GOP Senator Warns of Minor Revolution

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A top Republican senator warned Tuesday that if Democrats try to overhaul health care without Republican support, "it will wreck our health care system and wreck the Democratic Party."

"The intensity on this issue across the country is like nothing I"ve seen in a long, long time," said Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate.

After a month of town halls back home, Alexander said it's clear to him and other Republicans that Americans are "scared to death" about the sweeping policy changes coming from Washington this year and the massive debt they are creating.

Alexander warned there would be "a minor revolution in this country" if Democrats try to "ram" a health care overhaul using a legislative tool called reconciliation, which would allow a bill to pass with 50 votes instead of 60.

Alexander also complained the White House has cut Republicans out of talks. - CNN

Well, it is good to see that someone is paying attention. I have said this for the last few months. We are headed down a dangerous path and if the people in Washington don't open their eyes this is going to be a pivotal moment in history.

Stocks Tumble on Bank / Economy Concerns

(AP) The stock market's six-month rally finally gave way Tuesday, succumbing to resurgent worries about the fragility of the banking industry and the economy as a whole.

A mix of rumors and growing concerns that more banks will fail pummeled the financial industry, which had posted some of the biggest gains since the stock market began its huge advance in March. Investors saw a batch of economic reports that just weren't good enough as a parallel reason to sell.

All the major indexes fell about 2 percent. The Dow Jones industrials fell 186 points. The Nasdaq lost 40 and the S&P 500 was down 23.

Meanwhile, bond prices edged higher as investors sought the safety of government debt. The price of oil tumbled as the dollar strengthened and amid concerns that the economy isn't strong enough to support higher demand for energy. - CBS News Story

I thought that Obama had assured us that he was creating a healthier banking system and an economy that was on more solid ground?

Obama's Approval at All Time Low

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11 (see trends).

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Overall, 45% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s down a point from yesterday and the lowest level of total approval yet measured for Obama. Fifty-three percent (53%) now disapprove. See recent demographic highlights from the tracking polls. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

Obama's Approval Continues Dropping

Rassmussen Reports Polls

Democrats Hurting in Polls

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 36% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.

That represents the lowest level of support for Democrats in recent years, while Republicans have tied their highest level of support for the third straight week. The previous low for Democrats over the past year was 37%. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

CIA Says it will Release No More Information

WASHINGTON -- The CIA says it cannot turn over more details of its interrogations of terror suspects without spilling classified government secrets.

A long-secret report released last week shed new light on alleged CIA abuses. The spy agency faced a Monday court deadline to turn over more papers, but the agency responded by telling the federal judge in the case that dozens of remaining documents must stay secret.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sought the documents as part of a long-running lawsuit seeking information about the U.S. government's antiterror program.

The civil rights group criticized the CIA's position, saying it contradicts President Obama's policies on counterterror measures and transparency in government.

Attorney General Eric Holder last week appointed federal prosecutor John Durham to look into abuse allegations after the release of an internal CIA inspector general's report that revealed agency interrogators once threatened to kill a Sept. 11 suspect's children and suggested another would be forced to watch his mother be sexually assaulted.

Neither end of the political spectrum is happy with Holder's decision. Led by former Vice President Dick Cheney, conservatives said the probe wrongly targeted those who helped keep the nation safe after the Sept. 11 attacks. Civil liberties groups were unhappy that officials from the administration of President George W. Bush were not targeted in the probe.

President Obama has said interrogators would not face charges if they followed legal guidelines. However, the report said that some CIA interrogators went beyond Bush administration restrictions that gave them wide latitude to use severe tactics such as waterboarding, a simulated drowning technique. Three high-level suspects underwent waterboarding scores of times.

Cheney contended that the inspector general's report showed that the severe techniques resulted in "the bulk of intelligence we gained about Al Qaeda" and "saved lives and prevented terrorist attacks." - FOX News Story

Obama's War - Top General Calls for Change in Strategy

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan on Monday called for a new strategy to defeat the Taliban, calling the security picture "serious" but not irreversible.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal sent his strategic review of the Afghan war to the Pentagon on Monday.

He did not ask for more troops but is expected to do so in a separate request, two NATO officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

Increasing U.S. forces is a hot-button issue that could ignite furious debate in Washington on the U.S. military's future in an increasingly unpopular war. Some Democratic senators have increased calls for a timeline to draw down troops.

NATO spokesman James Appathurai told FOX News Radio that McChrystal's report is an "assessment" and not a "final change of strategy," and still has to be reviewed by U.S. allies.

"We need to show the American people, but also the people of the 41 other countries contributing to this operation, progress," he said.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates ordered the 60-day review to size up the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan as Taliban attacks rise and U.S. deaths spiral upward. - FOX News Story

Obama's Struggles Continue

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11 (see trends).

Twenty-nine percent (29%) are confident that Congress knows what it’s doing when it comes to the economy. If Americans could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 57% would throw out all the legislators and start over again. Just 25% would vote to keep the Congress.

The Presidential Approval Index is calculated by subtracting the number who Strongly Disapprove from the number who Strongly Approve. It is updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update). Updates also available on Twitter and Facebook.

Overall, 46% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That’s the lowest level of total approval yet measured for Obama. Fifty-three percent (53%) now disapprove. Eighty-one percent (81%) of Democrats approve while 83% of Republicans disapprove. As for those not affiliated with either major party, 66% disapprove. See other recent demographic highlights from the tracking polls. - Rasmussen Reports Polls

Cheney - Investigation into CIA Interrogation Silly Political Act

Calling it a "terrible decision" that undermines national security and devastates CIA morale, former Vice President Dick Cheney slammed the Obama administration's probe of aggressive interrogation of terrorists.

"It's an outrageous political act that will do great damage, long-term, to our capacity to be able to have people take on difficult jobs, make difficult decisions, without having to worry about what the next administration is going to say," Cheney told "FOX News Sunday" in a no-holds-barred interview.

In blunt, unsparing language, Cheney accused President Obama of setting a "terrible precedent" by allowing an "intensely partisan, politicized look back at the prior administration."

He said the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to launch a probe into alleged abuse of prisoners under the prior administration "offends the hell out of me," as he seemed to question Obama's fitness as commander-in-chief.

"I have serious doubts about his policies," Cheney told FOX News' Chris Wallace in Jackson Hole, Wyo. "Serious doubts, especially, about the extent to which he understands and is prepared to do what needs to be done to defend the nation."

As evidence, Cheney pointed to Obama's decision last week to assert White House control over a newly formed unit that will interrogate terrorists. The new arrangement shifts control of such interrogations away from the CIA and toward the FBI, although oversight will be exercised by the National Security Council, which is located in the White House and reports directly to the president. - FOX News Story

Obama and Congress Struggle in Polls

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 32% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove. That’s the highest level of Strong Disapproval yet recorded for this President and it gives Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10 (see trends).

If Americans could vote to keep or replace the entire Congress, 57% would throw out all the legislators and start over again. Just 25% would vote to keep the Congress. - Rasmussen Reports Poll