Liberal Democrats in the Senate, emboldened by a wave of populism, are trying to make financial regulatory legislation far tougher on Wall Street, potentially restricting or breaking up the biggest banks and financial companies, David M. Herszenhorn reports in The New York Times.

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, labored on Thursday to unite his caucus in opposition to legislation to tighten regulation of the nations financial system, as Democrats expressed dismay that Republicans were threatening not only to vote against the bill but to block the start of floor debate, David M. Herszenhorn reports in The New York Times.

Back when Operation Iraqi Freedom was a big deal to the media such as the New York Times, especially the body counts and reports of a boot trooper doing something he shouldn’t have done, one used to be able to find stories of good news in the Saturday edition. I had a theory that none of the normal unhinged Progressive editors were available Friday evening, having headed out early for a round of Bush bashing martinis, so the journalists were free to be honest journalists. Looks like that is stil

CBS News Senate Global Warming Bill Is Seeking to Cushion the Impact on Industry New York Times WASHINGTON — The Senate bill aimed at reducing global warming pollution will initially grant billions of dollars of free emissions permits to utilities and industry but will require the bulk of the money be returned to consumers and ... Patients _ and patience _ in health care end game The Associated Press Unexpected Revival Breathes New Life Into Public Option Washington Post Government-Run US Health

* The New York Times reports what I noted here yesterday: The public option with the “trigger” is still very much alive in the Senate: In the Senate, Mr. Reid is considering several alternatives to his proposal for a national public insurance plan. Under one alternative, the public plan would be established, or triggered, only in states that failed to meet certain goals for insurance coverage. Yesterday I noted that the Senate leadership’s vote counting showed that the trigger was