Gingrich defends Palin's ‘death panels’  —  Newt Gingrich and Howard Dean went at it on health care this morning on This Week.  Especially over Sarah Palin's claim that Obama's health care plan will create “death panels” that would encourage euthanasia.  —  “Communal standards historically …

Is Obama Punking Us?  —  “AUGUST is a challenging time to be president,” said Andrew Card, the former Bush White House chief of staff, as he offered unsolicited advice to his successors in a television interview last week.  “I think you have to expect the unexpected.”  —  He should know.

Video: C-SPAN caller blasts media; Update: New Astroturfing signs for Obamabots  —  I'd say this explains the eruption of anger at town-hall meetings fairly clearly.  “Leah” from New Hampshire says she “just wants to clarify a few things about these manufactured angered crowds,” …

Reid plans town hall meeting over telephone  —  WASHINGTON — A day after holding up a square of Astroturf to denounce the orchestrated attacks on Democratic town hall meetings on health care, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office said he would be talking with his Nevada constituents this month over the phone lines.

Aug. 9: James Jones, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, roundtable  —  MR. DAVID GREGORY: This Sunday, the happy homecoming.  —  MS. LAURA LING: When we walked in through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton.  —  MR. GREGORY: Now the backstory.

The Gangs of D.C.  —  In the Senate, Small States Wield Outsize Power.  Is This What the Founders Had in Mind?  —  Wonder why President Obama is having a hard time enacting his agenda after sweeping to victory and with large congressional majorities on his side?

Tax and Spend, or Face The Consequences  —  At some point, the Great Recession will end.  Newsweek even says it's already over.  Whenever it happens, we will see that the downturn was but a minor blip in the long story of the economy.  —  In the next chapter, abundance beckons — for some.

S.C. governor's plane use questioned  —  Records show Mark Sanford used state aircraft for personal, political trips  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford used state aircraft for personal and political trips, often bringing along his wife and children …

Is There a Deal to be Made on Health Care?  An Interview WIth Sen. Lindsey Graham.  —  Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham was the sole Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote in favor of Sonia Sotomayor.  A few days later, he co-signed an op-ed in The Washington Post …

OzyBama Will Meet The Same Fate  —  Democrats are complaining loudly that the American people are stupid and should shut up about President Obama's health care program, cap-and-tax program, spend us into deeper deficits program, tax away our incentives program, apologize to our enemies program …

Shocker... Keith Olbermann Lies About Tea Party Violence— Compares Protesters to Hamas & Hezbollah  —  Can this goof be sued for slander?  —  The only violent episodes reported at the tea party protests have been from Obama-supporters and union thugs beating the crap out of black conservatives …

Criminal investigation into CIA treatment of detainees expected  —  Insiders say Atty. Gen. Eric Holder is close to naming a prosecutor to look into reports of excessive waterboarding and other unauthorized methods.  Convictions could be hard to get.  —  Reporting from Washington …