President Obama's Conference Call with Liberal Bloggers: John Amato asks Congress to work through the August recess  —  You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!  —  DOWNLOADS: 633  —  PLAYS: 1852 … President Obama and David Axlerod hosted …

Harvard professor Gates arrested at Cambridge home  —  Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's pre-eminent African-American scholars, was arrested Thursday afternoon at his home by Cambridge police investigating a possible break-in.  The incident raised concerns among …

Budget accord reached  —  Calling for deep cuts and avoiding broad tax hikes, Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders agree on ways to close California's $26.3-billion deficit.  —  Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders announced today that they have reached a deal …

Let's Face It: Obama Is No Post-Partisan  —  Only last summer we were told that Barack Obama's political appeal rested on his vision for a “post-partisan future.”  The post-partisan future was one of the press corps' favorite phrases.  It served as shorthand for the candidate's repeated references to …

Obama's Gitmo Task Force Blows Its Deadline  —  Exclusive: why a key report on closing the facility has been delayed until the fall.  —  Brennan Linsley / Reuters-Landov  —  A U.S. journalist walks past sleeping quaters at Camp Justice, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, July 14, 2009.

Amman begins stripping state's Palestinians of citizenship  —  Article's topics: Jordan, Palestinians, West Bank, PLO  —  Jordanian authorities have started revoking the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians living in Jordan to avoid a situation in which they would be “resettled” …

New NASA Images Indicate Object Hits Jupiter  —  Scientists have found evidence that another object has bombarded Jupiter, exactly 15 years after the first impacts by the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.  —  Following up on a tip by an amateur astronomer, Anthony Wesley of Australia, that a new dark …

Maloney apologizes for using N word  —  (CNN) - New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat, apologized Monday for using the N word in a recent interview while recounting a phone call she had received.  —  “I apologize for having repeated a word I find disgusting,” Maloney said in a statement.

Democrats Want to Teach You to Die With Dignity  —  H.R. 3200 is the Democrat healthcare bill.  —  Let's back up for a minute.  I noted some time ago Jay Rockefeller went on record to say that at some point the government has to decide whether or not you are allowed to receive …

Iran's supreme leader warns protesters to end campaign of civil disobedience  —  Government opponents, meanwhile, call for a national referendum to resolve the disputed presidential election.  —  Reporting from Beirut — Iran's supreme leader on Monday sternly warned government opponents …

Bailouts could cost U.S. $23 trillion  —  A series of bailouts, bank rescues and other economic lifelines could end up costing the federal government as much as $23 trillion, the U.S. government's watchdog over the effort says - a staggering amount that is nearly double the nation's entire economic output for a year.

Health Care Bill Directs HHS Secretary to Develop ‘Standards for Measuring Gender’—As Opposed to ‘Male’ and ‘Female’  —  (CNSNews.com) - The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee's health care legislation will give the Health and Human Services secretary the authority to develop …

‘New York Times’ Defends Palin Story that Quotes Hairdresser  —  NEW YORK A story on The Huffington Post Monday reporting that Sarah Palin's hairdresser was upset about being inaccurately cited in a New York Times piece drew a response from a Times spokeswoman today claiming the hairdresser had praised the story.

US car dealer offers free Kalashnikov with every purchase  —  A Missouri car dealer has taken a novel approach to combating the fall in US vehicle sales by offering a free Kalashnikov assault rifle with every truck, whether new or used.  —  Mark Muller, whose business slogan is “God, Guns …

The Unbearable Lightness of Greg Mankiw  —  A friend e-mails: … I would respond by saying that there's a weird tendency among people to think that very banal comments are very important insights when they come from Greg Mankiw.  And this is worse than a very banal comment: It's disengaged with the debate.

Gay Marriage and the Constitution  —  Why Ted Olson and I are working to overturn California's Proposition 8.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  When I got married in California in 1959 there were almost 20 states where marriage was limited to two people of different sexes and the same race.

Obama Outlines Expectations for Health Reform Timeline, Economic Recovery  —  JIM LEHRER: Mr. President, it must have been a little unpleasant for you to wake up this morning and see this headline: Washington Post poll shows Obama slipping on key issues, approval rating on health care falls below 50 percent.

Senate Dems outraise GOP counterparts  —  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) raised $6.2 million in June, outraising the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) by nearly $3 million.  —  The DSCC banked $7.9 million and had $3.7 million in debt.

Jimmy Carter: ‘The words of God do not justify cruelty to women.’  —  Former President Jimmy Carter, who in 2000 officially severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention after the SBC declared its opposition to female pastors and reiterated its calls “for wives to be submissive to their husbands …

Rep. Mike Castle Fends Off the Birthers  —  I got a little friendly fire from my friend and colleague Matt Welch over last week's article on the Obama birth certificate conspiracy.  He took issue with my “contention that the movement ‘dogs Republicans’ (there being so very many other issues that have more bite than a few barkers).”

Poll: Less faith in Obama's economic abilities  —  WASHINGTON — The public's confidence in President Obama's ability to handle the economy is eroding amid concern about higher federal spending and expanding government power, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds — a development that could complicate …