Palin's Prospects  —  She dashed her chances of winning the 2012 nomination, but a path to the presidency remains open to Sarah Palin.  —  Forget about Sarah Palin as the Republican presidential candidate in 2012 and probably ever.  She may have no interest in seeking the GOP nomination.

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 …

Schumer promises public option in healthcare bill  —  The healthcare reform bill that emerges from Congress this year will include a government-run public health insurance option, regardless of the bipartisan negotiations seeking a compromise in the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday.

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 …

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.

Reuters Runs Staged Photo Of Bloody Honduran Protester  —  Reuters has run photo of a bloodied Honduran protester (below) dramatizing the bloodshed at protests for Manuel Zelaya.  (h/t) Problem is, this photo appears to be staged.  —  Blogger Hunter Smith, who recently finished …

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 …

Legal Bills Swayed Palin, Official Says  —  Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell of Alaska said Sunday that Gov. Sarah Palin's decision to resign was largely prompted by the personal legal costs of the ethics investigations against her.  —  Ms. Palin announced on Friday that she would quit her job near …

Wife blows MI6 chief's cover on Facebook  —  The wife of the new head of MI6 has caused a major security breach and left his family exposed after publishing photographs and personal details on Facebook.  —  Sir John Sawers is due to take over as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in November …

Dan Abrams' Mediaite launches  —  In kicking off today's launch of Mediaite, founder and NBC legal analyst Dan Abrams said it's “for the media, it's about the media and it is part of the new media.”  And yes, it brings navel-gazing to a new level.  —  Taking a quick run through the site …

Honduras at the Tipping Point  —  Why is the U.S. not supporting the rule of law?  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Hundreds of emails from Hondurans flooded my in-box last week after I reported on the military's arrest of President Manuel Zelaya, as ordered by the Supreme Court, and his subsequent banishment from the country.

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.

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.

In Defense of Neo-Con Bashing  —  Greg Djerejian offers up something of a mea culpa and something of a defense against Jeff Weintraub's charge of “rather tiresome ritual 'neocon'-bashing which is becoming too much of a reflex in some quarters.”  —  It's actually true that neocon bashing is a bit on the tiresome side.