Extraordinary scenes: Robert Fisk in Iran  —  The long-standing Middle East correspondent for The Independent, Robert Fisk, is defying the government crackdown on foreign media reporting in Iran.  —  As he explains, he has been travelling around the streets of Tehran all day and most of the night and things are far from quiet:

Dems reel on healthcare  —  Congressional Democrats and the White House are scrambling to regain their footing after a series of setbacks has stalled political momentum to reform the nation's healthcare system.  —  Despite having a popular president in the White House and comfortable majorities in Congress …

Out of Washington, Edwards Finds Worries Remain  —  John Edwards says he has few illusions.  He knows the picture many Americans hold of him is not a pretty one.  He also knows that even before he was engulfed in tabloid scandal, his electoral appeal had limits.

Fired AmeriCorps IG responds: White House charges are false  —  Fired AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin strongly denies the White House's claim that he was “confused, disoriented [and] unable to answer questions” at a May 20, 2009 board meeting of the Corporation for National and Community Service …

ENSIGN, WHOA.... Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't much care what Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) does in his personal life.  What he does in his bedroom is his business.  —  But the larger context of this story matters a great deal.  Stupid personal mistakes are easily overlooked; breathtaking hypocrisy isn't.

Nathan Bedford Forrest Has Beautiful Eyes  —  Of the many reckonings that black people of honest political consciousness must endure, the appointment with black slavery is the most agonizing.  I don't mean the appointment with the notion of white people as the enslavers of our ancestors …

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off  —  SADLY, AND TO my horror, I am divorcing.  This was a 20-year partnership.  My husband is a good man, though he did travel 20 weeks a year for work.  I am a 47-year-old woman whose commitment to monogamy, at the very end, came unglued.  This turn of events was a surprise.

Bachmann Boasts About Breaking The Law: I'm Refusing To Fill Out The Census  —  Next year, the 2010 Census will be sent to every American household, as required by the U.S. Constitution.  The far right has issued dire warnings of the Census; on a May 29th episode of Bill Bennett's radio show …

I'm pretty sure this is why Juan Williams isn't allowed to associate himself with NPR when he appears on The O'Reilly Factor  —  If folks didn't see this clip from Monday night, it's a beaut.  Not only does the reliable O'Reilly backstop Juan Williams eagerly assure the host that he was right …

General McChrystal's New Way of War  —  The U.S. has been bringing soldiers home as soon as they get any experience.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Gen. Stanley McChrystal was appointed commander in Afghanistan to shake up a troubled war effort.  But one of his first initiatives could wind …

Maureen Dowd Thinks You're an Idiot  —  The New York Times' Maureen Dowd has written a piece that seems to indicate that President and Mrs. Obama are responsible for providing the rest of the nation with good examples of how we should eat.  —  Seriously.  —  Dowd writes:

Ahmadinejad's Millions of Photoshopped Supporters  —  With the world press confined to quarters, and only the Islamic Republic's propaganda station, Press TV reporting on what is happening, it is difficult to get a clear picture of whether there is any real support for the regime and Ahmedinejad's candidacy.

IRAN AND THE VEIL.  —  Photo from Tehran by Farhad Rajabali, via Flickr  —  The photos coming out of Tehran demonstrate, movingly and beautifully, that women are on the front lines of the protests taking place there, veils and all.  The images reminded me of President Obama's focus …

Health Care Rationing Rhetoric Overlooks Reality  —  Rationing.  —  More to the point: Rationing!  —  As in: Wait, are you talking about rationing medical care?  Access to medical care is a fundamental right.  And rationing sounds like something out of the Soviet Union.  Or at least Canada.

No name-calling  —  If you want to score a meeting with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), know this: His scheduler/office manager, Elizabeth Becton, is to be addressed by her full name — not Liz or any other variant.  —  An executive assistant at McBee Strategic recently learned this the hard way.

Iran's soccer team wears symbolic green bands  —  TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Members of Iran's national soccer team wore green arm and wrist bands Wednesday during their World Cup qualifying match against South Korea.  —  The team does not normally wear green bands.

No Recognition Of Ahmadinejad  —  This is the first and absolute requirement of all Western governments.  The disgusting visuals of Medvedev and Ahmadinejad yesterday must not be repeated.  Here an Iranian exile makes a moving and clear plea for our solidarity with the people of Iran:

‘I CAN HAVE 2 VOTES’  —  ESPADA'S DEADLOCK ‘SOLUTION’: GIMME SENATE SUPERPOWERS  —  ALBANY — Renegade Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada claimed yesterday he and his Republican allies are forging an explosive new plan to give him an unprecedented two votes to break the newly emerged deadlock in the state Senate.

Q&A with Clay Shirky on Twitter and Iran  —  NYU professor Clay Shirky gave a fantastic talk on new media during our TED@State event earlier this month.  He revealed how cellphones, the web, Facebook and Twitter had changed the rules of the game, allowing ordinary citizens extraordinary new powers to impact real-world events.

Barney Frank rips prez's ‘big mistake’  —  Fuming over anti-gay wed filing  —  U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, one of the nation's leading gay rights champions, blasted President Obama yesterday over a controversial anti-gay marriage court filing and is calling on the commander in chief to explain himself.

Obama takes aim at Fox News  —  (CNN) - Brushing off suggestions Tuesday the media is not critical enough of his administration, President Obama couldn't help but take aim at one cable news channel in particular.  —  “It's very hard for me to swallow that one,” Obama told CNBC when asked whether he thinks the media is too easy on him.

In huge change, Obama'd strip Fed of credit card oversight  —  Elizabeth Warren, who chairs the Congressional Oversight Panel overseeing bailout spending, talks to McClatchy reporters about the president's proposed regulatory changes.  —  WASHINGTON — Among the sweeping changes …