  Same-sex marriage bill, as written, called a threat to social service contracts  —  The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change …

U.S. Aims to Cut Deficit With TARP  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, under pressure to show it is serious about tackling the budget deficit, is seizing on an unusual target to showcase fiscal responsibility: the $700 billion financial rescue.  —  The administration wants to keep …

Perry: Obama ‘hell-bent’ on socialism  —  Texas GOP Gov. Rick Perry accused President Barack Obama on Wednesday of “punishing” Texas and being “hell-bent” on turning the United States into a socialist country.  —  Speaking at a luncheon for a Midland County Republican Women's group …

The agony of Fox Business  —  James Wolcott is made of sterner stuff than I am: he actually has the fortitude to watch Fox Business, where the talking heads manage to find nothing but clouds in the silver lining of a huge stock rally.  To make their point they bring on such market experts as ... John Bolton.

E.J. Dionne Jr. on health reform's abortion stumbling block  —  For some years, Democrats have denounced parodies that cast their party as utterly closed to the views of those who oppose abortion.  Last weekend, Democrats proved conclusively that they are, indeed, a big tent — and many in the ranks are furious.