Gramm Stands by Recession Comments  —  Former senator Phil Gramm — under fire for saying the United States has “become a nation of whiners” — said in an interview today that he meant the nation's leaders were whiners, not its citizens.  —  But the top adviser to Sen. John McCain repeated …

Pelosi says House Judiciary may hold hearings on Kucinich impeachment resolution  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this morning that the House Judiciary Committee may hold hearings on an impeachment resolution offered by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).

The Hubris Of Obama?  —  A few things have unsettled me these past couple of weeks about the Obama campaign.  It is not the small adjustments to previously-held positions - FISA, the Second Amendment, Iraq.  It's a sense that Obama's ample self-regard is lapsing into hubris.

President George Bush: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter'  —  George Bush surprised world leaders with a joke about his poor record on the environment as he left the G8 summit in Japan.  —  The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change …

Obama's Accidental Sister Souljah Moment  —  Barack Obama leads a charmed life.  He finally had his Sister Souljah moment and didn't even have to show up.  Jesse Jackson did it for him solo.  —  Sixteen years ago, Bill Clinton used a Jackson-sponsored forum to rebuke the rap singer …

McCain has best fundraising in June, $22M  —  WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate John McCain raised more than $22 million in June, his best fundraising performance of the year, and ended the month with nearly $27 million cash on hand.  —  Campaign manager Rick Davis said Thursday …

In an Iranian Image, a Missile Too Many  —  Updated, 9:33 a.m., Agence France-Presse has retracted the image as “apparently digitally altered.”  —  As news spread across the world of Iran's provocative missile tests, so did an image of four missiles heading skyward in unison.

Pelosi: Drilling in protected areas ‘a hoax’  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday shut the door on expanding oil and gas drilling beyond areas that have already been approved for energy exploration, drawing a clear distinction from her counterparts in charge of the Senate.

Survival of the Sudsiest  —  Perhaps, like many sensible citizens, you read Investor's Business Daily for its sturdy common sense in defending free markets and other rational arrangements.  If so, you too may have been startled recently by an astonishing statement on that newspaper's front page.

OPEC warns against military conflict with Iran  —  VIENNA: The head of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries warned Thursday that oil prices would see an “unlimited” increase in the case of a military conflict involving Iran, because the group's members would be unable to make up the lost production.

Congressman Rents Apartments at Bargain Rates  —  While aggressive evictions are making rent-stabilized apartments increasingly scarce in New York, Representative Charles B. Rangel is enjoying four of them, including three adjacent apartments in a sprawling penthouse overlooking Upper Manhattan …

The Nutty Confessor  —  A coupla observations about the Rev. Jesse Jackson:  —  1. He doesn't wish Obama well any more than the Rev. Wright does.  Both of these reverends have built careers around victimization and Obama's call to self-examination and personal responsibility is tantamount to calling for these fellows' retirement.