HOW WILL OBAMA SELL A TROOP INCREASE FOR AN UNPOPULAR WAR?

How does President Obama intend to sell a troop increase to his anti-war liberal base? Obama's upcoming speech to the nation on Tuesday should provide us with at least a partial answer to that question. Obama's campaign for President was largely based on his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and many liberals had expected him to draw down troops not increase them. Will there be a backlash? Let us remind you that as Americans have increasingly turned against the war efforts in the middle east, it has been more and more difficult to get them back to supporting the war effort. And without the support of the people, can the effort really be successful? READ MORE HERE!

TROOPERGATE OPENS BACK UP FOR SARAH PALIN

You guys remember 'Troopergate' from the 2008 presidential campaign don't you? Sarah Palin's little scandal involving an Alaskan state trooper with whom she was related by marriage. Well the trooper at the center of that scandal, Mike Wooten, is finally breaking his silence! Wooten even goes so far as to say that Sarah Palin's latest book 'Going Rogue', is nothing but a "pack of lies".

Wooten says that Sarah Palin "interfered with my life--and my children's lives--for at least the last five years. And it is still going on. I'm done with it."

Will Palin respond or let the criticism linger? How far is Wooten willing to go? READ MORE HERE!!!

WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER CRASHED BY AN ODD COUPLE

Tuesday's state dinner at the White House had some unexpected guests it turns out. Michaele and Tareq Salahi, an overly pretentious Virginia couple, showed up at the event uninvited. It wasn't until after the dinner that the Secret Service found out that they were indeed uninvited guests! Was there a breach in security? How did the couple gain access to such an event? READ MORE HERE!

S.C. LEGISLATORS BEGIN SANFORD IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS

Legislators in South Carolina are finally moving forward with impeachment proceedings against Governor Mark Sanford. From travel to campaign finance to foreign lovers, Sanford is facing a laundry list of accusations and one would think that he would step aside in the interest of the State of South Carolina. But oh no! Pride has got in way, as it does with many embattled politicians and Sanford is not going down without a fight.

"Impeaching a sitting governor is a seldom used and serious legal action that many have termed 'the political equivalent to capital punishment.' It is reserved for situations in which no lesser response or reprimand will do," said the attorneys representing Sanford.

Will Sanford be able to weather the storm and ride this out? Hopefully not. The people of South Carolina deserve for their Governor to not be the laughing stock of the nation. Progress is not being made on issues that are important to the people of South Carolina, in large part because of this Governor and his shady dealings. READ MORE HERE!

SENATOR LIEBERMAN SUFFERS AMNESIA

Written By: Jason Gallimore

Senator Joe Lieberman is suffering from an apparent bout of amnesia lately. Amnesia regarding the public option that is. On last Sunday's Meet the Press interview, Lieberman continued to scatter various reasons as to why he would not support a public option in the final health bill. Here is a section of the transcript on that show.

LIEBERMAN: One last word on the public option. I understand that some who have-- who have advocated say we need to have a government insurance company in the market to keep the insurance companies honest. This is a radical departure from the way we've-- we've responded to the market in America in the past. Here's what I mean.

We rely first on competition in our market economy. That's brought us a lot of wealth and-- given people a lot of jobs. But when the competition fails, then what do we do? We regulate or we litigate. We have never before said in a given business-- we-- we don't trust the companies in it, so we're gonna have the government go into that business. An irony of all ironies, Congressional Budget Office says, I repeat, the government run public option company will charge more than the private companies will.

In June, Lieberman said, "I don't favor a public option because I think there's plenty of competition in the private insurance market." That didn't make sense, and it was quickly dropped from his talking points.

Now let's take a look at the different positions that Lieberman has taken on the public option recently. Attention starved and losing credibility, Lieberman has obviously been grasping at straws in his attempts to defend his logic lately. Check this out. Steve Benan recently put together a great article about Lieberman's hypocrisy.

In June, Lieberman said, "I don't favor a public option because I think there's plenty of competition in the private insurance market." That didn't make sense, and it was quickly dropped from his talking points.

In July, Lieberman said he opposes a public option because "the public is going to end up paying for it." No one could figure out exactly what that meant, and the senator moved onto other arguments.

In August, he said we'd have to wait "until the economy's out of recession," which is incoherent, since a public option, even if passed this year, still wouldn't kick in for quite a while.

In September, Lieberman said he opposes a public option because "the public doesn't support it." A wide variety of credible polling proved otherwise.

In October, Lieberman said the public option would mean "trouble ... for the national debt," by creating "a whole new government entitlement program." Soon after, Jon Chait explained that this "literally makes no sense whatsoever."

NEW SURVEY SHOWS DEMOCRATS IN DANGER IF HEALTH CARE FAILS

A new poll shows that Democrats may not fare well if they are not able to pass some sort of health reform legislation. The survey from Public Policy polling shows that the predominant risk for Democrats is they they may lose their current edge on Republicans by losing valuable congressional seats in the 2010 election cycle. When asked whether they would vote for a Republican or Democrat next year, the survey participants said the following. 46 percent said they would vote for a Democrat, while only 41% said they would vote for a Republican, still yet those numbers are far too close for comfort for most Democrats. A majority of respondents said that health care reform was an important benchmark for Democrats to achieve, otherwise people seem to be losing faith in the party in power.

"Clearly Democrats need to pass a health care bill if they want to do well at the polls next year," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling.

HEALTH REFORM MOVES FORWARD IN THE SENATE

Photo-AP- Jose Luis Magana

Health care reform legislation is finally moving forward in the US Senate. Democrats voted unanimously to move forward with the bill, giving them a much needed 60 vote filibuster proof majority. Republicans, as usual, did all that they could to stand in the way of progress and unanimously voted against moving the debate forward. Republicans are simply excited that they have a chance to hand President Obama a major defeat for one of his top legislative priorities. Democrats have by no means been angels in this process and they've had a heap of trouble in recent weeks as they tried to circle their wagons. However, in the end, it was the Democrats who were able to put aside minor differences and make progress on a bill that is long overdue. What happens next? How long will the Senate debate the bill? READ MORE HERE!

WILL REPUBLICANS GAIN MORE GOVERNORSHIPS IN 2010?

As the Democratically controlled Congress and White House struggle to keep their footing, many Republicans are seeing the upcoming election cycles as a key time to regain seats they had previously lost. One of the areas in which Republicans may have the easiest time regaining traction is in the governors races. As you remember, Republicans won both the recent VA and NJ Governors races and they are looking to keep adding to that list. How can Democrats stop them? Or will Republicans continue their momentum? READ MORE HERE!

FOXS NEWS AIRS MISLEADING VIDEO AGAIN

Fox News is stirring up controversy for the second time in as many weeks by airing misleading video footage in its reports. Not that we should be surprised. Fox routinely bends the truth, especially when it deals with conservative politicians, whom they ardently protect and promote. What has Fox done this time? READ MORE HERE!

SENATE FINALLY REVEALS HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION

Harry Reid promised and Harry Reid delivered. Details of the new health reform bill before the Senate have been released and it covers 94% of Americans. The language in regards to abortion is not as stringent as those set forth by the Stupak amendment, somewhat of a compromise you might say. The bill has passed the Senates finance and health committees.

"We're now down to the week we've been waiting for for a long time," said Sen. John Kerry

However, the legislation already has dissenters. While Senator Mary Landrieu has softened her rhetoric, Senator Ben Nelson, another conservative Democrat, says that he is prepared to stop the legislation. Will he have any luck? READ MORE HERE!

SENATE TO UNVEIL LONG AWAITED NEW HEALTH BILL

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is getting ready to unveil health care overhaul legislation on Wednesday. A test vote on the package is expected by the end of this week, although no one knows who or what may potentially hold up the vote. Republicans, along with the help of some rogue Democrats have delayed the bill for weeks and the time has come for some progress. The White House is of course pushing for speed seeing as how this is currently their top legislative priority. Are we nearing the end of this long battle of health reform? READ MORE HERE!

OBAMA MEETS HIS HALF-BROTHER IN BEIJING

On Wednesday, President Obama met with his half brother who lives in Beijing, an unexpected meeting in the midst of an important foreign policy trip. Obama, nor his team, are offering any details as to how the meeting went or what was discussed. Although some describe the meeting as "tense".

"I don't know him well. I met him for the first time a couple of years ago," Obama told CNN. "He stopped by with his wife for about five minutes during the trip." READ MORE HERE!

OBAMA ADVISOR MELANIE BARNES MAKES WHITE HOUSE UNCOMFORTABLE AFTER SHE ENDORSES GAY MARRIAGE

Melody Barnes,one of President Obama's top advisers, has now made it abundantly clear that she is fully supportive of gay marriage and this is making the White House rather nervous. Nervous over what you might ask? The White House has even gone so far as to go on the defensive as soon as they were asked about the matter. Why be defensive? You see, there are a range of questions that should be asked of this White House in regards to their position on gay rights in general, in large part because the few comments they have made have been cloudy at best. And for the overwhelming mass of gays and lesbians who supported the Obama campaign for President, they have good reason to demand answers. Answers from a President who so far has over-promised and under-delivered. READ MORE HERE!

RED CROSS FALLS ON HARD TIMES

The Red Cross, our go to guys when it comes to disaster relief and emergency response. These days this internationally recognized humanitarian organization is barely hanging on by a thread when it comes to finances. Things are so bad that they are now having to sell off actual pieces of history in order to stay afloat. Will the Red Cross need a bail out soon? READ MORE HERE!

OBAMA'S FIRST VISIT TO CHINA IS TENSE

AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

President Obama has made his first trip to China this week, a trip that would not be easy for any sitting President considering the myriad of important issues facing the two countries. There is little doubt that in order to sustain any major progress on global issues that the US and China will have to find common ground and begin to learn to work together more efficiently. Will the Presidents visit hearken a new era in relations between the two countries? Or will Obama's concerns fall on deaf ears? READ MORE HERE!

PALIN SAYS SHE DID KATIE COURIC INTERVIEW OUT OF 'PITY'

Sarah Palin is now saying that she did the CBS interview with Katie Couric out of pity. Pity for what you might ask? Apparently Palin felt that Couric was suffering from low self esteem. Yes, this is one of many revelations that have leaked this weekend ahead of the Tuesday release of Palin's autobiography 'Going Rogue'. According to those who have read the book, Palin offers nothing in the way of policy and a lot in the way of rehashing old drama. Palin heavily criticizes the John McCain campaign in the new tell all book and the McCain folks aren't taking the criticism lightly. What will Palin say next? READ MORE HERE!

OFFICIAL REPUBLICAN BIMBO CARRIE PREJEAN WALKS OFF SET OF LARRY KING

The conservative movements official bimbo of late walked off the set during a prime time interview on CNN's Larry King Live. Prejean who has been on a media tour to promote her new book (if you would call it that), seemed nervous and unprepared from the get go. But what was it that made her so upset? Upset enough to walk off the set during a live interview. Perhaps it is when Larry got to the part about her sex tape? Or her lack of any coherent political knowledge? Beauty queens should stick to pageants, not politics. Have we not learned anything from watching the Sarah Palin circus? READ MORE HERE!

WHY DEMOCRATS ARE IN A BIND ON ABORTION IN THE HEALTH DEBATE

Democrats are finding themselves in some what of a bind in regards to the abortion debate and how it deals with upcoming health care legislation. Will the legislation cover abortions or will it not? If so, to what end will abortion assistance be provided? These are questions with no easy answers. Take a look at the options that are open to the Democratically controlled Congress and how those options may affect the final outcome. READ MORE HERE!

THE CONSERVATIVE 'HERITAGE FOUNDATION' DEFENDS SEX OFFENDERS AND RAPISTS

The conservative Heritage Foundation is widely known for their nonsensical positions on a range of issues. However, one of their more recent escapades has been to defend sex offenders and rapists. Check out exactly how the Heritage Foundation has stood in the way of justice and progress lately. READ MORE HERE!

FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON ENTERS THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE

Former President Bill Clinton is chiming in on the health care debate. Senator Harry Reid requested that Clinton help to advocate the passage of a health care reform bill, knowing that the ex-President knows the health care battle better than most. As most of us remember, Clinton presided over a failed but genuine effort to reform health care during his administration. On Tuesday, Clinton will brief lawmakers on why he feels that health reform is a necessity instead of choice. Clinton has been there and done that, but will his advice make a difference? We shall see.

WHICH INDUSTRIES ARE BUYING VOTES IN CONGRESS AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY PAYING OUT?

Well my friends, third quarter lobbying data has been released and I am sure all of you are wondering just who is really raking in the cash. Profiting amidst all of the recent political debate on a myriad of issues. Of course those reaping the lion's share of monetary benefit are the favored members of Congress. Open Secrets, a non-partisan watch dog for all things related to money and politics, have done a thorough analysis of the latest figures that were just released. Check out the industries responsible and see the lofty sums they are willing to spend to buy votes in Congress. READ MORE HERE!

BARNEY FRANK'S PARTNER GETS BUSTED: SMOKE EM' IF YOU GOT EM'!

Rep. Barney Frank didn't exactly think that a summer visit to his partners seaside home in Ogunquit, Maine would turn out to be unlike any other typical New England summer day. Until the police came knocking at the door that is. James Ready, who has been dating Frank for over a year now, owned the home where the incident took place. Mr. Ready was charged with growing small amounts of marijuana in his backyard, a misdemeanor in Maine. Seeing as how Barney Frank has such a high profile, the story drummed up quite a bit of local media coverage as word quickly spread. The video clip here shows a local television station that covered the incident. Perhaps if more of us had a 'special garden' in our backyard then we would all get along better. Smoke em' if you got em'!

HEALTH REFORM BILL PASSES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The US House of Representatives narrowly passed health care reform legislation on Saturday night. The vote was very much along party lines with a final tally of 220 to 215. There is no doubt that this is a monumental moment in advancing health reform and will be seen as a much needed political victory for President Obama. But how will the bill change once it reaches the Senate, which will start debate on the bill in the coming weeks. Will they be able to merge the bills into something that even resembles what Americans are expecting? READ MORE HERE!

A MUSLIM SOLDIER'S VIEW FROM FORT HOOD

The tragic events that unfolded at Fort Hood this past week have brought the U.S. military to its knees. What could have been done to prevent it? Was it terrorism or was it an isolated incident? Was Major Hasan connected with overseas terrorists in anyway? Many of the questions will remained unanswered until time allows us to bear out the facts. In the meantime, here is an interesting perspective from a Muslim, proudly serving his country at Fort Hood. READ MORE HERE!

WILL DEMOCRATS HAVE THE HEALTH CARE VOTES THEY NEED?

The number one question in the minds of many is whether or not the Democratic party has the necessary votes to pass major health reform legislation. Pundits on both sides have gone back and forth and in doing so have made the American people as confused as ever. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems confident that she indeed does have the votes to pass health reform. However, does Senate Majority leader Harry Reid have the votes? What was said during closed door meetings with the President this week? READ MORE HERE!

GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM SUFFERS DEFEAT IN MAINE

The much talked about referendum to overturn a recent gay marriage law has passed in the state of Maine. Seen by many as a set back for the gay rights movement, the outcome is not stopping supporters from continuing their fight for equality in marriage. As they should, gay marriage activists are looking ahead at how they can better prepare themselves for future political battles that are sure to arise in coming years. Did the vote really slow the battle for gay marriage rights? Apparently not. READ MORE HERE!

REPUBLICANS TAKE NEW JERSEY GOVERNORS RACE

Republicans have now won both of this years gubernatorial elections. First Virginia and then New Jersey. It was a tight and tangled race to the finish, but Republican candidate Chris Christie pulled through to the finish to become New Jersey's next Governor. The incumbent John Corzine was ahead by as much as several points in the polls in recent days, but in the end he couldn't pull it off. Many wondered if Obama's campaigning for Corzine this past week would help him get a much needed bounce in the polls, obviously it did not. Were either of these races a sort of referendum on Obama? Unlikely. It is far better that Democrats weather some losses now, than having to deal with it in 2010 or 2011. Having said that, there are a number of lessons that Democrats should quickly learn if they want to maintain their power. READ MORE HERE!

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG SPENDS HIS WAY TO ANOTHER WIN AS NYC MAYOR

After spending more than $100 million dollars in his bid for re-election as mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg has succeeded. However, Bloomberg barely got over half of the city wide vote, proving that if he had not had access to a gargantuan fortune, he likely would have lost to his Democratic challenger. This is a classic example of how personal wealth can really muddy the waters in local politics. May the richest man win, or so it seems. READ MORE HERE!

REPUBLICAN BOB MCDONNELL WINS VIRGINIA GOVERNORS RACE

As expected, Republican candidate Bob McDonnell has won the race for the Governors seat in the state of Virginia. The Democratic challenger Creigh Deeds was lacking in both campaign skill and fundraising and had seen the race slip further and further away from him in recent months. Virginia had elected a string of Democratic Governors as well as two Democratic Senators and a Democratic state legislature in recent years. However, Virginia has traditionally always voted for a gubernatorial candidate who was from the opposite party of any sitting President. So all in all, we could have called this race a long time ago. READ MORE HERE!

DID HILLARY'S 'TOUGH TALK' STRIKE A NERVE WITH PAKISTAN?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made her recent trip to Pakistan in hopes that her tough talk would break through to the Pakistani government in some way that previous officials had not been able to. Clinton made an ardent attempt, but did it work? Apparently not. Now the Pakistanis are condemning Clinton's recent praise of Israel and saying that her rhetoric has undermined ongoing peace talks. Was Clinton's strategy risky? Of course it was, but was it really enough to incite such a dramatic response from Pakistan? Or are the Pakistanis simply using Clinton as a scapegoat? READ MORE HERE!

TOP OFFICIAL IN MARINE CORPS LEADS OPPOSITION TO ALLOWING GAYS TO SERVE OPENLY IN U.S. MILITARY

General James Conway is a Marine Corps Commandant and a vocal leader in the opposition of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. Many top military officials have held similar views, however have remained largely silent about President Obama's promise to end the ban on gays serving openly. Yes, we know. It is 2009 and yes, there are likely better things we could be focusing our attention on. Nevertheless, we can all be hopeful that once this issue is decided upon and put to rest, then we can begin to discuss issues that really matter. You don't have to be straight to shoot straight, as many have said in the past. So what is General Conway's beef with the new policy? READ MORE HERE!

WHY ARE SOME DEMOCRATS TRYING TO KILL THE CLIMATE BILL?

The Democratically controlled U.S. Congress could easily add one more legislative accomplishment to their record, but several more conservative Democrats are willing to stand in the way of passing a climate bill this year. The already slow moving bill will make it to committee debates this week and many think that there is little hope that the bill will pass. The legislation contains cap and trade provisions that are meant to deal with greenhouse gas emissions, but many lawmakers are crying foul. Some are saying that Congress should take more time to put out a better and more efficient bill to deal with the issue of climate change, yet others are eager to push it through now.

"There is nowhere near 60 votes for a nuclear power bill on its own. There's not 60 votes for a cap-and-trade bill as it's currently constructed," Senator Lindsey Graham said in an interview. He said combining the two measures is "the only way you'll get to 60 votes." READ MORE HERE!

ARE 'PRO-FOX' DEMOCRATS REALLY BEING TRAITORS?

We have all seen tidbits of the on and off battle between Fox News and the White House in recent months. Now the controversy has reached an entirely new level in which some Democrats that appear on Fox News are increasingly being criticized. But, is it really true that these Democrats are somehow traitors? One can make the convincing argument that these Democratic pundits are able to speak to 'persuadable voters' in much greater numbers by appearing on Fox. Some Democratic pundits are actually saying that the Fox bias is over-exaggerated. Are they right?READ MORE HERE!