Mark Steyn: Jackson, Sanford and weirdness  —  Big government more or less guarantees rule by creeps and misfits.  —  Recommend  —  In a lousy week, Mark Sanford had one stroke of luck: Michael Jackson chose the day after the governor's news conference to moonwalk into eternity …

Obama contemplates Executive Order for detention without charges  —  (updated below)  —  When Obama first unveiled his “preventive detention” policy, many defenders praised him (and claimed he was different than Bush) because of his vow that — as he put it — “my Administration will work …

ELITE EIGHT.... House Republicans wanted to put up a united front against the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), but eight GOP lawmakers — Reps. Mary Bono Mack (Calif.), Mike Castle (Del.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), John McHugh (N.Y.), Dave Reichert …

Bill?  What Bill?  —  At The Examiner, David Freddoso adds a coda to the bizarre story of the cap-and-trade energy tax that passed the House yesterday.  The bill that the House voted on doesn't, strictly speaking, exist: … I can answer that question: none.  There hasn't been time to do so.

Froomkin Departs, Leaving Angry Loyalists And Questions  —  Dan Froomkin's online White House Watch ended today in The Post, leaving an army of angry followers and a string of unanswered questions about the decision to terminate his contract.  —  His release sparked an outcry from a loyal audience built after five and a half years.

Climate Vote Shows White House Still Really Knows How To Work The Hill  —  You don't have to like the climate bill that was approved last night by the House to be impressed by the White House's ability to get it passed.  The bill 219-212, with eight Republican votes in favor.

Baucus ups pressure on health groups  —  The Senate Finance Committee is pressuring hospitals and insurers to follow the lead of the pharmaceutical industry and pony up to help pay for health reform, industry insiders say.  —  With the Democrats' high-stakes gambit to overhaul …

THIS WEEK IN GOD.... First up from the God Machine this week is the resolution of a recent controversy involving the late Jerry Falwell's college in Virginia, which no longer wanted to allow its students to organize an official Democratic student group on campus.

The Road to Hell: Part II  —  27 June 2009  —  With so many contractors, journalists, and even tourists floating around Afghanistan, some are bound to be kidnapped.  The recent escape by David Rohde provides a happy conclusion, though these things often end up with a bullet in the head, or a head sawed off for all to see.

House climate bill passes by slim margin  —  In a 219-212 vote, sweeping legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions is a major victory for Obama and Pelosi.  —  Reporting from Washington — In one of the narrowest votes in its recent history, the House on Friday evening passed a sweeping energy …