GE's silencing of Olbermann and MSNBC's sleazy use of Richard Wolffe  —  (updated below)  —  The New York Times this morning has a remarkable story, and incredibly, the article's author, Brian Stelter, doesn't even acknowledge, let alone examine, what makes the story so significant.

House panel approves healthcare reform bill  —  The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday night approved the Democrats' healthcare reform bill, setting up a floor vote this fall.  —  The passage of the legislation came after days of intense negotiations between Energy …

Obama's revealing body language (updated and expanded))  —  This picture truly is worth at least a thousand words.  —  I am stunned that the official White House Blog published this picture and that it is in the public domain.  The body language is most revealing.

BEN NELSON DOESN'T CARE FOR CRITICISM.... A couple of weeks ago, Sen. Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska and a handful of centrist and center-right allies insisted that the Senate not vote on health care reform before the chamber's August recess.  Democracy for America and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee …

Pulling No Punches  —  The maverick on Obamanomics, Sarah Palin, and the media.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  John McCain is red in the face and hopping mad.  I'm sitting in his office in the Senate Russell Office Building, and he's just rushed in after delivering a speech on the Senate floor …

Suspect in gay sailor's death commits suicide  —  (CNN) — A sailor accused of killing another sailor was found dead in his cell in a southern California military jail, officials said Friday.  —  Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was found dead in the brig at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego, a military statement said.

Obama's Pledge to Tax Only the Rich Can't Pay for Everything, Analysts Say  —  WASHINGTON — Behind Democrats' struggle to pay the $1 trillion 10-year cost of President Obama's promise to overhaul the health care system is their collision with another of his well-known pledges …

Alabama Area Reeling in Face of Fiscal Crisis  —  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It is hardly unusual these days for a government building to forgo a fresh paint job or regular lawn care to cut costs.  But last week, the director of the Jefferson County public nursing home was told that the county could no longer afford to bury indigent patients.

Al-Qaeda ‘seek to infiltrate MI5’  —  Patrick Mercer: “I don't think we should be surprised”  —  A senior Tory MP has asked the home secretary whether al-Qaeda sympathisers were mistakenly recruited by MI5.  —  Patrick Mercer, chairman of the Home Affairs counter-terror sub-committee …

Dealers Race to Get Their Clunkers Crushed  —  The White House and Congress may be giving the “cash for clunkers” program a reprieve, but one can't help wondering how many dealers and customers will have the confidence to go forward at this point.  Things sound like a total mess in the showrooms.

Life Expectancy Facts  —  Bicycles in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (my photo, available under creative commons license)  —  Via Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution commenter Adam comments: … The hypothesis that the health policy is not driving the difference is something we should seriously entertain.

How government programs are saving insurance companies from disaster.  —  “The truth is, we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn't always work well for you,” President Barack Obama said recently, making his case for health care reform.

The Washington Post's Priorities, Beer Goggles Edition  —  By my count, the people mocked in the latest episode of “Mouthpiece Theater”—the Washington Post Web series starring Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza, in which the pair, billing themselves as “two of the biggest maws in Washington” …

McCain to filibuster “Cash for Clunkers” bill; Trouble for Reid with Dems, too  —  When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, tries to take up the House-passed “Cash for Clunkers” bill next week, he will hit a series of bipartisan road blocks.  —  Fox has learned that Sen. John McCain …