Steele says the Democratic health care bill is 'bad for America.'

(CNN) - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele made clear Monday he's not happy with Democratic efforts to pass a health care reform bill, saying the measure which cleared a procedural hurdle Sunday amounts to "flipping a bird to the American people."

"This is a bad bill. It's bad law. It's bad for America. It is bad certainly for individuals and enough is enough. I am tired of the Congress thumbing their nose and flipping a bird to the American people," Steele said on a conference call with reporters Monday. "I am tired of this Congress thinking it knows better than me and my family how to provide for our health care now and in the future."

Steele was joined on the call by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, the current head of FreedomWorks, in an apparent show of solidarity against the measure that narrowly passed a cloture vote in the early-morning hours Monday. Armey's group and the RNC have occasionally butted heads in the past year over the best way to tap into disapproval with Democratic policies, but Steele said Monday he is "honored" to work with "grassroots activists, tea partiers and others who are fighting the good fight."

FreedomWorks, which has provided much of the organizational heft behind the Tea Party movement, clashed with the RNC last fall when they endorsed an independent conservative in a New York congressional race over the GOP-backed candidate. As a result of the divided vote, the Democrat in the race won the conservative district for the first time in more than a century.

Letting bygones be bygones Monday, Steele called Armey "a man of principle, a man who has been able to reflect in a genuine way the voice of a lot of Americans out there."

"It's nice to know in this fight that you have individuals who are willing to stand up with you and lead the charge, individuals who you can follow into battle and who can follow you into battle and try and make sure we do what's best for the American people," said Steele.

UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Steele's comments "obscene" in a Capitol Hill press conference Monday afternoon.

"I'm more worried about an example being set by a party leader with something so obscene, I think that's something people should be worried about," Reid said.

Human Events has named Cheney Conservative of the Year.

(CNN) - He may have exited the national stage nearly one year ago, but former Vice President Dick Cheney has been named "Conservative of the Year" by the conservative Human Events magazine for his ardent and continuous criticisms of the Obama administration's national security policies.

"What Cheney is saying, primarily on foreign policy, defense and anti-terrorism, makes sense to more and more American citizens growing increasingly worried by the Obama Administration's insouciance when U.S. national interests are threatened, both at home and abroad," former U.N. ambassador John Bolton writes for the magazine.

"Since the only real, long-term way to deal with persuasive positions on substantive policy matters is to refute them with sounder policy arguments, it is not hard to understand why the Obama White House is near panic," Bolton also writes. "Where are they going to go to find a better policy inside his administration?"

In a series of interviews and speeches over the last year, Cheney declared President Obama had put the country's security at an elevated level of risk as a result of a string of national security decisions that largely went at odds with Bush administration practices.

Cheney's comments have met criticism from many Democrats and some members of the media who say he would be better off following the example set by former President George Bush, who has remained largely silent on the actions of his successor.

But in the Human Events article, Bolton said its necessary former leaders continue to defend their policies.

"Most people have scratched their heads at this criticism, which is what passes for devastating analysis by the media, because it is entirely natural for a senior public official to explain and defend his policies once he leaves office," Bolton writes. "In fact, it is critical that men and women who have served in high positions, as Cheney has, to do just that, to give our citizens a better understanding of what actually goes on in high-level decision making."

"Cheney's quiet, inner-directed motivation is simply impervious to the attacks orchestrated against him by the Chicago machine-style politicians at the White House, a fact also plainly visible to his fellow citizens," Bolton adds. "And it is yet another important reason to have confidence that Cheney's solid policy analysis will yet prevail in the national political arena. Of course he is the conservative of the year!"

McCain says he's not offended his former running mate blacked out his name for her visor.

(CNN) - Arizona Sen. John McCain said the recent flap over Sarah Palin's decision to black out his name from a campaign visor while she was vacationing in Hawaii is much ado about nothing.

"Oh, it's fine. Sarah said she wanted to be a little bit incognito," McCain said when asked about the incident on "Fox News Sunday. "I don't blame her. I understand that."

The controversy arose after photos of a vacationing Palin showed the former Republican vice presidential candidate relaxing on a Hawaii beach wearing a McCain campaign visor on which she had clearly blacked out the Arizona senator's name with a marker.

The Web site TMZ declared the blacked-out visor amounted to a "frontal attack on Sen. John McCain," but Palin later said she was merely trying to "be incognito" in an effort to get a little rest and relaxation after her nearly month-long book tour.

"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection," Palin told the Web site Politico when questioned about the hat. "As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him."

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," McCain said he is taking Palin at her word.

Can't you take her at her word? It's - Sarah and I and Todd, Cindy - we have a wonderful relationship. We're dear friends," he said. "She is a - going to be a force in the Republican Party for a longtime. And the hysterical attacks on her from the left continue to validate that. "

Huckabee says Nelson was bribed into voting for the Democrats' health care bill.

(CNN) – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee blasted Sen. Ben Nelson in his own backyard over the Nebraska Democrat's decision Saturday to provide the key 60th vote to advance the party's health care reform bill.

In a fiery speech Sunday at an Omaha rally sponsored by Americans for Prosperity of Nebraska - a group opposed to Democratic efforts at health care reform - Huckabee said it is "historic and unprecedented that we are now bribing public officials openly - now we openly bribe them with $300 million at a time and tell them this is what your vote is worth."

The final Democratic holdout, Nelson agreed to back the measure following 13 hours of negotiations during which he won a commitment from the federal government to fund entirely his state's Medicaid population beyond the three years of funding granted to all states by the bill.

Republicans were quick to question Nelson's motivations for backing the bill, dubbing his alleged deal making the "cornhusker kickback," and claiming Nelson's provision has increased the burden on the 49 other states.

"That puts an added burden on all the other states, including mine," Sen. John McCain said "Fox News Sunday."

In an interview with CNN, Nelson said he did not seek any special favors but rather voted for the bill because of an added amendment allowing states to opt out of providing abortion coverage - a provision conservatives say falls far short of the blanket prohibition Nelson originally sought.

"I didn't ask for a special favor here. I didn't ask for a carve-out," Nelson told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. "What I said is the governor of Nebraska has contacted me, he said publicly he's having trouble with the budget. This will add to his budget woes. And I said, look, we have to have that fixed."

But during his comments at the Omaha rally, Huckabee - a 2008 presidential candidate and potential White House hopeful in 2012 - likened Nelson's deal to the biblical story in which Judas agreed to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

"I don't want [senators] to go up there…and then somehow go back and boast, 'Here's some money that I got for you.' The last time we saw that kind of historic moment it was 30 pieces of silver and that didn't work out too well for us either," Huckabee said.

Franken is taking heat for cutting off Lieberman.

(CNN) - The Minnesota Republican Party is calling out Sen. Al Franken's over his refusal to grant Sen. Joe Lieberman additional time to speak about the health care reform bill Thursday night.

"Al Franken's petty and petulant behavior on…the floor of the U.S. Senate is an embarrassment to our state," Party Chairman Tony Sutton said in a statement. "In just six months, Franken has established himself as the most uncivil and ineffective senator in Minnesota history."

The incident in question came Thursday evening, when Lieberman asked Franken, then presiding over the Senate, for an "additional moment" to conclude his remarks after the allotted 10 minutes had expired.

"In my capacity as the senator from Minnesota, I object," replied Franken, prompting a surprised Lieberman to ask "Really?"

Franken spokesman Jess McIntosh said Franken was merely following orders from his party's leaders, who asked that floor speeches be kept within their time limits to keep the debate moving.

The incident sparked a sharp rebuke from Sen. John McCain, who declared, "This is the first time I have ever seen a member denied an extra minute or two to finish his remarks."

Though the liberal Web site Thinkprogress reports McCain himself refused to grant senators additional time to speak in 2002 when the chamber was debating the Iraq War authorization.

As Connecticut voters remain wary of Sen. Chris Dodd, one state Democrat is openly suggesting the five-term senator abandon his re-election bid 'for the good of the party.'

(CNN) - As Connecticut voters remain wary of Sen. Chris Dodd, one state Democrat is openly suggesting the five-term senator abandon his re-election bid "for the good of the party."

"Chris has had Obama in for him, Biden in for him, a lot of TV ads and they haven't moved the numbers," former Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Ed Marcus told local television station WFSB. "Rightfully or wrongfully the perception within the voting public in Connecticut is just negative toward Chris."

A recent Quinnipiac poll suggests Dodd faces an 11-point deficit against Rob Simmons, one of several Republicans vying for the party's nomination to face Dodd. The poll also suggests Dodd would loose to Republicans Linda McMahohn and Tom Foley, while he would tie Sam Caligiuri and Peter Schiff.

Despite high-profile visits from President Obama and Vice President Biden in recent months, Dodd's numbers have barely recovered in the year since the Connecticut Democrat first took heat over his involvement in the federal bailout of a string of Wall Street banks.

Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, also faced controversy when news surfaced he had received favorable mortgage terms from now-defunct sub-prime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial. Dodd later severed his relationship with Countrywide to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

"If I were the Democratic chairman I would sit down with Chris and indicate to him that for the good of the party he should withdraw… he is going to be a drag on the ticket," Marcus also said.

A Connecticut Democrat tells CNN the comments are the result of ongoing sour grapes between the two men after Dodd tried to oust Marcus as party chair almost 10 years ago.

Dodd campaign manager Jay Howser brushed aside Marcus as a "bitter has-been" whose opinions have no relevance.

"Ed who? To be honest, it's embarrassing for Ed Marcus that he's still holding a grudge against Senator Dodd based his own ineptitude as State Party Chair nearly a decade ago," Howser said. "Ed's judgment in the past has been questionable at best, and he's in no place to be playing judge and jury with anyone."

Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of climate change.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin is hitting back at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's dig at the former Alaska governor over the issue of climate change.

"Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment?" Palin wrote on her Facebook page Tuesday night. "Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation's only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change."

Palin's comments came hours after the California Republican questioned Palin's stance on climate change in an interview with the Financial Times at the Copenhagen climate change summit
"You have to ask: what was she trying to accomplish?" said Schwarzenegger, who has backed strict new emissions controls to combat climate change. "Is she really interested in this subject or is she interested in her career and in winning the (Republican presidential) nomination? You have to take all these things with a grain of salt."

The former Republican vice presidential nominee has questioned whether human activity contributes to climate change, and wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post last week blasting the cap and trade policy promoted by the Obama administration to limit emissions. She has also called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen conference.

On her Facebook page Tuesday night, Palin said Schwarzenegger was acting "greener than thou."

"While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can't primarily blame man's activities for those changes," she wrote. "And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn't do was hamstring Alaska's job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act 'greener than thou' when talking to reporters."

Palin also mixed it up last week with former vice President Al Gore, who dubbed her a climate change "denier."

Also on her Facebook page, Palin criticized the former vice president for promoting "doomsday scenarios": "Climate change is like gravity – a naturally occurring phenomenon that existed long before, and will exist long after, any governmental attempts to affect it."

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's memoir 'Going Rogue' has sold more than one million copies after debuting only two weeks ago, her publisher Harper Collins tells CNN.

(CNN) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's memoir "Going Rogue" has sold more than one million copies after debuting only two weeks ago, her publisher Harper Collins tells CNN.

In light of the book's overwhelming sales, a Harper Collins spokesperson said they have decided to increase its printing to 2.8 million copies, more than a million more than the initial order.

Palin's book sold more than 700,000 copies in the first week alone, 100,000 more than Hillary Clinton's 2003 memoir "Living History" sold in the same timeframe. "Going Rogue" also well outpaces President Barack Obama's 2006 book "Audacity of Hope," which sold less than 100,000 in its first week.

But Palin falls short of former President Bill Clinton, whose 2004 memoir "My Life" sold 900,000 copies in week one.

US Marines search for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Helmand Province in Afghanistan

Washington (CNN) - It's not often the Republican National Committee holds a conference call with reporters during which President Barack Obama is largely praised.

But amid news the president has decided to beef up U.S. forces in Afghanistan by at least 30,000 within the next six months, the RNC deployed conservative foreign policy expert Dan Senor to offer accolades of the plan.

"I have been critical of the process over the last 90-some days through which the president has arrived at his decision, but it sounds to me, based on what we know, that it is a very good decision and I applaud him," said Senor, an adjunct senior fellow at the non partisan Council on Foreign Relations and a former advisor to the U.S. led coalition in Iraq.

"If you would have said to me that a year into this president's administration he would have doubled our troop presence in Afghanistan…plus not reduce our troops meaningfully in Iraq, and fire Gen. [David] McKiernan and replace him with Gen. [Stanley] McChrystal…I would have had a hard time believing it, I'm pleasantly surprised," Senor added.

Senor did say critical questions still need to be answered, including the role of NATO-led forces and the timeline of troop deployment, but he ultimately concluded, "I'm encouraged."

Of course, encouragement from Republicans and conservative foreign policy experts might not be what the president needs as he tries to convince members of his own party to support the plan, many of whom are wary of a further commitment.

A string of powerful Democrats have recently expressed doubts about a troop buildup, including Sen. Carl Levin, the chairmen of the Armed Services Committee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Obama is 'far more radical' than Cheney expected.

(CNN) –Former Vice President Dick Cheney is again weighing in on President Barack Obama's foreign policy, declaring the relatively new commander-in-chief is projecting "weakness and is "far more radical than I expected."

The latest round of hard-hitting comments from Cheney come as Obama is set to detail his long-awaited plan for Afghanistan in a speech Tuesday night at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. White House officials told CNN Tuesday the president's plan includes sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan within three to six months.

But in an interview with Politico published early Tuesday, Cheney suggested the president is making his foreign policy decisions based on political considerations.

"I begin to get nervous when I see the commander in chief making decisions apparently for what I would describe as small 'p' political reasons, where he's trying to balance off different competing groups in society," Cheney told the Web site.

Cheney also repeated his criticisms that Obama has taken too long to arrive at a decision about how to proceed in Afghanistan.

"Every time he delays, defers, debates, changes his position, it begins to raise questions: Is the commander in chief really behind what they've been asked to do?"

"Here's a guy without much experience, who campaigned against much of what we put in place ... and who now travels around the world apologizing," Cheney added later in the interview. "I think our adversaries – especially when that's preceded by a deep bow ... – see that as a sign of weakness."

Cheney also beat back statements from White House officials arguing Afghanistan's current instability is a result of the Bush administration's failure to provide adequate resources to the fragile country when it decided to invade Iraq.

Asked if he thinks the Bush Administration is responsible for any part of Afghanistan's current volatility, Cheney said, "I basically don't.

Cheney gave a series of interviews and speeches last spring in which he declared Obama had put the country's security at an elevated level of risk. The former vice president remained relatively quiet over the summer but forcefully reasserted himself in the center of the national security debate over the past two months.

Norwood was the leader on Election Day but failed to garner 50 percent of the vote.

(CNN) - Atlanta voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to decide a mayoral race that is in part characterized by its racial overtones.

Mary Norwood, a white city council woman, faces off against former state Sen. Kasim Reed, who is black. Norwood won 46 percent of the vote on November 3, 4 points short of the 50 percent she needed to secure victory outright. Failing to reach that threshold level, Norwood faced the runoff with Reed, who won 36 percent of the vote on Nobember 3.

Should Norwood win Tuesday, she will become the first White mayor of Atlanta since 1973. African Americans make up about 60 percent of the city's population while Whites constitute a little less than 40 percent.

Political observers believe it's unclear who will with the runoff given Tuesday's turnout is expected to be considerably lower than that of Election Day. Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

Poll: Limbaugh most influential conservative, say Americans.

(CNN) – Americans overwhelmingly say talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh is currently the most influential conservative, according to a new poll.

In the new survey conducted by CBS' "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine, 26 percent of those sampled identified Limbaugh as the leading conservative, followed by fellow media personality Glenn Beck at 11 percent.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin followed close behind with 10 percent each.

The only Republican who currently holds office to make the list is House Minority Leader John Boehner, who registered 4 percent in the poll.

The poll of 855 Americans was conducted November 6-8 and carries a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Georgia Rep. Tom Price, just back from Afghanistan, told CNN Monday that President Obama must sound resolute about his commitment to winning the war in Afghanistan.

(CNN) - Georgia Rep. Tom Price, just back from Afghanistan, told CNN Monday that President Obama must sound resolute about his commitment to winning the war in Afghanistan when he unveils his military strategy for the country Tuesday evening.

"If he says that he's going to commit 32,000 or 34,000 more troops and maybe it will work or maybe it won't, that's not the message we need to hear or the world needs to hear," said Price, a Republican who spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Afghanistan. "What the world needs to hear is he's going to commit the number of troops necessary and accomplish the task and mission of keeping the American people safe. That's the most important thing."

Ultimately, Price said, success in Afghanistan could come down to the tone of the president's message when he announces his Afghanistan plan in a highly-anticipated speech at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

"If he talks about an exit strategy only and if he talks about benchmarks in terms of calendar time lines, that's where the challenge is because the Afghan people are hedging their bets," Price said. "They are not certain America is committed to prevailing in this mission. If the president is very resolute and very specific about what he believes the mission is and what can be accomplished, I think we'll be fine."

In the speech, Obama will explain why the United States is in Afghanistan, its interests there, and his decision-making process, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said last week, adding that the president "does not see this as an open-ended engagement."

"Our time there will be limited, and I think that's important for people to understand," Gibbs said.

Palin's book tour continues after the holiday.

(CNN) – Sarah Palin is taking a break from her marathon book tour to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family in Richland, Washington, her spokeswoman confirmed to CNN Wednesday.

Palin's parents are originally from the area, and an aunt of the former vice presidential candidate currently lives there.

But Palin won't be off the book trail for long: She's slated to sign books at a Hastings bookstore in Richland Sunday.

The menu at "Aunt Katie's house" isn't public, says Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton, "but there's no doubt there will be meat - right next to the mashed potatoes."

Dobbs latest comments on illegal immigration are raising eyebrows.

(CNN) - The same week Lou Dobbs suggested he would consider running for the White House in 2012, the former CNN anchorman appears to be softening his stance on his signature issue of illegal immigration.

In an interview with the Spanish-language network Telemundo gaining attention Wednesday, Dobbs told interviewer Maria Celeste he is one of the Latino community's "greatest friends" and appeared willing to embrace a form of amnesty he spent years criticizing.

"What isn't working is a penalty to those who are in this country illegally for whom we can both be building a bridge to the future in which there is legalization and at the same time constructing an environment in which everyone is clear and unequivocal about the need for boarder security and a regulated flow of immigration," Dobbs said.

Watch: Dobbs announces resignation from CNN

"I want to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue, and work with those who will work toward real solutions," the former CNN anchorman also said, maintaining his position on immigration hasn't changed despite what appears to be a more moderate stance. "I think we need to honestly come together, those who have differing views…and make some real progress toward an understanding a compromise for those who are in this country illegally."

Dobbs also brushed aside suggestions he is the "No. 1 enemy" of the Latino community, saying that image is a result of propaganda "efforts of the far left."

"Whatever you have thought of me in the past," Dobbs said, "I can tell you right now that I am one of your greatest friends and I mean for us to work together. I hope that will begin with Maria and me and Telemundo and other media organizations and others in this national debate that we should turn into a solution rather than a continuing debate and factional contest."

The comments come as Dobbs has fueled speculation the former anchorman may have his eye on politics as a second act, either in 2012 as a presidential candidate or as a challenger to New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, the only Hispanic in the Senate.

In an interview with Washington radio station WTOP Monday Dobbs said a 2012 run is "one of the discussions that we're having," though he did not indicate if he'd run as a Republican or third-party candidate.

Meanwhile, Robert Dilenschneider, a spokesman for Dobbs, told the New York Times Tuesday the former anchorman may take the "intermediary step" of challenging Menendez.

"I think Lou is realistically saying, that's a long way off, but if he did run for office there'd have to be an intermediary step, such as the Menendez seat," he said .

Dobbs amicably parted ways with CNN earlier this month. The former anchor's strong views on illegal immigration have made him a lightning rod for criticism from Hispanic groups, and a popular figure in some conservative quarters.

Three-quarters of American women between the ages of 35 and 75 disagree with the relaxed medical recommendations for mammograms announced last week.

(CNN) - Three-quarters of American women between the ages of 35 and 75 disagree with the relaxed medical recommendations for mammograms announced by a government panel last week, according to a new Gallup/USA Today poll.

The survey released Tuesday finds 47 percent of women "strongly disagree" and another 29 percent "disagree" with the recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force last week that women in their 40s should no longer get routine breast cancer exams, and that the interval for women getting a mammogram in their 50s should be every two years, rather than every year.

Only 22 percent of those surveyed expressed support for the proposals.

In what could be bad news for the White House and congressional Democrats as they attempt to calm fears an overhaul of the nation's health care system would result in rationing, 76 percent of those polled believe the panel's recommendations were motivated by cost savings rather than an actual assessment of the true risks involved.

The White House has distanced itself from the panel's recommendation amid the uproar it sparked last week.

The report "shouldn't be dismissed," Sebelius said told CNN last week." But, she added, "There are other groups who have disagreed with this information." The task force is "making recommendations, not coverage decisions, not payment decisions."

The poll surveyed 1,136 women, aged 35-75, between November 20-22 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

(CNN) - Veteran Republican strategist Mike Murphy is joining ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman's campaign for California governor.

Murphy, who most recently advised former Republican presidential contenders John McCain and Mitt Romney, will serve as a senior advisor to Whitman's campaign, according to an announcement Tuesday.

Murphy is no stranger to California politics, having served as a campaign adviser to current-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Vice President Joe Biden is downplaying news the government Web site Recovery.gov reported hundreds of millions of stimulus dollars spent on projects in congressional districts that in fact do not actually exist.

(CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden is downplaying news the government Web site Recovery.gov reported hundreds of millions of stimulus dollars spent on projects in congressional districts that in fact do not actually exist.

The districts don't exist, but the projects do, Biden said Tuesday night.

And the administration isn't to blame - the fault lies with the nation's educational system.

In an appearance on The Daily Show, Biden said the errors - first reported by ABC News - do not indicate unaccounted-for spending but are rather the result of 70 people who are the product of "bad civics classes."

"Every single solitary penny that got sent out there to a state, a construction company, a nonprofit had to be accounted for," Biden told host Jon Stewart. "And it all got put on Recovery.gov. What happened was, out of 130,000 people reporting in what they did with the money…70 did not know how to count."

"There was bad civics classes for those 70 people," Biden continued. "They had to fill out a form, what district are you in, and there was no such district."

Biden said checkers are now going through the reports to determine the actual districts where the money was spent.

Palin is not happy with the latest Newsweek cover.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin's image is everywhere as she launches a highly-anticipated book tour this week, but the former Alaska governor is unhappy with at least one media organization's depiction of her.

Palin took aim at Newsweek's eye-catching cover this week that shows the former vice presidential candidate in her running outfit - an image that was apparently lifted from a Runner's World photo shoot months ago. Writing on her Facebook page Monday night, Palin said the depiction is flat out "sexist, and oh-so-expected."

"The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this 'news' magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant," Palin wrote. "The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist, and oh-so-expected by now."

"If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention – even if out of context," Palin also said.

The photo is accompanied by text that states "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Sarah? She's bad news for the GOP - and for everybody else too."

Palin has held back few punches at the media in the initial stages of her publicity tour. The former governor slammed the Associated Press for its recent fact check that took issue with several of the memoir's contentions and, in her Oprah appearance that aired Monday, Palin slammed the way the media treated her family during the campaign.

The Alaska Republican also doesn't hold back in her book, writing at one point, "I had been out of journalism for a long time, and it was pretty obvious the rules had changed. I felt sick about the depths to which some in the press had apparently sunk, not because it was unfair to me and John, but because it was unfair to the American electorate."

UPDATE: Newsweek editor Jon Meacham is defending the image the magazine chose for its cover.

"We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do," he told CNN Tuesday. "We apply the same test to photographs of any public figure, male or female: does the image convey what we are saying? That is a gender-neutral standard."

Follow Alex Mooney on Twitter: @awmooneycnn

Ted Kennedy, Jr. is not making an endorsement in the race to succeed his father.

(CNN) – Ted Kennedy, Jr. said Tuesday he has no plans to endorse a candidate in the field of Democrats vying to replace his father in the U.S. Senate.

"It's hard for me to get excited, honestly, about it, because it's a tough emotional time," Kennedy told the Boston Globe.

A recent poll suggests Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley holds a clear lead in the primary battle with more than all three of her chief competitors combined. Given the state's political demographics, the winner of the Democratic primary is heavily favored to win the general election in January.

"People will make the best decision, I'm confident of that," Kennedy also said. "I know my dad always thought that elections were a great time to size people up. He had to go before the voters nine times, and he had faith in the process, so I'm sure the most qualified person will be elected to this job."

After his father's death in August, there was talk that Kennedy, 48, would pursue a bid to succeed him. While he ultimately ruled out that option, the younger Ted Kennedy told the Globe Tuesday that politics might still be in his future.

"This was not the time, for personal and family reasons," he said. "So close to my father's death, it just didn't feel right to me. But I would be interested down the road, when my kids get older, and I feel like I can bring more to the table through my experiences."

Palin talks about controversies and future with Oprah.

(CNN) – When Sarah Palin got a surprise phone call from the McCain campaign one August afternoon asking if she'd like to be on the Republican presidential ticket, the then-Alaska governor didn't doubt for a moment she was ready for the challenge.

"When I got the call, it was not such a shocking call to me," Palin told talk-show host Oprah Winfrey in a highly anticipated interview that aired Monday. "I felt quite confident in my abilities and my executive experience and I knew that this is an executive administrative job. I was happy to get in there and contribute."

Nor was Palin deterred by the fact she had five kids at home, including an infant with special needs.

"It never occurred to me that I couldn't do the job because of children," she said. "My children are my strength. ... They allow me to be grounded."

But what did shock Palin was just how much the campaign knew about her and her family before she even formally met with Sen. John McCain to discuss the job. Contrary to what was reported in the media, Palin said, she was extensively vetted and the campaign knew exactly "who they were getting."

Full story

Coakley is leading in a new poll.

(CNN) – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley holds a clear lead in that state's U.S. Senate Democratic primary contest, according to a new poll out Thursday.

The Suffolk University/WHDH-T.V. survey of likely primary voters shows Coakley at 44 percent, more than the support of all her competitors combined. Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca stands at 17 percent,

Rep. Michael Capuano is at 16 percent, and Boston businessman Alan Khazei registered 3 percent in the survey.

But the race isn't necessarily over: 20 percent of likely voters remain undecided, and more voters say Pagliuca is running the best campaign.

On the Republican side, State Sen. Scott Brown has a big lead over Jack E. Robinsion, 45 percent to 7 percent. Nearly 50 percent of voters remain undecided.

The primaries - to determine who will vie to fill the seat long held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy - are set for December 8.

The poll surveyed 600 Massachusetts residents AND was conducted from November 4-8. It has as has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Follow Alex Mooney on Twitter @awmooneycnn

Oprah and Palin are revealing some details of their big interview.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin enjoyed her highly-anticipated sit down with talk show host Oprah Winfrey so much that the two went "way over time," the former Alaska governor wrote on her Facebook Page.

But Palin gave few details of what the two discussed for more than hour, saying only that Winfrey was "very hospitable and gracious."

The former Republican vice presidential nominee also praised the show's studio audience, which she said was "full of warm, energized and (no doubt) curious viewers."

Meanwhile, Winfrey was a little more forthcoming with details of the interview, revealing in a Web video late Wednesday that the two "talked about everything."

"We talked about inside the campaign, what it felt like when she was first asked to be vice president. We talked about Bristol, the pregnancy. We talked about Trig, her baby. We talked about Levi Johnston. We talked about her marriage…there's nothing we didn't talk about."

The interview will air on Monday, a day before Palin's memoir "Going Rogue: An American Life" is released.

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Washington (CNN) – Dede Scozzafava, the Republican New York assemblywoman who gave up her bid for a House seat late last month, is decrying the "vicious" attacks she underwent from people within her own party.

"The attacks were pretty vicious, especially since it was coming from people that identified themselves as Republicans," Scozzafava told CNN's John Roberts on American Morning Wednesday. "So that was difficult to overcome."

Scozzafava ultimately gave up her bid in New York's special congressional elections for the 23rd district after conservatives rallied around third-party candidate Doug Hoffman and charged Scozzafava was too liberal on a host of issues including government spending, taxes, and abortion rights.

Scozzafava, who maintains she is not as liberal as her critics claim, endorsed the Democrat in the race who ultimately went on to victory - the first time a Democrat won in that district in over 100 years.

"Hopefully a lesson can be learned and we can move forward and make the party stronger and understand that there are many voices that make a party but we can all agree around core principles," Scozzafava told CNN.

Viewed as a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, the race attracted national attention and exposed divisions within the GOP between its conservative base and the party's leadership who often back more moderate candidates with a better chance of winning a general election.

In the interview with CNN, Scozzafava said conservatives should seek to understand the local issues in each race before rushing to make an endorsement in future elections.
"I hope that races can revolve around the needs of the district that the people are running to represent," she said. "I think that's the most important thing and the focus on every race. You're never going to have perfect ideology. If you are you're never going to move forward because no one's going to think independently."

Gov. Pawlenty will be visiting New Hampshire next month.

(CNN) - Next month, Gov. Tim Pawlenty is heading to New Hampshire, the latest presidential proving ground the Minnesota Republican will have visited this fall.

Pawlenty will keynote a $50-per-person fundraiser for the state's Republican Senate Majority Committee in Concord on December 16 in what could be seen as an effort to build early support in the key primary state.

The planned trip comes on the heels of a foray to Iowa last weekend, where Pawlenty headlined the state GOP's annual leadership dinner, one of the two major annual events for the state party.

Pawlenty announced this past summer he would not seek a second gubernatorial term in 2012, fueling speculation he is setting his sights on a presidential bid instead.

The governor also rolled out a new political action committee in October and announced a fleet of new advisers, several of whom advised Pawlenty's likely 2012 rival - former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney - during his 2008 presidential bid.

Huckabee wants to be taken seriously.

(CNN) – There's a likely GOP 2012 presidential candidate who is a former governor, darling of the party's conservative base, and the leader of nearly every early presidential poll.

And his name is not Sarah Palin.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose upstart presidential campaign toppled Mitt Romney in Iowa and nearly brought down John McCain in South Carolina last year, wants people to know he's every bit as serious as other potential presidential aspirants, and suggested there's a double standard when it comes to how some in his party treat him and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"Some of the people who had excoriated me and really been very dismissive of me for views that I had taken, and labeled me anything from a populist to an ignoramus - the same people have been very defensive [of] and laudatory to Sarah Palin," Huckabee told Politico in an article published Monday.

I'm a very serious person," he also said. "I may not be dour, but I'm serious."

The former two-term Arkansas governor has expressed criticism of Palin before, suggesting her abrupt resignation of the Alaska governorship may suggest she's not ready to handle the pressures of a hardscrabble presidential primary campaign.

"If she's looking to be a national political figure, it's not going to get easier," he said in July. "In a primary this is going to be an issue she'll have to face. Will she be able to withstand the pressure?"

In many respects, Huckabee should be considered the early favorite in what already appears to be a crowded field of 2012 Republican contenders. He consistently leads Palin and his old rival Romney in presidential polls and has maintained a legion of faithful followers. He's also out with a new book this month and a concurrent book tour through some of the country's most conservative townships - including some in politically important Iowa.

Huckabee was also the winner of a recent Values Voter Summit straw poll, grabbing nearly 29 percent of the vote in a crowded field that, in addition to Palin and Romney, included Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

But Huckabee's fundraising pales in comparison to Romney's and Palin's, and it's the former Republican vice presidential candidate who has been dubbed the party's rock star, and whose upcoming book tour will make national headlines - a fact Huckabee brushed off with his trademark humor.

"I'm glad she's getting the props - I know I'm not nearly as attractive," he said.

Huckabee wants to be taken seriously.

(CNN) – There's a likely GOP 2012 presidential candidate who is a former governor, darling of the party's conservative base, and the leader of nearly every early presidential poll.

And his name is not Sarah Palin.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose upstart presidential campaign toppled Mitt Romney in Iowa and nearly brought down John McCain in South Carolina last year, wants people to know he's every bit as serious as other potential presidential aspirants, and suggested there's a double standard when it comes to how some in his party treat him and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"Some of the people who had excoriated me and really been very dismissive of me for views that I had taken, and labeled me anything from a populist to an ignoramus - the same people have been very defensive [of] and laudatory to Sarah Palin," Huckabee told Politico in an article published Monday.

I'm a very serious person," he also said. "I may not be dour, but I'm serious."

The former two-term Arkansas governor has expressed criticism of Palin before, suggesting her abrupt resignation of the Alaska governorship may suggest she's not ready to handle the pressures of a hardscrabble presidential primary campaign.

"If she's looking to be a national political figure, it's not going to get easier," he said in July. "In a primary this is going to be an issue she'll have to face. Will she be able to withstand the pressure?"

In many respects, Huckabee should be considered the early favorite in what already appears to be a crowded field of 2012 Republican contenders. He consistently leads Palin and his old rival Romney in presidential polls and has maintained a legion of faithful followers. He's also out with a new book this month and a concurrent book tour through some of the country's most conservative townships - including some in politically important Iowa.

Huckabee was also the winner of a recent Values Voter Summit straw poll, grabbing nearly 29 percent of the vote in a crowded field that, in addition to Palin and Romney, included Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

But Huckabee's fundraising pales in comparison to Romney's and Palin's, and it's the former Republican vice presidential candidate who has been dubbed the party's rock star, and whose upcoming book tour will make national headlines - a fact Huckabee brushed off with his trademark humor.

"I'm glad she's getting the props - I know I'm not nearly as attractive," he said.

Palin is again saying the new health care bill will establish 'death panels.'

(CNN) - Sarah Palin is returning to the two words widely credited with helping to spur angry town-halls on health care reform over the summer: "death panels."

In a Facebook post over the weekend, the former Alaska governor launched into a torrent of criticism about the recently-passed House health care reform bill, including the notion "bureaucratic panels" will ultimately decide who lives and who dies.

"We had been told there were no 'death panels' in the bill either," Palin wrote in the post. "But look closely at the provision mandating bureaucratic panels that will be calling the shots regarding who will receive government health care."

Palin initially backed the death panel claim early last August in comments that sparked many of her supporters, and critics of the health care reform bill as a whole, to publicly express their disapproval at heated town-hall forums across the country.

The words "death panel" are nowhere to be found in the bill, but the phrase soon became among the most searched on Google, and President Obama directly rebutted Palin's claim a week later.

In her recent Facebook post, Palin didn't offer further evidence of the establishment of death panels. The non-partisan FactCheck.org has refuted her argument.

"The fact remains that the bill wouldn't require patients to receive counseling sessions, nor would it require a doctor to offer one. Rather, it modifies Section 1861(s)2 of the Social Security Act, defining what services Medicare will pay for. So if a patient receives a counseling session from a doctor or health care practitioner, he or she doesn't have to pay for it – Medicare will," the organization wrote.

The Club For Growth officially backed Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate race.

(CNN) – The conservative Club For Growth formally endorsed former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio Monday over the Republican Party's choice of current Gov. Charlie Crist in that state's Senate primary race, setting the stage for what again could be a bitter intra-party battle within the GOP.

"Marco Rubio is the real deal, one of the brightest young stars in American politics today, and a proven champion of economic liberty," Club President Chris Chocola said in a statement. "He is a dynamic spokesman for the principles of limited government and economic freedom, and he will make a fantastic senator."

The endorsement is not surprising, especially after The group launched a television ad last week attacking Crist for claiming recently on CNN he did not endorse President Obama's stimulus measure back in February.  In fact, Crist did attend a rally with the president during which he hailed the measure as one that will "reignit[e] the economy."

"Charlie Crist has repeatedly joined with big government liberals on major economic issues facing America today, from taxes to spending to cap-and-trade," Chocola said. "He represents the wrong direction for our economy and our nation."

The endorsement comes weeks after The Club spent upwards of $1 million in a special New York congressional election on behalf of a third-party conservative over the Republican Party-backed candidate. When the Democrat ultimately won what had been a longtime reliably Republican district, those conservatives faced fire from some in the GOP for language that seemed to push moderates away.

Chocola said Monday electability wouldn't be an issue in the Florida race. His organization has spent months studying the Florida race, he said, and has determined either Crist or Rubio has a good chance of beating potential Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek in a general election.

"The only question now is what kind of Republican will Florida send to Washington next year: a pro-growth Republican with a record of fiscal conservatism or a big-government Republican with a record of tax increases?" Chocola said.

Armey says the health care reform bill will stifle innovation.

(CNN) - Dick Armey, the former House majority leader whose leadership of FreedomWorks has proved vital to organizing opposition to Democrats' health care reform efforts, told CNN Monday the recently-passed House health care bill could cripple the entire pharmaceutical industry.

"You go right back to Shakespeare, who first said, 'If it can't be sold for a profit, it's not worth writing,' or take Thomas Edison's reiteration of it, 'If it can't be sold for a profit, it's not worth inventing,'" Armey told CNN's John Roberts on American Morning. "If the government is going to control what it is, whether it can be distributed, what it is, what price it can be sold, you will disincentive the whole process of research. We've seen it before and we'll see it again."

The Texas Republican also said the government should not force health insurance companies to insure individuals who have not been responsible with their own health.

"Now [the government] comes along and says, 'Irrespective of the fact they've gone 20, 30, 40 years of their adult life without ever having bought insurance prior to getting a liver inflammation due to their excessive drinking habits or diabetes because they eat like a pig, you must now insure them,'" Armey said.

"At what point do we allow the government to order people that you must sell your product to this person or that person, irrespective of any good judgment?" he added. "We saw what happened in housing when they ordered banks to make loans to people who weren't qualified. Are we now going to have the same destructive influences in health care because we're going to order doctors to provide services and so forth?"

Armey also addressed the future of the Republican Party in light of events in a special congressional election in New York, in which conservatives pushed out the Republican running in favor of a more conservative third-party candidate. Ultimately, a Democrat carried the district, the first time in more than 125 years the party has won there.

Armey, who backed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, drew local headlines himself in that race after blasting an editorial board's questions on upstate New York issues - questions Hoffman had struggled to answer - as "parochial."

"The Conservative Party nominated the small government conservative, he got in the race late and he caught and passed her," Armey said Monday. "She dropped out, endorsed the Democrat. If the Republican Party or if the Conservative candidate had a little more time, he might have won that.

"But the Republican Party's got to decide whether or not they're going to be the 'me too' party, somewhat schizophrenic, half the party acting like us, the other half acting like them. Or are they going to be the big tent party that builds themselves around a national concept of small governance, fiscal conservatism, and has a broad appeal, as it did with Goldwater, as it did with Reagan," he said.

Obama is taking heat for skipping the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.'

(CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is taking aim at President Obama's decision not to travel to Germany next week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the latest in a string of conservatives to criticize Obama's decision to skip the ceremony on November 9.

"Some consider President Obama's refusal to attend the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany next week an outrage, I consider it a tragedy." Gingrich wrote in an op-ed published Friday in The Washington Examiner.

"To commemorate, after all, is to remember. And Americans need to remember, not just that the Wall fell, but why it fell," Gingrich added. "We need to remember that the Berlin Wall was the symbol of more than just the Cold War, more than just the division of Europe."

While the president had originally planned to be on hand for the event, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirmed earlier this week scheduling conflicts and preparation for his impending 10-day trip to Asia have instead caused Obama to stay in Washington.

"Obviously, we have a lot to work on here, and we have commitments for an upcoming Asia trip," Gibbs said Tuesday. The White House announced Friday that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will lead a delegation to Berlin.

But Obama's decision to miss the event appeared to spark derision from Der Spiegel, one of Germany's major newsweeklies, which declared on its Web site "Barack's too busy," and noted the president has not visited the historic city since taking office.

The move has also led to criticisms from conservative commentators who, like Gingrich, say the president's move amounts to a snub of all that the Berlin Wall's demise represented.

"Obama's failure to go to Berlin is the most telling nonevent of his presidency," wrote Rich Lowry of the National Review. "It's hard to imagine any other American president eschewing the occasion."

"This is unprecedented," Rush Limbaugh declared on his radio show earlier this week. "An American president not showing up at one of the most famous sites for the destruction of tyranny and the outbreak of freedom? Being invited by the chancellor, the leader of Germany, and not going?"

Obama did note the upcoming anniversary when he welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House Tuesday.

"We are now moving towards the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down and Germany being reunified after so many painful years," Obama said. "And this is a special moment for Chancellor Merkel, as somebody who grew up in East Germany, who understands what it's like to be under the shadow of a dictatorial regime, and to see how freedom has bloomed in Germany, how it has become the centerpiece for a extraordinarily strong European Union."

Paterson is going up early with two campaign ads.

(CNN) - In what may be an effort to quiet speculation he will drop his bid for a full term, embattled New York Gov. David Paterson is hitting the airwaves with a major ad buy intended to reintroduce himself to voters.

Just under a year before Election Day, the New York Democrat is going up with two ads statewide that highlight his unique biography and address his critics head on.

"Some say I shouldn't be running for governor," Paterson says in one of the ads, called 'Some say.' "It might have been easier if all I thought about was running for governor. But I think it's more important to do what's right for the people of New York."

The second ad, called "When," notes the governor's blindness and the lessons he has learned from both his successes and failures throughout life.

"When you become governor, you learn you will make mistakes," the ad's narrator states. "But in the depths of a historic recession you take what you have learned and have the strength to do what's right."

Tracy Sefl, a spokeswoman for Paterson, said the commercials will run for several weeks and constitute a "multi-million dollar" ad buy.

The early and expensive advertising blitz is perhaps a gamble for Paterson, whose approval rating stands at 30 percent, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. Paterson also trails New York Attorney Gen. Andrew Cuomo by more than 40 points in a hypothetical 2010 Democratic primary match up, according to that poll. Cuomo has not yet announced whether he will challenge Paterson.

But Sefl brushed aside suggestions the campaign is in danger of burning through its coffers before most voters are paying attention, noting they have already received an "incredible response" from supporters who had seen the ads.

"Voters want to hear his story," Sefl said.

Paterson was lieutenant governor when a scandal led to then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer's departure from the office in March 2008.

Palin will bypass several major cities in her upcoming book tour.

(CNN) - Those living in the country's biggest cities who hope to catch a glimpse of Sarah Palin while she is on her much-anticipated book tour may be disappointed: the former Alaska governor will instead hit a string of mid-size cities, many of which voted for her and John McCain last November.

According to Harper Collins, the publisher of Palin's forthcoming memoir "Going Rogue," Palin will bypass several of the major cities that are often the pillars of any big book tour, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia.

Palin's schedule instead takes the former Republican vice presidential candidate to smaller - and in many cases more conservative - cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana, Washington, Pennsylvania, Roanoke, Virginia, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Palin will kick off the tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 18, one day after her book is released. The choice of Michigan to begin her cross-country blitz may be no accident: Palin publicly disagreed with the McCain campaign's decision to pull its resources out of that key battleground state a month before the election - one of the initial moves that led anonymous McCain operatives to declare Palin was "going rogue."

The first week of the tour will take Palin thorough Indiana (Fort Wayne and Noblesville), Ohio (Cincinnati and Columbus) New York (Rochester), Virginia (Roanoke), North Carolina (Fayetteville), Alabama (Birmingham), and Florida (Jacksonville, The Villages, and Orlando).

A spokeswoman for Harper Collins tells CNN more cities could be added to that list.

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Crist told CNN Wednesday he never endorsed the president's stimulus measure.

(CNN) – Florida Gov. Charlie Crist tells CNN he never endorsed President Obama's $787 billion stimulus measure, in what appears to be the latest effort by the Florida Republican to distance himself from the president as he seeks his party's Senate nomination.

"I didn't endorse it. I didn't even have a vote on the darned thing," Crist told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview Wednesday on The Situation Room. "But I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians."

The comments came a day after former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, Crist's conservative challenger for the GOP nomination, launched a Web site featuring a photograph of the governor appearing with President Obama at a Florida rally for the stimulus measure last February.

Text under the image reads, "Get the picture? Donate now to stand up for conservative principles."

Crist was one of only a handful of Republican governors to publicly extend some support to the president's $787 billion stimulus package – a move that rankled some conservatives in his home state and across the country.

Watch:  Crist extends support for stimulus measure

In the interview with CNN, Crist called the move a "pragmatic" one given that the bill was certain to pass and his state stood to benefit from federal dollars.

"That was back in February, less than a month after the president was sworn into office, the first time he visits our state," Crist said. "And I was pragmatic, I think, about what we needed to do. Everybody knew the bill was going to pass."

"I, like all other Republican governors, utilized that money for the benefit of the people in my state. And that's what a pragmatic conservative does - a CEO, if you will, of a state does that," Crist also said.

But Crist appeared considerably more enthusiastic about the spending measure at the Florida rally on February 10 when he was introducing the president.

"It's getting harder every day, and we know that it's important that we pass this stimulus package," he said then with the president by his side. "It's important that we do so to help education, to help our infrastructure, and to help healthcare for those who need it most - the most vulnerable."

"This is not about partisan politics, this is about rising above that, helping America, and reigniting our economy," Crist also said then. (video below)

Clinton and Bush are set to appear at Radio City Music Hall Wednesday.

(Update 4 pm ET: A Clinton spokesman confirms to CNN the event has now been canceled. Full story)

(CNN) - Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are set to appear at Radio City Music Hall in February - though if history is any guide, the matchup is likely to produce few fireworks.

The famous New York City venue announced Wednesday the two former presidents will share the same stage February 25, nine months after the ex-presidents shared a similar stage in Toronto, Canada.

A ticket to what Radio City is calling "the hottest political ticket in history" will cost anywhere form $60 to $1,250. Though $1,250 may seem on steep side for the 90 minute event, a VIP ticket includes a pre-show reception with the two former presidents along with the evening's yet-to-be-announced moderator. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will also be served and each guest will have a chance to pose with the former commanders-in-chief.

The two were largely chummy during the last joint appearance at the Toronto event in May. At one point, former President Bush joked that his mother, Barbara Bush, told him Clinton "was like a son to her" because of all the time he was spending with Bush's father.

"So brother, it's good to see you," Bush said then.

During that event, at which tickets cost an eye-popping $2,500, Clinton also showered praise on the former president on a host of issues.

"What he did on the AIDS drugs and the diversity in the cabinet … he deserves a lot of credit," he said.

The New York event is likely to be a lucrative one for both former presidents - each usually charge well over $100,000 in appearance fees. But Radio City isn't officially disclosing how much the former president's are being compensated.

Matt McKenna, a spokesman for former President Clinton, made clear the New York event will not be a heated debate.

"Just a moderated conversation...no fireworks," he said.

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Carly Fiorina is running for Senate.

Updated at 1:30 p.m. ET with Fiorina's remarks

(CNN) - Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina finally made it official Wednesday: She's running for Senate in California.

The first woman to lead a Fortune 500 company made the announcement at an event in conservative Orange County, pledging her focus will be on "economic recovery and fiscal accountability."

"The decisions made in Washington impact every family and every business, of any size, in America. Throughout my career I've brought people together and solved problems and that is what I plan to do in government-set aside ego and partisanship and work to develop solutions to our problems," she told supporters.

"I will not settle for a jobless recovery and we must start the important work of getting our financial house back in order," Fiorina added. "Washington must show discipline to cut spending and create policies that encourage and empower businesses and put people back to work."

Fiorina, considered to be a moderate Republican with little history on social issues, will face off against conservative California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore for the GOP nomination. In a friendly statement Wednesday, DeVore said he looks forward "to engaging [her] on the issues Californians care about."

A recent Field poll suggested both Fiorina and DeVore polled at about 20 percent, with 60 percent of Republican voters undecided.

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Full story

Palin reveled details of her book tour on Facebook.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin says she's gearing up for her highly anticipated book tour later this month, writing on Facebook Tuesday she is "very, very excited to travel the country as she promotes her forthcoming memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

The former Alaska governor hinted she'd likely sit down with a string of friendly faces during the tour that begins in two weeks, a list of conservative television hosts that include Fox's Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck. She also wants to appear with Fox host Greta Van Susteren.

Palin added she'll likely appear on the radio programs of conservative talkers Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Dennis Miller, and Laura Ingraham, and Tammy Bruce.

The former Republican vice presidential nominee already has a high-profile sit down on The Oprah Winfrey Show November 16 - the day before her memoir is released.

The Alaska Republican said she also wants to sit down with legendary interviewer Barbara Walters during the tour.

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Rubio wants this image to resonate with conservative voters.

(CNN) - Pictures can speak a thousand words.

At least that's what former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio hopes.

The conservative Republican battling Gov. Charlie Crist for the GOP Senate nomination in that state has unveiled a new Web site showing a single full-page image of Crist with President Obama at a rally for the president's stimulus package last February.

"Get the picture?" text under the image reads. "Donate now to stand up for conservative principles."

Crist was one of only a handful of Republican governors to extend some support to the president's $787 billion stimulus package - a move that rankled some conservatives in his home state and across the country.

Since the Senate primary race began last May, Rubio has become the favorite of conservative Republicans while national party leaders are openly supporting Crist. Recent polls suggest Crist holds a 15 point lead over Rubio, a margin that is down from more than 30 points last summer.

The picture of Crist and Obama could resonate with conservatives in a similar way an image of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman embracing President Bush resonated with liberal Democrats in 2006. Lieberman lost his Democratic primary to a liberal challenger that year, though won the general election as an independent.

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Biden stumped for Owens Monday.

(CNN) - Vice President Joe Biden challenged Republican voters in New York's 23rd congressional district to teach conservative "absolutists" a lesson in the special House election Tuesday by voting for the Democratic candidate in the race.

"We aren't asking you to switch your party," Biden said at a rally for Democrat Bill Owens in Watertown, New York Monday morning. "We are just saying join us in teaching a lesson to those absolutists who say no dissent is permitted within your own party."

The comments come a day after Republican Dede Scozzafava, who withdrew from the race Saturday amid heavy pressure from conservatives - endorsed Owens. Many high-profile Republicans, including Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and Dick Armey, have already thrown their own support behind third-party conservative candidate Doug Hoffman.

Related: Scozzafava campaigns for Owens

In his remarks at the rally for Owens, Biden elicited boos from the crowd when he mentioned Palin, Limbaugh and Armey.

"The idea that Rush Limbaugh would handpick [the] successor is kind of unusual," Biden said of the popular conservative radio host who has heavily backed Hoffman over the national party's choice of Scozzafava.

"I would have thought the last person I would bring up to the North Country is Dick Armey," Biden continued, pointing to the former Texas congressman and current chairman of the conservative group FreedomWorks. "He's a decent guy, but he represents a view so alien it seems to me to the pragmatism to the North Country. Sarah Palin, a former governor - her views are real and consistent with Armey's and Limbaugh's and Dick Cheney's."

"This is a different ideology," Biden continued. "This is different than anything I've known in my 45 years of being familiar with this district. You know, they may not have any room for moderate views in the Republican Party upstate anymore, but let me assure you, we have room, we have room."

Later in his remarks, the vice president couldn't help but return to the subject of the former Alaska governor when the issue of energy came up.

"Sarah Palin thinks the answer to energy is 'Drill, baby, drill,' he said, leaning into the microphone. "It's a lot more complicated, Sarah, than drill baby drill."

A just-released Siena College poll suggests Hoffman holds a 5-point lead over Owens, while 18 percent of likely remain undecided.

Update: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin fired back at Biden Monday. "As the vice president knows, I have always advocated an all-of-the-above approach to American energy independence," Palin wrote in a note on her Facebook page. "There's one way to tell Vice President Biden that we're tired of folks in Washington distorting our message and hampering our nation's progress: Hoffman, Baby, Hoffman!."

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Two political heavyweights are descending on New York's 23rd congressional district Monday,

(CNN) - Two political heavyweights are descending on New York's 23rd congressional district Monday, 24 hours before voters in that closely-watched special House race head to the polls.

Vice President Joe Biden is set to hold a morning rally in Watertown with Democrat Bill Owens at 10 a.m. ET.  Biden's visit comes two days after Republican Dede Scozzafava withdrew from the race - a seeming blow to Owens who had benefited from Sozzafava and conservative third-party candidate Dough Hoffman splitting the opposition vote.

Meanwhile former GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson is also heading to the upstate New York district, holding a campaign event with Hoffman Monday evening.

Thompson, among Hoffman's earliest high-profile backers who was the recent star of a campaign commercial for the independent conservative, said in a statement "Dough is Target No. 1 for the Democrats' political machine, they are desperate to win."

A recent Siena College poll conducted before Socozzafava withdrew from the race suggests Owens and Hoffman were locked in a statistical dead heat, 36-35 percent, with Scozzafava far behind at 20 percent.  Political observers predict more than two-thirds of Scozzafava's supporters are now likely to cast their vote for Hoffman.

Biden also campaigned with Owens in September while President Obama made an appearance at a fundraiser for Owens in New York City earlier this month.

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Lieberman says he will campaign for Republicans in 2010.

(CNN) - Days after drawing anger from liberal Democrats for opposing a public option to the Senate health care bill, Sen. Joe Lieberman is adding fuel to the fire, telling an interviewer it's likely he'll campaign for some Republicans in next year's midterm elections.

"I probably will support some Republican candidates for Congress or Senate in the election in 2010. I'm going to call them as I see them," Lieberman told ABC News in an interview published Friday.

Supporting Republicans is nothing new for Lieberman of course: the Democrat-turned-independent senator from Connecticut was a constant fixture on campaign trail on behalf of Republican John McCain's presidential bid.

He also supported Maine Sen. Susan Collins and New York Rep. Peter King last year over the Democratic Party candidates in those races.

Senate Democrats had threatened to revoke Lieberman's powerful Homeland Security Committee chairmanship after the 2008, election but ultimately decided to let him retain the post.

Lieberman, who lost a Democratic primary race in 2006 but ultimately won the general election as an independent candidate, also told ABC it is "an open question" whether he will again seek the Democratic nomination in 2012.

Clinton says it's time to move past the 2008 election.

(CNN) - One day after a new book revealed former President Bill Clinton's 2008 campaign trail outbursts may have prevented his wife from landing a spot on the Democratic ticket, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says it's time to move past last year's election.

"I'm very happy with the position that I have and I think Joe Biden's doing a great job as vice president, so I think we should move on from the campaign of 2008," Clinton told CNN's Jill Dougherty in Pakistan earlier Friday.

In excerpts released Thursday of David Plouffe's forthcoming book, the former Obama campaign manager writes he was surprised at how interested Obama was in picking Clinton for his running mate after the hard-fought Democratic primary race came to an end.

Ultimately, Plouffe writes, Obama ruled against Clinton in fear her husband may have proved to be "too big a complication."

"If I picked her, my concern is that there would be more than two of us in the relationship," Plouffe quotes Obama as saying.

The new book, titled The Audacity to Win, hits book stores November 3.

The Democratic National Committee is taking fresh aim at Sarah Palin.

(CNN) - The Democratic National Committee is taking fresh aim at Sarah Palin, encouraging supporters to attack the former Alaska governor on Facebook in order to "debunk her lies."

In an e-mail to supporters, and on a new Web site, the DNC asks supporters to call out Palin when she uses Facebook to transmit what the committee says are falsehoods.

"The more we push back with the truth, the more Sarah Palin and others like her will have to think twice before they promote lies, and the less they'll be able to derail progress," DNC executive director Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in the e-email.

Palin is the latest high-profile Republican to be targeted by the DNC in a campaign they've labeled "call 'em out." Other Republicans in the DNC's cross-hairs have included House Minority Leader John Boehner, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Chris Christie wants Jon Corzine to 'man up.'

(CNN) - Chris Christie wants Jon Corzine to "man up" and come right out and say the New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate is fat.

Speaking on Don Imus' morning show Thursday, Christie called alleged efforts by the Corzine campaign to subtly invoke his weight "silly."

"If you're going to do it, at least man up and say I'm fat," Christie said on the show. "Afterwards [Gov. Corzine] wusses out and says, 'Oh no, no, I didn't mean that, I don't know what you're talking about.' Man up - if you say I'm fat let's go, let's talk about it."

In a Corzine ad released last month, a rotund Christie is shown emerging from a car in slow motion shortly after the narrator declares the former federal prosecutor "threw his weight around" to get government favors.

Corzine has insisted the ad is not meant to be a reference to Christie's weight but rather what the New Jersey Democrat describes as the "special treatment" he procured from his position.

But in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Monday, Corzine said that in retrospect, the ad should have used different wording than "threw his weigh around."

Obama was seriously considering picking Clinton as his running mate, a new book reveals.

(CNN) - Some Democrats had dubbed the possibility of a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton pairing last year as a "dream ticket," though the notion that the two once-bitter primary rivals would team up always seemed far-fetched.

But then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama was more seriously considering picking Clinton as his running mate than any of his senior aides realized, according to a forthcoming book by former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.

Yet in the end, it may have been her husband Bill Clinton - who had made headlines for his outbursts on the campaign trail during the primary season - that ultimately scuttled the possibility.

In the new book, excerpts of which are running in the new issue of Time Magazine, Plouffe said Obama took both him and senior aide David Axelrod by surprise when he insisted on including Clinton on the initial list of potential picks for the No. 2 spot on the ticket.

"Obama was clearly thinking more seriously about picking Hillary Clinton than Axelrod and I had realized," Plouffe writes. "He said if his central criterion measured who could be the best VP, she had to be included in that list."

While Obama continued to consider picking Clinton throughout the summer of 2008, he ultimately eliminated her name from the list in early August, fearing, Plouffe writes, that there "were just too many complications outweighing the potential strengths."

"I think Bill may be too big a complication," Plouffe quotes Obama as saying. "If I picked her, my concern is that there would be more than two of us in the relationship."

The new book, titled The Audacity to Win, hits book stores November 3.

While other potential 2012 presidential contenders largely stayed quiet on the divisive congressional race that has exposed fault lines in the party, Palin delivered a slap in the face to Republican Party leadership in Washington when she offered a full-throated endorsement of third-party conservative Doug Hoffman over the GOP's anointed candidate, Dede Scozzafava.

Palin's surprise backing - not even Hoffman's press secretary knew it was coming until it popped up on his Google reader - left some political observers scratching their heads, wondering why Sen. John McCain's running mate would risk alienating her party's establishment for a long-shot candidate in a race with little national visibility.

Palin's credibility with the conservative wing of her party is already solid, unlike other potential 2012 candidates who are either largely unknown to conservatives or appear too moderate, like possible 2012 contenders Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Instead, some strategists say Palin should begin to court less partisan-charged voters, or at least avoid alienating them, if she's serious about being a viable presidential candidate.

Follow Alex Mooney on Twitter @awmooneycnn

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(CNN) - A spokesman for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson is defending the outspoken congressman's recent comment calling an aide to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke a "K Street whore."

The comments - directed toward Bernanke aide Linda Robertson - came during a radio interview a month ago but are just now circulating Capitol Hill.

Grayson spokesman Todd Jurkowski said the congressman's comments came in response to an attack from Robertson over the his support of a GOP-backed bill to audit the Federal Reserve.

"She actually questioned his understanding of the difference between fiscal and monetary policy," he said in a statement to CNN. "She had the audacity to attack a congressman who used to be an economist. She's a career lobbyist who used to work for Enron and advocates for whatever she gets paid to promote."

Jurkowski also questioned why the comments are making news a month after the interview aired.

"Why is this coming up now? This interview happened weeks ago. This is just another way for the NRCC to attack their number 1 target," he said.

The comments are the latest in a string of controversial statements from the freshman congressman, who last month angered Republicans but became a hero to the left when he declared on the House floor that the GOP health care plan is to let sick people "die quickly."

Related: Liberals see health care hero in freshman Florida lawmaker

Several Democrats have said Grayson's language describing Robertson was inappropriate.

"Is this news to you that this guy's one fry short of a Happy Meal?" New York Rep. Anthony Weiner told Politico.

Weiner later issued a statement calling his remark about Grayson 'playful' and said the Florida Democrat is "a friend and an extraordinary member of Congress."

The Republican National committee also weighed in on the comments, calling them "disgraceful, inappropriate and disrespectful to women."

Follow Alex Mooney on Twitter @awmooneycnn

Bush spoke at a 'Get Motivated!' event in Fort Worth, Texas Monday night

(CNN) - Former President George W. Bush made his debut as a motivational speaker Monday night, telling a Fort Worth, Texas crowd it's futile to waste energy chasing popularity.

"It's so simple in life to chase popularity, but popularity is fleeting, it's not real," Bush said at a "Get Motivated!" business seminar, a multi-city event its organizers describe as an "energizing, action-packed, star-studded, fun-filled, spectacular stage show."

The president himself saw wild popularity swings during his eight years in the White House, garnering nearly a 90 percent approval rating in the months following the attacks on September 11, 2001 and exiting office with only the support of 31 percent of Americans, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll.

The former president was greeted enthusiastically by the 11,000 attendees of the event, according to the Fort Worth Telegram, and he spoke casually for about 20 minutes.

Event organizers declined to disclose how much the former president was compensated for the appearance, though former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani received $100,000 for a similar speech at the event two years ago.

Bush, who has made few public appearances or statements since leaving office nine months ago, also took the opportunity to reflect on his presidency.

"Every single day, I was honored to be your president by bringing honor and dignity to the office," he said. Bush also added later that his faith played a large role in guiding his decisions: "From a personal perspective, I don't see how you can be president without relying upon an almighty."

Colin Powell, the former Bush Secretary of State who sparred with many members of the president's inner circle over the invasion of Iraq and endorsed Barack Obama's presidential bid - also spoke at the event and offered high praise of his ex-boss.

"We are safer than we were before 9-11 because of President Bush," Powell said.
The former president is also scheduled to participate in another "Get Motivated!" seminar in San Antonio, Texas on December 2, according to the company's Web site.

"For a limited time only," the Web site says, tickets are available for that event at $4.95 per person or $19 for a group.

Follow Alex Mooney on Twitter @awmooneycnn

Hoffman is pulling in big money ahead of the special election in New York's 23rd congressional district.

(CNN) - Doug Hoffman - the conservative third party candidate running in upstate New York's closely watched special congressional election - raked in $116,000 in the last 24 hours, a campaign spokesman confirmed to CNN.

The cash haul came the same day former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made a surprise endorsement in the race, voicing her support of Hoffman over the Republican Party's nominee, Dede Scozzafava.

But Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan said much of the cash came before Palin made her endorsement public Wednesday evening, and is more a sign of the campaign's growing momentum in the race's final days. Other conservatives have also recently aligned behind Hoffman, including former Rep. Dick Armey, former Sen. Rick Santorum, and Rep. Michele Bachmann.

In recent weeks, conservative activists have launched massive online efforts urging supporters to donate to Hoffman in the race's final days to send a message to Republican Party leadership.

"It's sort of like what you saw with Obama…when you hit a certain critical mass of media attention, and the bloggers writing about you and everything else, it starts driving the money," said Ryan.

The election to fill the House seat for New York's 23rd district arose after former Republican Rep. John M. McHugh resigned the post to become secretary of the army. The campaign has exposed division amongst the GOP over whether to support the more moderate Republican candidate or the upstart third-party challenger whose stances are more in line with those of the conservative base.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs fired back Thursday at the latest criticism from Dick Cheney.

(CNN) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs fired back Thursday at the latest criticisms from Dick Cheney, and suggested the Bush administration did not send U.S. troops into foreign conflicts responsibly.

"What Vice President Cheney calls 'dithering,' President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public," Gibbs said. "I think we've all seen what happens when someone doesn't take that responsibility seriously."

Gibbs' comments come a day after the former vice president issued a blistering a wide-ranging critique of the Obama administration's foreign policy, saying Obama appears "afraid to make a decision" when it comes to troop levels in Afghanistan, and the president's indecision is "hurt[ing] our allies and emboldening our adversaries."

In his comments Thursday, Gibbs said the delay over a troop decision in Afghanistan is largely due to the fact the Bush administration did not adequately assess the conditions in the country ahead of sending troops there.

"I think it is a curious comment," Gibbs also said, "I think it is pretty safe to say that the vice president was for seven years not focused on Afghanistan. Even more curious given the fact that an increase in troops sat on desks in this White House including the vice president's for more than eight months - a resource request filled by President Obama in March."

"I find it interesting that he's blaming us for something that he didn't see fit to do over, best I can tell, seven years of a war in Afghanistan," he added.