White House Kept Justice Lawyers in Dark on Warrantless Wiretapping  —  The Bush White House so strictly controlled access to its warrantless eavesdropping program that only three Justice Department lawyers were aware of the plan, which nearly ignited mass resignations and a constitutional crisis …

David Brooks: A Republican senator put ‘his hand on my inner thigh’ for a ‘whole’ dinner party.  —  Earlier this week, New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote about how “the dignity code” has been “completely obliterated” in Washington, DC.  Discussing the concept on MSNBC today …

Leaders in House Seek to Tax Rich for Health Plan  —  WASHINGTON — House Democrats will ask the wealthiest Americans to help pay for overhauling the health care system with a $550 billion income tax increase, the chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee said Friday.

Administration Considers Bailout Funds for Small Businesses  —  Proposal Would Take Money From $700B Program for Banking System  —  The Obama administration is developing an initiative to take money from the $700 billion program for the banking system and make it available to millions of small businesses …

Band of House centrists offers support for ‘robust’ public health insurance plan  —  A band of 22 New Democrat and Blue Dog lawmakers say they support a “robust” government-run health plan, boosting chances of moving healthcare reform with a public insurance plan through the House.

Two gay men kicked out of Chico's Tacos restaurant for kissing  —  EL PASO — Two gay men kissed at a Chico's Tacos restaurant, prompting guards to eject them and a police officer to endorse their ouster.  —  Civil-rights lawyers say the security staff was out of line.

Obama's African journey: ‘Promise’  —  President Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, founded with the slavery of Africans and perpetuating legalized racial discrimination well into the 20th Century, addressed the parliament of Ghana today in his first journey to Africa as president.

Palin Camp Takes on Levi Johnston  —  Just when you thought the plot couldn't possibly thicken more in the Days of Our Lives in Alaska, it has.  Outgoing Gov. Sarah Palin is now fighting back against claims made by her daughter's ex-boyfriend that she bailed out on Alaska in order to cash in on her fame.

Kirk Opts Out of Senate Race (Or Maybe He Doesn't)? … Update, 10:30 p.m.: Rep. Mark Kirk and Illinois Republican party chairman Andy McKenna are now engaged in a staring match with the Senate nomination in the balance.  —  After deciding not to run early this afternoon and telling several insiders …

Christian Believers Would Be Excluded From Government If The Left Liberals Had Their Way  —  I don't know who's behind President Obama's appointment of Dr. Francis S. Collins as head of the National Institutes of Health.  Maybe it was the influence on the president of Nobel Laureate in Medicine …

Was Obama Checking Out This Girl's Butt?  —  Photo courtesy Jason Reed / Reuters-Landov  —  You may have seen this rather misleading photo doing the rounds this morning.  The photo appears to depict President Obama checking out the rear of 16 year old Brazilian girl Mayora Taveres.

The Stumbles That Led to an Ethics Blunder  —  The Washington Post's ill-fated plan to sell sponsorships of off-the-record “salons” was an ethical lapse of monumental proportions.  —  Publisher Katharine Weymouth and Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli have now taken full responsibility …

U.S. Inaction Seen After Taliban P.O.W.'s Died  —  WASHINGTON — After a mass killing of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Taliban prisoners of war by the forces of an American-backed warlord during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, Bush administration officials repeatedly discouraged efforts …

Obama up big on Pawlenty, Palin  —  Barack Obama's approval rating in Minnesota has dropped six points since April, but that doesn't mean voters are responding too positively to some of his Republican alternatives.  —  54% of voters in the state now give Obama good marks, with 39% saying they disapprove of his job performance.

Yoga Faces Regulation, and Firmly Pushes Back  —  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Ten years ago, with yoga transforming into a ubiquitous pop culture phenomenon from a niche pursuit, yoga teachers banded together to create a voluntary online registry of schools meeting new standards for training instructors.