Ensign's parents paid mistress $96k  —  Sen. John Ensign's parents shelled out big bucks to pay off their son's mistress, the latest twist in an unfolding scandal that has upended the political career of the one-time rising GOP star.  —  The scandal has also touched Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) …

A Final Palin Post  —  I'm back from the Last Frontier with this week's dead tree cover story on Sarah Palin, written with the very excellent editor-at-large David Von Drehle.  I don't think this will be the last we hear from the soon-to-be-former governor.

White House Press Corps Spent the Fourth of July Hanging Out With Obama, Off the Record  —  Reporters from roughly 30 television networks, newspapers, magazines, and web sites celebrated the Fourth of July with Barack Obama at the White House last weekend.  Why didn't you know that?

Firefighters to testify about Sotomayor  —  Republicans will call two New Haven firefighters to testify in the confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor next week, making clear the GOP's intent to place affirmative action at the center of Senate battle over Sotomayor's nomination.

Houston—er, Washington—We Have a Problem  —  On Wednesday, according to a Capitol Hill source, the Senate Finance Committee distributed to its members a list of about twenty ways to help pay for health care reform.  Everything you could imagine was on the list: Taxes on soda and cigarettes.

DeMint: America is ‘Where Germany Was Before World War II’  —  Last night, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) gave a short talk and Q&A at at the National Press Club about his book “Saving Freedom.”  DeMint told a room of around 100 people about a conversation he'd had with an Iranian immigrant …

Roland Burris won't run for Senate seat in 2010  —  Sneed has learned U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has decided NOT to seek election to the seat he fought the government to keep.  —  Sen. Burris is planning to announce his decision Friday by issuing a statement to the press.

White House denies manufacturer's boast that First Lady carried their $5,950 bag  —  Is First Lady Michelle Obama sporting a taste for ultra-expensive fashion pieces, or is she cementing her status as a savvy shopper?  —  Back in April she wore a pair of $540 Lanvin sneakers at a Washington food bank.

Naming Someone Who Hates Public Schools to Head the State Ed Board?  Gov. Perry, You Can't Be Serious!  —  Hoo wee.  Via Fred Clark, this story about Texas Gov. Rick Perry considering the appointment of a right-wing extremist Christian to head the state's Board of education.

New York Times Considers $5 Monthly Web-Access Fee  —  New York Times Co. said in a survey of print subscribers that it's considering a $5 monthly fee for access to its namesake newspaper's Web site.  —  Times Co. also asked whether subscribers would be willing to pay a discounted fee …

Netanyahu's paranoia extends to ‘self-hating Jews’ Emmanuel and Axelrod  —  At about 3:15 P.M. yesterday, the government's 100th day in office, political correspondents' beepers went off.  In an unprecedented move, the Prime Minister's Bureau was inviting the correspondents to a press conference …

Protesters in Iran met with tear gas, batons  —  TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iranian pro-government Basij militia members dispersed crowds of protesters in Tehran Thursday — sometimes with force — according to a journalist on the scene.  —  The demonstration is taking place on the 10th anniversary …

King's New Rationale For Voting Against Slave Labor Resolution: It Wasn't ‘A Balanced Depiction Of History’  —  Yesterday, a number of blogs reported that right-wing Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was the lone dissenter on a House vote to acknowledge the role that slave labor had in constructing the U.S. Capitol.

Intrepid CNN Newsman Anderson Cooper Stumped by Cool Whip  —  I must admit, this is not the household item I would have expected Anderson Cooper to be unfamiliar with, but alas.  —  While filling in for Regis on “Live w/ Regis and Kelly” this week, Cooper illustrated that between partying …

Man of the People  —  I was sorry to watch, live on CNN, Edward R. Murrow and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and all around “Man of the People” Jack Cafferty spit on me on his broadcast today.  —  After decrying the notion of “actors and comedians” running for public office, Cafferty stated …

Criminalizing Free Speech: HR 1966 Sec 881  —  Here it comes.  Thought crime and hate crime legislation.  No one can attest to the vile nature of internet harassment, threats and insults more than I can, but I would never silence my “critics”.  This law is unconstitutional, a blatant violation of the First Amendment.

The Last Manned Fighter?  —  Mike Mullen thinks the F-35 may be the last manned fighter.  Various stakeholders don't like that idea, but Robert Farley thinks it's right: … I'm with Farley on this.  The point about cost savings is not totally intuitive and I don't think it's widely appreciated …

Pharmacists can't refuse Plan B pill, appeals court says  —  A pharmacy owner and workers had sued Washington state to block a requirement that they stock and sell the ‘morning after’ contraceptive.  —  Pharmacists are obliged to dispense the Plan B pill, even if they are personally opposed to the …

Michael Moore unveils title of new doc  —  ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’ to be released Oct. 2  —  Michael Moore's opting to spoof romantic conventions in titling his upcoming documentary “Capitalism: A Love Story,” which addresses the causes of the global economic meltdown.

Fewer than expected file for unemployment  —  Labor Department says first time jobless claims fell by 52,000 last week to 565,000.  But continuing claims rose to another record high.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The number of Americans filing initial unemployment claims fell sharply last week …

Jeb Bush: 'I don't know' if Obama is a socialist  —  (CNN) - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told an interviewer that he could not say whether or not President Barack Obama is a socialist, and that the president would not have been elected if he had been honest with Americans about his agenda.

Independents begin to edge away from President Obama  —  In a potentially alarming trend for the White House, independent voters are deserting President Barack Obama nationally and especially in key swing states, recent polls suggest.  —  Obama's job approval rating hit a — still healthy …

Watch Who You're Calling a Liar  —  Panetta orders internal probe of secret spy program after some members of Congress say CIA misled them.  —  CIA Director Leon Panetta has ordered an internal inquiry into the agency's handling of a contentious and still highly classified intelligence program …

SEN. ESPADA RETURNING TO DEMOCRATS  —  POWER IN ALBANY FLIPS AGAIN  —  ALBANY - Bronx state Sen. Pedro Espada, whose defection to the Republican camp helped trigger the current Senate crisis, will return to the Democratic fold and end the month-long Senate stalemate, The Post has learned.