Ricci Vs. DeStefano  —  Getting back to first principles of affirmative action.  —  Monday's decision of the United States Supreme Court in the New Haven Firefighter's affirmative action case, Ricci v. DeStefano reveals an open wound on affirmative action by public bodies that time has not healed.

Obama says coup in Honduras is illegal  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday the coup that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was illegal and would set a “terrible precedent” of transition by military force unless it was reversed.

Video: Press corps now openly laughing at Obama's backtracking on taxes  —  It's a laugh riot, isn't it?  Actually, they might be laughing more at Gibbs's feeble way of ducking the question than The One's looming broken promise, but in Gibbs's defense, what's he supposed to say?

Sanford: Staying is part of God's plan  —  In a written message to supporters Monday, Mark Sanford asserted that God's plan for him includes finishing his term as South Carolina governor.  —  Sanford is facing calls for his resignation after disappearing to Argentina then returning last week to admit an affair.

Scalia breaks ranks, slams Bush Fed on bank regulation  —  WASHINGTON — In a rebuke of the Bush administration, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that a federal bank regulator erred in quashing efforts by New York state to combat the kind of predatory mortgage lending that triggered the nation's financial crisis.

Enemies of the People  —  Writing in the New York Times, Paul Krugman has a Vyshinsky moment: So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill.  In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement.  But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives …

‘It takes small people to stoop this low’  —  Says Professor William Jacobson regarding Wonkette's despicable treatment of Sarah Palin's year-old son, Trig.  And I would amend the professor's sentiments only to improve them by saying, “It takes gay men to stoop this low.”  —  Yeah, I just wrote that.

Thoughts on this Term and the Next  —  It's always perilous to try and generalize about a Supreme Court Term.  Roughly 80 cases on diverse topics decided by 9 different people don't collectively produce clear themes.  When they do appear to, it's often a mirage that reflects the coincidence …

Video: Energy Czar hasn't read cap & tax, either  —  Barack Obama's energy czar appeared on Fox & Friends this morning to discuss the cap-and-tax bill passed by the House last week on a razor-thin margin.  Carol Browner got stumped by Fox's Steve Doocy while questioning her ability to speak to the subject …

Busby Blames Local Resident's Political Agenda, Sheriff's Department Officer In Raid On Fundraiser  —  I just spoke on the phone with Francine Busby, a previous and once-again Democratic candidate for California's Fiftieth House District, about Saturday's raid by the San Diego Sheriff's Department …

It's Now Legal to Catch a Raindrop in Colorado  —  DURANGO, Colo. — For the first time since territorial days, rain will be free for the catching here, as more and more thirsty states part ways with one of the most entrenched codes of the West.  —  Precipitation, every last drop or flake …

Yemeni plane crash: child survivor found in Indian Ocean  —  A young child has been plucked alive from the waters of the Indian Ocean by rescue boats searching for survivors of a Yemenia Air flight from Paris that crashed off the Comoros Islands, killing up to 152 people.

Obama's Obsolete Iran Policy  —  The audacity of hope gives way to the timidity of realism.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  President Obama's Iran policy is incoherent and obsolete.  Maybe David Axelrod should take note.  —  On Sunday, Mr. Obama's consigliere was asked about Iran …

Jackson Will From 2002 In Spotlight  —  A will drafted by Michael Jackson in 2002 which divides the singer's estate among his mother, three children and one or more charities could play a central role in determining how his tangled financial relationships will be unwound.

On Gay Issues, Obama Asks to Be Judged on Vows Kept  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama defended his policies on gay rights on Monday, telling an audience of gay men and lesbians that he remained committed to overturning the military's “don't ask, don't tell” rule and that he expected to be judged …

Street to Log Best Quarter Since Crisis  —  The securities firms still standing on Wall Street are about to close the most lucrative quarter since the credit crisis erupted.  —  And instead of relying on risk and leverage to drive profits, companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. …

Rick Klein  —  ABC News' Senior Political Reporter and author of ‘The Note’  —  Rick Klein is ABC News' senior political reporter and author of ABC's The Note, a daily political blog and tipsheet that publishes every weekday morning at ABCNEWS.com.  The New Yorker magazine called The Note …

The Brevity Act: Time for a 28th Amendment  —  Earlier this year, Congress passed a “Stimulus” Bill.  It was 973 pages long.  This past Friday, the House passed a “Climate Change” Bill.  It was more than 1200 pages long.  —  This got me wondering: how long, exactly, is our Constitution?

CNN Poll: Americans don't want to intervene in Iran election crisis  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new national poll suggests that that nearly three out of four Americans don't want the U.S. directly intervene in the election crisis in Iran even though most Americans are upset by how the Iranian government …

A sound funeral plan can prolong a bank's life  —  Buried within the 88-page Obama administration proposal to overhaul financial regulation is an overlooked option called a “rapid resolution plan”.  It mandates that systemically important financial companies be required regularly to file a …

8st 1oz, no food just pills in his stomach, bald, bruised, his ribs broken by CPR, 4 needle wounds near his heart...  THE horrifying state of pop superstar Michael Jackson in his final days can be revealed by The Sun today.  —  Harrowing leaked autopsy details show the singer was a virtual skeleton …

Ron Paul's ‘Audit the Fed’ Bill Gathers Steam  —  He may have faded from the national political scene a year ago, after his dark-horse presidential run came to naught, but Rep. Ron Paul 's influence is still being felt in campaigns and policy debates across the country.