Obama calls on HuffPost for Iran question UPDATE  —  In what appeared to be a coordinated exchange, President Obama called on the Huffington Post's Nico Pitney near the start of his press conference and requested a question directly about Iran.  —  “Nico, I know you and all across the Internet …

Sources Question Governor's Story  —  Gov. Mark Sanford Says He Disappeared To Go Hiking  —  GREENVILLE, S.C. — WYFF News 4 has received exclusive information from sources who say they have information about Gov. Mark Sanford's whereabouts during a mysterious absence over the past several days.

Tapes Reveal Nixon's View of Abortion  —  WASHINGTON — On Jan. 23, 1973, when the Supreme Court struck down state criminal abortion laws in Roe v. Wade, President Richard M. Nixon made no public statement.  But privately, newly released tapes reveal, he expressed ambivalence.

KLEIN 1, MCCAIN 0.... John McCain has spent an enormous amount of time lately criticizing President Obama's approach to developments in Iran.  On CNN last night, Larry King mentioned to Time's Joe Klein that McCain would be on the program tonight, and asked what Klein would tell the Arizona Republican.

David Westin Responds to Members of the Congressional Media Fairness Caucus  —  Dear Congressman Smith:  —  Thank you for your letter of today's date concerning our planned coverage tomorrow of health care reform in America.  I am pleased that you agree that the subject deserves extensive and careful coverage.

Through the Looking Glass With Andrew Sullivan  —  Perhaps the single, common life goal of every intellectual, pseudo-intellectual, and intellectual aspirant, is to be a true Renaissance man — a genius whose force of will and flexible, dominating intellect allows him to master or nearly master …

Longtime Clinton confidant Blumenthal to become Clinton advisor  —  Longtime journalist and former Clinton White House advisor Sidney Blumenthal will become a special advisor without portfolio to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, The Cable has learned.  Blumenthal refused to comment.

Mousavi, Celebrated in Iranian Protests, Was the Butcher of Beirut  —  He may yet turn out to be the avatar of Iranian democracy, but three decades ago Mir-Hossein Mousavi was waging a terrorist war on the United States that included bloody attacks on the U.S. embassy and Marine Corps barracks in Beirut.

What Obama didn't mention  —  A couple of surprising words were missing from President Barack Obama's 55-minute news conference on Wednesday: “Iraq” — and “Afghanistan.”  —  Also MIA: “Korea,” “Pakistan,” “soldiers,” “surge” and “war” — as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

Eliminating Prison Rape  —  It has been far too long in coming but, yesterday, the Federal Prison Rape Elimination commission released its report on elimination and prevention efforts regarding the biggest social problem nobody wants to talk about: prison rape.

Pessimistic executives cash out of shares  —  Growing pessimism about the prospects for a global economic recovery sent stock and commodity prices tumbling on Monday while new data showed that leading US corporate executives were cashing out of their share holdings at a rapid pace.

President Obama Holds Press Conference  —  Opens with Discussion on Health-Care, Iranian Elections and Energy Policy  —  [*] OBAMA: Hello, everybody.  Good afternoon, everybody.  —  Today, I want to start by addressing three issues, and then I'll take your questions.

Why Are Obama's Polls Slipping?  —  Today's presidential press conference was supposed to be held in the Rose Garden, but it got canceled because of the heat.  I suspect this was less a tender concern about the press corps, which would have to be seated long in advance of the president …

Cornyn: I'll Support Norm Coleman if He Appeals to the Supreme Court  —  At a luncheon at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's headquarters near Capitol Hill (organized by the Heritage Foundation), I asked Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) if there was a Republican game plan ready …

The End of the Beginning  —  TEHRAN — Iran's 1979 revolution took a full year to gestate.  The uprising of 2009 has now ended its first phase.  But the volatility ushered in by the June 12 ballot-box putsch of Iran's New Right is certain to endure over the coming year.  The Islamic Republic has been weakened.

New All-Time Lows for Both CBS & ABC Evening Newscasts  —  Breaking: TVNewser has learned the CBS Evening News has once again set an all-time low last week with 4.89 million Total Viewers and 1.42 million A25-54 viewers.  But it was also the lowest (since records began in the 1991-'92 season) for ABC's World News with Charles Gibson.

Ed McMahon, America's Top Second Banana, Dies at 86  —  Ed McMahon, who for nearly 30 years was Johnny Carson's affable second banana on “The Tonight Show,” introducing it with his ringing trademark call, “Heeeere's Johnny!,” died early Tuesday in Los Angeles.  He was 86.

He Thinks You're Stupid  —  In his press conference today, President Obama talked about the cap-and-trade energy tax that the Democrats are trying to ram through Congress.  Obama's nose grew a couple of inches as he uttered this howler: … The idea that the energy tax will come to rest with …