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.

Liberals will get single-payer vote on House floor  —  Seeking to dampen liberal anger about deals cut with centrists, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said House leaders have agreed to allow a floor vote on a government-run, single-payer system.

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 …

IF HE'S CONFUSED, STOP INVITING HIM ON.... House Republican Caucus Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana is one of the leading right-wing critics of health care reform, and he appeared on MSNBC on Wednesday to chat about the issue with Andrea Mitchell.  He argued that the Democrats' “government-run plan” …

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 …

Todd and Sarah Palin to divorce  —  Affairs on both sides  —  AlaskaReport has learned this morning that Todd Palin and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin are to divorce.  Multiple sources in Wasilla and Anchorage have confirmed the news.  —  A National Enquirer story exposing previous affairs …

Proposed Counseling for Seniors in Health Plan Spurs New Battle  —  Provision for End-of-Life Counseling Is Described by Right as ‘Death Care’  —  A campaign on conservative talk radio, fueled by President Obama's calls to control exorbitant medical bills, has sparked fear among senior citizens …

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.

Congress and the CIA: Time to Let Go of the Past, Move Forward  —  Last month, at a meeting overseas of intelligence service chiefs, one of my counterparts from a major Western ally pulled me aside.  Why, he asked, is Washington so consumed with what the CIA did in the past …