Protesters drown out Tampa health care summit  —  TAMPA - Bitter divisions over reforming America's health care system exploded Thursday night in Tampa amid cat calls, jeering and shoving at a town hall meeting.  —  “Tyranny!  Tyranny!  Tyranny!” dozens of people shouted as U.S …

Sotomayor Confirmed by Senate, 68-31  —  WASHINGTON — Voting largely along party lines, the Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th justice of the Supreme Court.  She will be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court.

‘Punkin’ the Birthers: Priceless'  —  It's looking more and more like the forged “Kenyan birth certificate” released by Orly Taitz on Sunday was a prank by a supporter of President Obama.  Politijab points to an anonymous blogger at FearlessBlogging, who has uploaded four photos of the original forgery and a mocking declaration:

Unions To Take On Conservative Groups Health Care Town Halls  —  The nation's largest federation of labor organizations has promised to directly engage with boisterous conservative protesters at Democratic town halls during the August recess.  —  In a memo sent out on Thursday …

Anti-Obama Protester Compares President To Nazi In Swastika Sign  —  In championing the protests being staged at Democratic town halls, the Republican Party faces the obvious danger of becoming defined by the crazier elements of the crowd.  So it's hard to imagine GOP higher-ups feeling …

SHOCK VIDEO— DEMS SNEAK UNION THUGS INTO CARNAHAN TOWN HALL— 1,000 Tea Party Taxpayers Locked Out!  —  Over 1,000 St. Louis Tea Party Taxpayers showed up at the Russ Carnahan town hall meeting in South St. Louis tonight.  —  They were Locked Out!  —  But... The Carnahan staff was sneaking …

CNN Anchor Rips Into Health Care CEO Who's Funding Anti-Reform Effort  —  A CNN anchor today tore down Rick Scott, the founder of an organization that's been funding anti-health care reform protests and the former CEO of a hospital company that, as Sanchez pointed out, paid $1.7 billion …

U.S. Official: ‘Strong Indications’ Pakistani Taliban Leader Baitullah Mehsud is Dead  —  U.S., Pakistani Officials Awaiting DNA Tests for “100 Percent” Confirmation  —  “There is strong indication” that Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a CIA drone strike that targeted …

Reid: GOP ‘run by a talk show host’  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid launched his harshest attack on the Republican Party in months, claiming the GOP is “being run by a talk show host.”  —  Reid, armed with a patch of Astroturf, slammed Republicans for sponsoring town hall attacks …

Obama as The Joker: Racial Fear's Ugly Face  —  ‘Political’ Poster Turns On Violent Symbolism  —  Between Jack Nicholson's 1989 portrayal of the Joker in “Batman” and Heath Ledger's 2008 characterization in “The Dark Knight,” something sinister happened to the villain's iconic makeup.

The Health Care Generation Gap  —  It's certainly interesting that older Americans are disproportionately likely to be hostile to Barack Obama's plans for health care reform and also the case that most older Americans already benefit from a Canadian-style program of universal Medicare.

White House: ‘War on terrorism’ is over  —  ‘Jihadists’ and ‘global war’ no longer acceptable terms  —  It's official.  The U.S. is no longer engaged in a “war on terrorism.”  Neither is it fighting “jihadists” or in a “global war.”  —  President Obama's top homeland security …

Director John Hughes dies at 59  —  ‘Breakfast Club’ helmer died of a heart attack  —  John Hughes, who captured the zeitgeist of 1980s teen life as writer-director of “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles” and produced and scripted family hits such as “Home Alone,” died Thursday of a heart attack in Manhattan while taking a walk.

SEIU and the “persuasion of power”  —  In May, I told you how the Service Employees International Union's $61 million investment in Barack Obama paid off with cabinet appointments, executive orders, key personnel slots, and legislative goodies.  —  Now, the SEIU thugs are looking out for The Boss.

The Health Insurers Have Already Won  —  How UnitedHealth and rival carriers, maneuvering behind the scenes in Washington, shaped health-care reform for their own benefit  —  As the health reform fight shifts this month from a vacationing Washington to congressional districts and local airwaves around …

After 6 Months, More View Obama's Presidency as a ‘Failure’ Than Bush's  —  A rather surprising finding from the newly released CNN poll.  Question three on the national survey of 1,136 adults (which includes an oversample of African-Americans) asks, “Do you consider the first six months …