Washington (CNN) -- President Obama on Monday called the Senate vote to end debate and move toward passing a health care bill "a big victory for the American people."

It's an axiom in U.S. politics that the party in power in the White House loses seats in off-year elections. So every Democrat is girding for the fight in 2010.

Five million-member progressive group urges Democrats to block legislation

It's the first of three major hurdles in the Senate en route to an anticipated vote by Christmas.

With more Americans suspected in plots, the Homeland Security secretary has stepped up intelligence sharing with state and city law enforcement and increased outreach to Muslim communities.

Americans are in a war that pits the politically correct against Christmas carolers, some say. They say it's a battle that plays out in the halls of Congress, retail stores and public schools across the country, and it's one that's been raging for years.

WASHINGTON - Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean argued Wednesday that the health care overhaul bill taking shape in the Senate further empowers private insurers at the expense of consumer choice.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval rating has dropped to a new low as Californians continue to worry about the economy and the state's dismal finances, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

He tells ABC News about his reaction to deciding to send more troops to Afghanistan and greeting troops' caskets in Dover, Delaware. It 'hits you like a ton of bricks' to meet survivors, he says.

The Oklahoma Republcan and strident climate change denier made himself available to the thousands of reporters gathered at the Bella Center in an attempt to "make sure that nobody is laboring under the misconception that the US Senate is going to do somet