White House Says Girl With Campaign Ties Chosen at ‘Random’ to Speak at Obama Town Hall  —  The White House acknowledged Wednesday that many audience members were friendly, but said the president chose questions at random and didn't know his questioners.  —  FOXNews.com

Poll: Health care views take sympathetic tilt  —  WASHINGTON — The raucous protests at congressional town-hall-style meetings have succeeded in fueling opposition to proposed health care bills among some Americans, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds — particularly among the independents who tend to be at the center of political debates.

Grassley Endorses “Death Panel” Rumor: “You Have Every Right To Fear”  —  One of the three Republican senators working on a bipartisan health care bill perpetuated a particularly outrageous untruth about the legislation on Wednesday.  —  Appearing at a town hall in his home state of Iowa …

Says he flubbed stats  —  Before presenting tennis legend Billie Jean King with the Medal of Freedom Wednesday, President Obama ticked off some ...  ... of her accomplishments: 12 Grand Slam titles, 101 doubles titles, 67 singles titles.  —  “Pretty good, Billie Jean,” he quipped.

Cheney Uncloaks His Frustration With Bush  —  ‘Statute of Limitations Has Expired’ on Many Secrets, Former Vice President Says  —  In his first few months after leaving office, former vice president Richard B. Cheney threw himself into public combat against the “far left” agenda of the new commander in chief.

Yale Press Bans Images of Muhammad in New Book  —  It's not all that surprising that Yale University Press would be wary of reprinting notoriously controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a forthcoming book.  After all, when the 12 caricatures were first published by a Danish newspaper …

Town hall anger rages on  —  Out on the health care firing line, senators and members of Congress continued to get battered by constituents angry over President Barack Obama's reform plan Wednesday — with voters raising questions about everything from assisted suicide to coverage for illegal immigrants.

Sanford: It's ‘hard’ living alone in governor's mansion  —  (CNN) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford opened up about the state of his family on Wednesday — the first time he has done so since his wife, Jenny, moved out of the governor's mansion last week.  —  Asked during a radio interview …

Dianne Feinstein's Office Gripes To White House About OFA-Inspired Constituent Visits  —  A rare bit of friction between Dems and Obama's political operation, Organizing for America:  —  Aides to Senator Dianne Feinstein have complained to the White House about a deluge of visits to her offices …

Clinton's Flash of Pique in Congo  —  ABUJA, Nigeria — It was hot.  She was tired.  And it had been a long day in Africa.  —  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was onstage in Kinshasa, Congo's shabby capital, in an auditorium packed with Congolese students.

Thousands Line Up for Promise of Free Health Care  —  INGLEWOOD, Calif. — They came for new teeth mostly, but also for blood pressure checks, mammograms, immunizations and acupuncture for pain.  Neighboring South Los Angeles is a place where health care is scarce, and so when it was offered nearby, word got around.

Survey finds Obama birthplace still an issue in N. Carolina  —  Barely half of N.C. voters believe President Obama was born in the United States, according to a poll released Tuesday.  —  Public Policy Polling surveyed 749 North Carolina voters Aug. 4-10, and found that 54 percent believe that Obama was born in the United States.

Low-life teabagger protestor tears up poster of Rosa Parks at health care town hall  —  Wow.  Just.  Wow.  All I know is if this is the path these people are taking, the darkest days are ahead.  Exclusive video from an incident at Senator McCaskill's town hall in eastern Missouri:

Cap-and-Trade's Unlikely Critics: Its Creators  —  Economists Behind Original Concept Question the System's Large-Scale Usefulness, and Recommend Emissions Taxes Instead  —  In the 1960s, a University of Wisconsin graduate student named Thomas Crocker came up with a novel solution …

Analysis: Press Largely Ignored Incendiary Rhetoric at Bush Protest  —  News outlets that are focusing on the incendiary rhetoric of conservatives outside President Obama's town hall meeting Tuesday ignored the incendiary rhetoric — and even violence — of liberals outside an appearance by former President George W. Bush in 2002.

France and Germany exit recession  —  The French and German economies both grew by 0.3% between April and June, bringing to an end year-long recessions in two of Europe's largest economies.  —  “The data is very surprising.  After four negative quarters France is coming out of the red,” …

For immediate release  —  Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June suggests that economic activity is leveling out.  Conditions in financial markets have improved further in recent weeks.  Household spending has continued to show signs of stabilizing …

At What Cost, Cutting Off A Leg?  —  An amusing press release from the governing body for American surgeons: