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.

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

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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:

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.

White House comments on Medal of Freedom winners  —  By The Associated Press (AP) - 9 hours ago  —  Statements from the White House on the 16 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which President Barack Obama awarded on Wednesday:  —  _Drawing strength from tragedy …

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 …

CNN Poll: Favorable view of Palin dipping  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Americans appear to be souring on Sarah Palin, according to a new national poll.  —  Thirty-nine percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday have a favorable opinion …

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

Falling says putting Christian creationism display in the Tulsa Zoo is top priority  —  Republican mayoral candidate Anna Falling said Tuesday that putting a Christian creationism display in the Tulsa Zoo is No. 1 in importance among city issues that include violent crime, budget woes and bumpy streets.

Officials see rise in militia groups across US  —  WASHINGTON — Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends.  —  The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led …