Palin and Her Enemies  —  If Sarah Palin's political career ended last Friday, 10 tumultuous months after she was introduced as the Republican Party's vice-presidential nominee, those five words will be its epitaph.  —  Had she refused John McCain, Palin would still be a popular female governor …

California's Nightmare Will Kill Obamanomics: Kevin Hassett  —  Last week, we discovered that the state of California will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.  —  With California mired in a budget crisis, largely the result of a political impasse that makes spending cuts …

Ex-Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara Dies at 93  —  Robert S. McNamara, perhaps the most influential defense secretary of the 20th century, who helped lead the nation into the maelstrom of Vietnam and spent the rest of his life wrestling with the war's moral consequences …

Obama: Student Radical  —  During the campaign, I wrote a piece called “Why Won't Obama Talk About Columbia?  — The years he won't discuss may explain the Ayers tie he keeps lying about.”  So now, nearly six months into the Obama presidency, the mainstream media has finally done a bit …

Tea party protest at Southfork Ranch falls short of estimated 50,000 attendees  —  mnorris@dallasnews.com  —  It was more than the heat that had people hot under the collar this Independence Day at Southfork Ranch.  A range of issues from taxes to universal health care brought a crowd out to America's Tea Party.

Presented by The First Five Years Fund: Offers pour in for Sarah Palin from left, right and center - Next two weeks could be make-or-break for health care - Al Franken to be sworn in tomorrow  —  BIRTHDAY: DNC's Cloe Axelson (hat tip: Mike Czin)  —  BREAKING - Bloomberg …

Scores Reported Dead After Unrest in China  —  SHANGHAI — The official death toll in riots in China's northwestern Xinjiang region rose sharply Monday, with the government saying that 140 had been killed in what appears to be one of the deadliest episodes of unrest in China in decades.

Say it ain't so, Joe  —  It's hard to tell exactly what Joe Biden was trying to say this morning on “This Week” with George Stephanopolous.  But his remarks are being widely interpreted as a green light for an Israeli strike on Iran.  If that isn't the case, Biden needs to issue a strong clarification immediately.

America's Fiscal Train Wreck  —  America's long-awaited fiscal train wreck is now underway.  Depending on policy actions taken now and over the next few years, federal deficits will likely average as much as 6% of GDP through 2019, contributing to a jump in debt held by the public to as high …

Is A Case Of Quant Trading Sabotage About To Destroy Goldman Sachs?  —  Major developing story: Matt Goldstein over at Reuters may have just broken a story that could spell doom for if not the entire Goldman Sachs program trading group, then at least those who deal with “low latency …

Special Report: Ideologically, Where Is the U.S. Moving?  —  Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say their views have grown more conservative  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Despite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become …

A Treasured Bush Memento, Once the Property of a Foe, May Be Put on Display  —  Many American presidents have kept prized possessions within reach during their White House years.  Franklin D. Roosevelt cherished a 19th century ship model of the U.S.S. Constitution.

Coffee 'may reverse Alzheimer's'  —  Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say.  —  The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease.

HELP Is on the Way  —  The Congressional Budget Office has looked at the future of American health insurance, and it works.  —  A few weeks ago there was a furor when the budget office “scored” two incomplete Senate health reform proposals — that is, estimated their costs and likely impacts over the next 10 years.

Beware Post-Dated Resignations?  —  Let me start by saying I don't think this is likely.  But given our experience with Larry Craig, I do think it's worth considering.  Remember, former Sen. Larry Craig came out and announced he was resigning his office.  But folks who listened closely noticed …