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:

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.

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 …

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 …

Letterman protest draws more media than activists  —  NEW YORK (CNN) — A protest rally against David Letterman over a failed joke about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her daughter attracted more members of the media than protesters Tuesday afternoon.  —  A crowd of 15 protesters upset …

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 …

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:

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.

House Republicans: Iranian Bloggers Are Just Like Us, We're Both An ‘Oppressed Minority’  —  Trying to take political advantage of the Iranian protests, Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) declared that there was “more freedom” in Iran than in the U.S. Congress, after House ended debate last night:

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 …

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 …

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'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.

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 …

‘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.

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.