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 …

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.

The scope — and dangers — of GE's control of NBC and MSNBC  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  I want to return to the subject of GE's silencing of Keith Olbermann both because there are new facts I've obtained that shed light on what happened here and because this is one of the most blatant examples yet …

Is This the Source of the Forged ‘Kenyan Birth Certificate?’  —  One of my friends in the small community of Obama “birther"-debunkers passes on quite the discovery: a 1964 “certified copy of registration of birth” from Australia, easily available on Bomford.net, a genealogy site.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

White House Cybersecurity Chief Quits  —  WASHINGTON — The White House's acting cybersecurity czar announced her resignation Monday, in a setback to the Obama administration's efforts to better protect the computer networks critical to national security and the global economy.

Protesters Trash Health Care Reform  —  Democrats Met With Anger over Prospect of Higher Taxes, Government-Run “Obama-Care” on Eve of August Recess  —  (CBS) The debate over health care reform has been raging in Washington for weeks.  But outside the nation's capital, this healthy discourse has grown loud with vocal protests.

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 …

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?

GOP Polling Charts Galore  —  For anyone who enjoys a) charts and b) speculating about who will win the Republican presidential primary in 2012, Pollster.com has just greatly improved your life: the site is now tracking favorability ratings for Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, as well as Sarah Palin.

Obama Brief on State Secrets Rankles the Left  —  A Supreme Court filing from the Obama administration last month has set off alarm bells on the left.  —  The filing was a friend-of-the-court brief, and it mostly dealt with an excruciatingly technical question about the attorney-client privilege.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …