When Anonymity Fails, Be Nasty, Brutish and Short  —  Throughout the Bush presidency, he toiled in secrecy deep within the White House, a mysterious and feared presence who never stepped into the sunlight of public disclosure.  —  Until yesterday.  —  There he sat, hunched and scowling …

FIRST THOUGHTS: GET YOUR GUN  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** Get your gun: Yesterday's Supreme Court decision on the 2nd Amendment elevated an issue — guns — that hadn't received that much attention until now.  Remembering that the subject hurt Al Gore …

After The Press Leaves, Some Edgy Questions  —  Barack Obama drew his biggest cheers of the night when he vowed to help Hillary Clinton pay off her campaign debt.  The pooler was ushered out of the meeting room where about 200 of Clinton's top donors — those who had raised a combined $230m …

The Sam's Club Agenda  —  Among the many dark tidings for American conservatism, there is one genuine bright spot.  Over the past five years, a group of young and unpredictable rightward-leaning writers has emerged on the scene.  —  These writers came of age as official conservatism slipped into decrepitude.

Obama Lead Tight Over McCain  —  Illinois Senator Barack Obama enters the General Election with a tight lead, 43% to 38%, over Arizona Senator John McCain, according to a new TIME Magazine poll of registered voters.  The poll shows Obama gaining only a slight bounce from Hillary Clinton's departure from the campaign early this month.

Grover Norquist has a label for Barack Obama  —  John McCain has been trying hard of late to link Barack Obama with Jimmy Carter in the public consciousness, hoping that the “ineffectual” label that many voters affix to the former president will prove transferable.

McCain Gambles with Awkward Joke  —  In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was asked by columnist Jon Ralston why he didn't choose Gov. Jim Gibbons to chair his Nevada campaign.  —  “I appreciate his support,” McCain said.  “As you know, the lieutenant governor is our chairman.”

Dancing In Pyongyang  —  North Korea just blew up the cooling tower on its own Yongbyon reactor, as part of an ongoing dismantlement deal with the United States.  This is a momentous step because it's largely irreversible: North Korea will never again be able to kick out inspectors …

Keith Olbermann's reply and Obama's secret plan to protect the rule of law  —  (updated below)  —  Keith Olbermann went to Daily Kos to respond to what I wrote yesterday regarding his and Jonathan Alter's statements on Obama's support for the FISA bill.  Despite his having packed his response …

Seven Republicans Block AIDS Bill  —  Bush's AIDS program has been described by many, including even his critics, as his greatest diplomatic and foreign policy success and has alleviated the suffering of millions.  But now seven Republicans are calling a halt on an expansion of the program …

Openly Gay Army Sergeant Discharged Under “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Decorated Army Sergeant Darren Manzella has been discharged under the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” law banning lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans from military service, effective June 10.

Cheer up.  We're winning this War on Terror  —  Al-Qaeda and the Taleban are in retreat, the surge has worked in Iraq and Islamism is discredited.  Not a bad haul  —  “My centre is giving way.  My right is in retreat.  Situation excellent.  I shall attack!”

Citing Need for Assessments, U.S. Freezes Solar Energy Projects  —  DENVER — Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.