‘Un-American’ attacks can't derail health care debate  —  Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care.  —  Health coverage for all was on the national agenda as early as 1912, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential run.

GLADNEY THE UNINSURED ACTIVIST.... Over the last few days, a conservative activist in St. Louis named Kenneth Gladney seems to have become something of a cause celebre in far-right circles.  Depending on which version of events you choose to believe, Gladney either initiated or was involved …

Taliban Now Winning  —  U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Warns of Rising Casualties  —  By YOCHI J. DREAZEN in Kabul and PETER SPIEGEL in Washington  —  The Taliban have gained the upper hand in Afghanistan, the top American commander there said, forcing the U.S. to change its strategy …

The Unfunny Truth  —  It's been a melancholy summer for social conservatives.  Their movement is fighting a rearguard battle in Barack Obama's Washington.  A cluster of family-values politicians — some of whom bunked down in the same Christian-sponsored D.C. townhouse …

Don't talk to me about death panels, Sarah Palin.  —  You, who so carelessly bolstered a lie about healthcare reform to score a cheap political point; you, the most craven of political opportunists, who fearmongers about some dystopian socialist/fascist fantasyland; you …

Averting the Worst  —  So it seems that we aren't going to have a second Great Depression after all.  What saved us?  The answer, basically, is Big Government.  —  Just to be clear: the economic situation remains terrible, indeed worse than almost anyone thought possible not long ago.

Tsongas: I won't take ObamaCare because I have better options  —  Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) manages to answer the question that Keith Ellison (D-MN) and the rest of her Obama-care supporting colleagues in both the House and Senate have avoided.  The crowd, however, didn't like the response very much, and lets Tsongas know it.

Obama's Health Care Plan Just Expands Status Quo  —  “The status quo is unsustainable for families, businesses and government.”  — President Obama, June 13  —  One of the bewildering ironies of the health-care debate is that President Obama claims to be attacking the status quo when he's actually embracing it.

If Only We Had Some Means of Taking Rich People's Money and Devoting it to Public Purposes  —  Internal Revenue Service headquarters, Washington DC (cc photo by cliff1066)  —  I don't think it should come as a shock that the Obama administration's efforts to reign-in or reform compensation policies …

Obama Job Approval: Highest in D.C., Hawaii, Vermont  —  PRINCETON, NJ — From the time Barack Obama took office as president until the end of June, 63% of Americans, on average, approved of the job he was doing.  The breakdown of his half-year approval ratings at the state level shows …

Why Neoconservative Pundits Love Jon Stewart  —  Back in April, when the debate over torture was roaring, Jon Stewart invited Cliff May, a national-security hawk and former spokesman for the Republican Party, to come on The Daily Show and defend waterboarding.  May was hesitant.

CNN Poll: Dems becoming less popular but no gains for GOP  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new national poll indicates that the Democratic party's becoming less popular with voters.  But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Monday, suggests that the Republican party has not been able to capitalize on the Democrats' downturn.

Prevention and Wellness  —  On Friday CBO released a letter that discusses how the agency's budget estimates reflect potential reductions in federal costs from improvements in health that might result from expanded governmental support for preventive medical care and wellness services.

On Health Care, 51% Fear Government More Than Insurance Companies  —  When it comes to health care decisions, 51% of the nation's voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies.  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% hold the opposite view and fear the insurance companies more.

George Soros Pledges $5 Million To Bankroll Health Care Reform Push, Group Says  —  In another sign of the urgency gripping the pro-health care reform camp, billionaire George Soros has pledged to sink $5 million into the fight, the group getting the money confirmed.

Gates ‘Furious’ That Brownback And Roberts Placed A Hold On McHugh's Army Secretary Nomination  —  President Obama named Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) in June as his nominee to become the next Secretary of the Army.  Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved his nomination by voice vote …

It doesn't take Stephen Hawking to figure this one out  —  The conservative opinion magazine Human Events was reputedly Ronald Reagan's favorite read, and to this day fancies itself the house organ for the hard-right intelligentsia.  Among those published regularly in its pages are such luminaries as Newt Gingrich and Ann Coulter.

Where Are The Doctors?  —  I did not envision that we could get this far down the road toward fundamental health care reform with so little input in the public discourse from physicians.  Sure, the AMA has come out in favor of the House bill that includes public option.

The New Urbanity  —  This is a point I've made casually before, but it seems Professor Arthur Nelson has a new paper spelling out in detail the implications of demographic change for the built environment.  In particular, even if you assume no shift in underlying preferences regarding cities versus suburbs …

The McLaughlin Group: Pat Buchanan and Monica Crowley Claim the Government Wants to Promote Suicide to Save Money  —  John McLaughlin uses Pat Buchanan's fear mongering framing for his question on end of life counseling to begin this segment.  Buchanan claims that to save money …

Sympathy for Cyclists  —  I think a lot of people were a little mystified by Atrios' “cyclists are a bunch of dangerous lawbreakers” posts, that being a fairly auto-oriented sentiment and Atrios being a pro-urban type.  I'll count myself among them.  I really can't say that I've ever …