Responding to the President's op-ed  —  I would like to respond to the President's Washington Post op-ed, “Rebuilding Something Better.”  All quotes in this post are from the President. … The President and his team use this language to lower the bar against which they are measured.

FOLKS: O, FOR SHAME!  —  'GIRL'S NO SEX SYMBOL!'  —  The Secret Service might want to put a new threat on its watch list: the mad-as-hell mama of the 17-year-old Brazilian beauty ogled by President Obama and French leader Nicolas Sarkozy at the G8 summit last week.

The Future of Conservative Ideas  —  Drake Bennett profiles four up-and-coming right-of-center thinkers: Luigi Zingales, Bradford Wilcox, Reihan Salam, and Megan McArdle.  I've never heard of Wilcox, but his ideas (family is good!) don't sound very interesting.

Palin: I'm Not Leaving Politics  —  McCain Says His Former Running Mate Simply “Changed Her Priorities” in Resigning as Alaska's Governor  —  (AP) Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she's not only staying involved in national politics, but she plans to jump back into the national scrum when she leaves office at the end of the month.

Goldman Sachs Likely to Post Huge Profits, Analysts Say  —  Most of Wall Street, and America, is still waiting for an economic recovery.  Then there is Goldman Sachs.  —  Up and down Wall Street, analysts and traders are buzzing that Goldman, which only recently paid back its government bailout money …

Torture Prosecution Turnaround?  —  The attorney general is leaning toward appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Bush-era torture policy, sources tell Scott Horton.  Inside the logic driving Eric Holder's possible conversion.  —  The Obama White House has deflected calls for appointment …

Republicans Reject Science; Scientists Reject Republicans  —  The Republican Party has a serious infection of anti-science syndrome.  And, scientists have noted the The Republican War on Science.  The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press came out, last week …

North Korea leader Kim has pancreatic cancer: report  —  SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has pancreatic cancer and the illness is life-threatening, South Korean broadcaster YTN said on Monday based on information gathered by Chinese and South Korean intelligence sources.

Lawmakers reject tax to pay for health reform  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Sunday criticized a plan to raise taxes on the wealthy to pay for a $1 trillion healthcare overhaul and warned Congress was unlikely to meet President Barack Obama's goal of passing the measure by August.

Charge in Fla. slayings: Evidence tampering  —  PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) — A Florida man has been arrested on evidence-tampering charges in connection to the killings of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children, a case that has become increasingly “multifaceted,” authorities said Sunday.

Fiscal Policy: The Obama Administration Is Not Making Much Sense These Days  —  Tim Geithner is not making sense: … Let's review the bidding:  —  Last December the Obama administration to be decided on a fiscal stimulus package which they believed would have minor effects on the economy …

Teen Girl Falls In Open Manhole While Texting  —  Alexa Longueira Suffers Deep Cuts, Bruises After Landing In Raw Sewage, Blames DEP For Leaving Hole Unattended  —  NEW YORK (CBS) ― It was an accident waiting to happen — an open sewer and a 15-year-old girl who was texting while she walked.

Will ObamaCare threaten medical innovation?  —  Glenn Reynolds argues that the wait lines for treatments in a single-payer system are not the biggest concern.  In a Washington Examiner column, Glenn relates personal stories of how his family members have benefited from innovation in medical treatments …