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.

Ensign paid $96k to mistress's family  —  Sen. John Ensign's attorney acknowledged Thursday that the Nevada Republican's parents paid nearly $100,000 to the family of his mistress after she and her husband left his staff in April 2008.  —  In a statement from Paul Coggins, Ensign's attorney …

To go forward, GOP must snap out of its Sarah Palin spell  —  Gov. Sarah Palin is the political train wreck that keeps on giving.  First, she was an awful choice last year as John McCain's running mate.  I came to this conclusion with regret - I am one of McCain's biggest admirers.  —  But facts are facts.

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 …

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?

Democrats Say C.I.A. Deceived Congress  —  WASHINGTON — The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon E. Panetta, has told the House Intelligence Committee in closed-door testimony that the C.I.A. concealed “significant actions” from Congress from 2001 until late last month, seven Democratic committee members said.

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.

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 …

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.

Billions in aid go to areas that backed Obama in '08  —  WASHINGTON — Billions of dollars in federal aid delivered directly to the local level to help revive the economy have gone overwhelmingly to places that supported President Obama in last year's presidential election.

Akron police investigate teen mob attack on family  —  Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.  —  But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.  —  It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium.

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.

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.

Uncommon Detail Marks Rulings by Sotomayor  —  She Almost Oversteps Her Role, Experts Say  —  Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's opinions show support for the rights of criminal defendants and suspects, skepticism of corporations, and sympathy for plaintiffs alleging discrimination …

Updated: Hoyer-linked firm wins $18M Recovery.gov contract  —  ABC reports this morning that the Maryland firm Smartronix has won what seems like an enormous $18 million contract to re-design the Recovery.gov website.  Approximately $9.5 million would be spent by January in order to make …

Palin Top Choice Of Republicans ... Concerned About National Security?  —  I'm really not sure what to make of this astonishing number from Rasmussen about the 2012 GOP primary: … Palin is the top choice among Republicans whose top concern is national security?

Buffett Likens Economic Stimulus to Viagra  —  The Legendary Investor Is Critical of the First Stimulus Package, Comparing It to Viagra and Candy  —  As debate grows about a possible second stimulus package for the flagging American economy, at least one legendary investor is giving the idea his guarded approval.

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.

Obama's drive for climate change bill delayed  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's push for quick action by Congress on climate change legislation suffered a setback on Thursday when the U.S. Senate committee leading the drive delayed work on the bill until September.