Blue-State Blues  —  We know because he said so, in the first of many famous speeches, that Barack Obama doesn't see Red America or Blue America — he only sees the United States of America.  But as the president contemplates his faltering poll numbers and his stalling health-care push …

The Prez, The Press, The Pressure  —  Networks Grouse About Obama in Prime Time  —  In the days before President Obama's last news conference, as the networks weighed whether to give up a chunk of their precious prime time, Rahm Emanuel went straight to the top.

Durbin Responds To Lobbyist-Run Efforts To Harass Town Halls: We 'Won't Fall For A Sucker-Punch Like This'  —  ThinkProgress reported today on the growing number of angry right-wing activists viciously harassing Democratic, as well as moderate Republican, members of Congress on health care reform.

Sen. Enzi: No deadline for healthcare talks  —  One of the three Republican senators working on a bipartisan agreement on healthcare reform legislation flatly denied Monday the Democratic claims that negotiators had set a mid-September deadline to complete their work.

Into the lion's den: My encounter with The View; Vid link added  —  Just finished up on The View, where I sparred with the ladies about Culture of Corruption.  —  You can watch a bit of it at RCP and I'm sure Hot Air will have highlights up soon.  —  Best part: Every single member of the audience got a copy of the book!

Are Democrats In For An August Slaughter?  —  Democrats know the rulebook.  The tactics being used against them by Republican and conservative groups were perfected by the party when it set out to defeat President Bush's Social Security privatization proposals.

Sarah Palin, meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  —  You two right-wing populists have a surprising amount in common  —  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech in Mashhad, Iran, on Friday; Gov. Sarah Palin gives her resignation speech in Fairbanks, Alaska, on July 26.  —  Is Sarah Palin America's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

OBAMA JOKER POSTER  —  LOS ANGELES, CA - A poster depicting President Obama as Batman's The Joker has begun appearing around Los Angeles.  —  Someone has been creating posters of President Obama in the famous face paint of The Dark Knight's Joker, famously depicted by Heath Ledger.

Birther or Not, Here They Come!  Rightbloggers Work the Obama Birth Certificate Angle  —  As you may have heard, there is among certain people a controversy as whether Barack Obama was really born in the United States.  They generally believe that Obama's certification of live birth …

5 things to watch during recess  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner has predicted a “very, very hot summer.”  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bracing for what she calls “the fight of our lives.”  —  Sleepy, sweltering August, typically a month for congressional beach getaways …

In defense of Michelle Malkin  —  No, really.  She's been getting a lot of grief from progressive bloggers for saying that extended unemployment benefits cause higher unemployment, and attributing that view to Larry Katz, who has gone to some pains to say that he believes no such thing.

CROWD EXPLODES when Arlen Specter says “do it fast.”  This kind of thing just keeps happening....  CROWD EXPLODES when Arlen Specter says “do it fast.”  —  This kind of thing just keeps happening.  And it's happening all over.  —  Plus, planning to eliminate private insurance?

Just 32% of Virginia Republicans Think Obama is a Citizen  —  Here's an advance look at a new Public Policy Polling survey in Virginia completed over the weekend: An astonishing 41% of the state's Republicans think President Obama was not born in the United States while just 32% think he was and 27% are still not sure.

Cash From Clunkers  —  Let's have a $4,500 subsidy for everything.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  Americans are streaming back into auto showrooms, and one reason is the “cash for clunkers” subsidy.  Democrats are naturally claiming this is a great success, while Republicans are claiming …

McCain To Vote “No” On Sotomayor  —  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced today that he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor, Pres. Obama's nominee to become the first Hispanic SCOTUS justice.  —  McCain, in a Senate floor speech: … McCain voted against Sotomayor's nomination to the 2nd Circuit Court …

Obama's Anger Problem?  —  If President Obama is mad, who's he so mad at?  —  Let me explain.  On Friday afternoon, at the daily White House press briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs was explaining why his boss this week will be making his second trip as president to hard-hit Elkhart …

Three policewomen spend full day dressed in Muslim burkhas in controversial ‘In Your Shoes’ exercise  —  A police exercise which saw female officers spending a day dressed in full Muslim dress has been blasted ‘a complete waste of time’.  —  Two sergeants and a community support officer dressed …

U.S. Weighs Iran Sanctions if Talks Are Rejected  —  The Obama administration is talking with allies and Congress about the possibility of imposing an extreme economic sanction against Iran if it fails to respond to President Obama's offer to negotiate on its nuclear program …

Ghost Letters: Opponents Of Clean Energy Reform Send Fake Letters To Sen. Conrad  —  Last week, ThinkProgress reported that a DC-based lobbying firm was caught forging letters to Rep. Tom Periello (D-VA) in opposition to the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill.  The company, Bonner & Associates …