ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER.... A new Research 2000 poll conducted for Daily Kos asked respondents a rather straightforward question: “Do you believe that Barack Obama was born in the United States of America or not?”  Since the president was born in the U.S., ideally, the results would be around 100%.

Industry Is Generous To Influential Bloc  —  On June 19, Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas made clear that he and a group of other conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dogs were increasingly unhappy with the direction that health-care legislation was taking in the House.

NATIONAL INCOME AND PRODUCT ACCOUNTS  —  GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: SECOND QUARTER 2009 (ADVANCE ESTIMATE)  —  COMPREHENSIVE REVISION: 1929 THROUGH FIRST QUARTER 2009  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States …

‘An Accident of Time and Place’  —  Henry Louis Gates Jr. on his meeting with Sgt. Crowley at the White House.  —  “...I thank God that I live in a country in which police officers put their lives at risk to protect us every day, and, more than ever, I've come to understand and appreciate their daily sacrifices on our behalf.”

Dodd Diagnosed With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer  —  U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd has been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer.  —  Dodd is scheduled to undergo surgery during the Senate's August recess and said he expects to be back at work after a “brief recuperation” at home.

‘Cash for Clunkers’ Runs Out of Gas  —  White House officials and lawmakers were studying late Thursday how to keep alive the government's cash-for-clunkers incentive program because of concerns the program's $1 billion budget may have been exhausted after just one week.

Town halls gone wild  —  Screaming constituents, protesters dragged out by the cops, congressmen fearful for their safety — welcome to the new town-hall-style meeting, the once-staid forum that is rapidly turning into a house of horrors for members of Congress.

Forged letters to congressman anger local groups  —  As U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello was considering how to vote on an important piece of climate change legislation in June, the freshman congressman's office received at least six letters from two Charlottesville-based minority organizations voicing opposition to the measure.

Controversy Surrounding Lou Dobbs Has Failed to Increase His Ratings  —  On the night of Monday, July 27, Bill O'Reilly welcomed Richard Cohen, the head of the Southern Poverty Law Center, onto The O'Reilly Factor, to talk about Mr. Cohen's repeated public criticisms of CNN anchor Lou Dobbs.

Porn prosecution fuels debate  —  President Barack Obama's Justice Department has quietly agreed to move a pornography prosecution out of socially conservative Montana to more urbane New Jersey - fueling perceptions by some attorneys that the new administration is stepping back from the aggressive approach …

In Afghanistan, U.S. May Shift Strategy  —  Request for Big Boost in Afghan Troops Could Also Require More Americans  —  The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is preparing a new strategy that calls for major changes in the way U.S. and other NATO troops there operate, a vast increase …

Health Care Realities  —  At a recent town hall meeting, a man stood up and told Representative Bob Inglis to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.”  The congressman, a Republican from South Carolina, tried to explain that Medicare is already a government program — but the voter, Mr. Inglis said, “wasn't having any of it.”

Do quick tweets sink ships?  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Rep. Mark Kirk, a Republican who represents the northern suburbs of Chicago and is running for Senate, also happens to be a Navy Reservist.  While on service in the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon, he recently ‘tweeted,’ causing the Military to look into the situation.

Dem memo plots message war on insurers  —  House Democratic leaders have developed a coordinated strategy for attacking insurance companies to ward off attacks from opponents of their health care overhaul during the August break, according to a strategy memo obtained by The Hill.  —  “Our message is simple.

Tempers flare at RNC meeting  —  SAN DIEGO — Old grudges die hard, and at the Republican National Committee (RNC) meeting this week, some wounds from this year's contentious election for chairman are being reopened.  —  Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party and a key ally …

Ignorant bloggers go nuts over Michelle Bachmann  —  What happens when bloggers who don't understand Congress try to write about Congress?  This kind of post.  And this kind.  And this kind (whose author at least had the half-decency to sort-of apologize).

After Rescue, New Weakness Seen at A.I.G.  —  The dozens of insurance companies that make up the American International Group show signs of considerable weakness even after their corporate parent got the biggest bailout in history, a review of state regulatory filings shows.

Baucus: ‘No idea’ how he'll vote on Sotomayor  —  Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Thursday he hasn't made up his mind on whether he will vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.  —  Baucus this summer has infuriated liberals on and off Capitol Hill by working to strike a deal with Republicans on healthcare reform.