Obama defends DOMA in federal court.  Says banning gay marriage is good for the federal budget.  Invokes incest and marrying children.  —  UPDATE: Obama spokesman caught lying to Politico.  —  Joe and I have been trying since last night to get a copy of the government's brief just filed in this case.

Right-Wing Neocons Rooting For Ahmadinejad Win  —  American neoconservatives have often used the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to bolster their case for aggressive action against Iran.  So the assumption might be that they would be rooting for Iranians to take care of the problem themselves …

The Big Hate  —  Back in April, there was a huge fuss over an internal report by the Department of Homeland Security warning that current conditions resemble those in the early 1990s — a time marked by an upsurge of right-wing extremism that culminated in the Oklahoma City bombing.

What's behind Obama's sudden attempt to fire the AmeriCorps inspector general?  —  Some strange and potentially suspicious events tonight concerning the Obama White House and the AmeriCorps program.  I've been told that on Wednesday night the AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin …

Palin to Lauer: “You're Extremely Naive If You Believe Letterman's Explanation”  —  Sarah Palin Nails It!  —  Sarah Palin tells Today host Matt Lauer that he is “extremely naive” if he believed David Letterman's explanation of the joke he made about Palin's daughter:

House Health-Care Bill to Include $600 Billion in Tax Increases  —  Health-care overhaul legislation being drafted by House Democrats will include $600 billion in tax increases and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said.

Former President GHW Bush stands up for Sotomayor  —  (CNN)-Former President George H.W. Bush stood up for his former judicial nominee Sonia Sotomayor Friday, telling CNN Anchor Robin Meade that GOP critics who called President Obama's Supreme Court pick a racist were off-base, and unfair.

Insta-Hack Watch  —  He's up to his partisan shenanigans again.  He must know that the huge deficits projected in the future have virtually nothing to do with Obama's proposals on healthcare or energy.  They are a function of inherited entitlement spending, the legacy of two open-ended wars …

The Ice Age Cometh  —  Despairing Republican friends have been asking me what I think we should do to rebuild the GOP and begin our certain and inevitable comeback.  My answer disappoints them: “Build an ark.”  —  I say this because I've made a career out of counting votes …

US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive  —  Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic “shrink to survive” proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline.  —  The government looking at expanding …

Decline and Fall  —  Face time with the president is political gold in Washington, so Donald Rumsfeld moved quickly after taking charge at the Pentagon to secure weekly private meetings with President George W. Bush.  Now, nearly six years and many meetings later, the defense secretary arrived …

Barack Obama Surveys the World  —  “And the Spirit of God hovered upon the face of the waters”  —  When President Obama returned from his first European trip, I observed that while over there he had been “acting the philosopher-king who hovers above the fray mediating” between America and the world.

We Need a New National Anthem  —  In the Age of Karaoke, more people (including me) like to join in the singing when they strike up the national anthem at public occasions.  No one can stop you, no matter how embarrassed she might be by your obvious lack of talent.

Remember Iraq?  You will soon enough  —  Iraq is receding from our national consciousness (Stephen Colbert's efforts to remind us about the war notwithstanding).  The combined effects of the success of the surge, President Bush signing a restrictive Status of Forces Agreement …

Poll: GOP risks loss of respect if it goes after Sotomayor  —  WASHINGTON — Republicans may have a window of opportunity to turn public opinion against President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee, but a new poll finds that such a campaign could hurt their party's already weak standing …

Leading White Nationalist To Speak At Pat Buchanan's American Cause Conference This Month  —  The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that MSNBC's Pat Buchanan has invited the editor of a white nationalist, anti-immigrant website to speak at the upcoming conference for his group, the American Cause.

The Economics of the HDMI Cable Ripoff  —  I just bought a blu-ray player.  (Actually my 10 and 7-year old bought it as a birthday gift for my wife; alas, neither they nor she were fooled for long, but I digress.)  To get the best performance you need an HDMI cable which must be purchased separately …

Enough with the Obamathon  —  The president is on TV more than the ShamWow guy, but I want to see a little more action.  —  President Obama should just join the cast of “I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”  It's not that farfetched; he's been on everything else.

White House Browbeats Dem Freshmen On War Money: “You'll Never Hear From Us Again”  —  The White House is playing hardball with Democrats who intend to vote against the supplemental war spending bill, threatening freshmen who oppose it that they won't get help with reelection and will be cut off …

Ray LaHood: A ‘Transformational’ Time for the U.S. Transit System  —  Four months into his new position as secretary of transportation, Ray LaHood has a great deal on his plate.  As well as overseeing 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget, he's in charge of $48 billion in stimulus funds directed …