Roxana Mayer: I'm Not a Doctor But I Play One at Town Hall Meetings  —  [This post follows up on a previous post in which I questioned the credentials of a woman at a Texas town hall meeting who claimed to be a doctor, but turned out to be anything but.  She is a graduate student in social work — oh, and an Obama delegate.

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.

Election 2010: Pennsylvania Senate Election  —  Pennsylvania 2010 Senate Match-ups: Specter, Sestak Top Toomey  —  Uncomfortable town hall meetings are just the tip of the iceberg for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter.  He now trails Republican Pat Toomey by double digits in his bid …

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.

‘LOST CONTROL OF THE MESSAGE’.... There was an interesting exchange yesterday in the White House briefing room.  A reporter asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the administration's message strategy when it comes to health care reform. … Gibbs responded by noting that there's …

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 …

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.

Obama Injects Himself Into Health Talks, Despite Risks  —  WASHINGTON — In pursuing his proposed overhaul of the health care system, President Obama has consistently presented himself as aloof from the legislative fray, merely offering broad principles.  Prominent among them is the creation of a strong …

Climate bill could cost 2 million jobs  —  Add another climate bill cost estimate to the growing pile.  —  The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) released a study Wednesday that found under a high-cost scenario the House global warming bill …

Steele laughs at Specter  —  Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele burst out laughing Wednesday after watching a clip of Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) insisting that the town hall protesters are “not necessarily representative of America.”  —  Asked to respond to the clip during …

Bust ex-Clinton aide charged in prison smuggling … Best Of NYDN.com

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 …

JOHN EDWARDS SECRET DNA TEST PROVES HE'S THE DADDY!  —  BOMBSHELL WORLD EXCLUSIVE!  John Edwards has secretly undergone a DNA test - and it proves he's the father of his mistress' love child, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively.  —  Multiple sources confirm the bombshell development …

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Energy Leader (National Review, 08.10.09)  —  Detroit, Mich. - Michigan just experienced its coldest July on record; global temperatures haven't risen in more than a decade; Great Lakes water levels have resumed their 30-year cyclical rise (contrary to a decade …

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.

Massive campaign for Obama hits air  —  A new coalition on Thursday is launching $12 million in television ads to support President Barack Obama's health-reform plan, in the opening wave of a planned tens of millions of dollars this fall.  —  The new group, funded largely by the pharmaceutical industry …

Hillary Clinton Compares 2000 Florida Recount to Nigeria's Rigged Elections  —  Missing Ballot Boxes, Inflated Voter Counts, Shootings, Among Election Fraud in Nigeria  —  NAIROBI - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton compared Nigeria's corruption and electoral problems with the 2000 Florida …

Nineteen Minutes In a Car With Harry Reid  —  LAS VEGAS - Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, was having second thoughts - or was he? - about the way he had characterized people who are disrupting town halls with “lies, innuendo and rumor,” and not letting others speak.  They are, he said, “evil-mongers.”

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 Europe's largest economies.  —  Stronger exports and consumer spending, as well as government stimulus packages, contributed to the growth.

The reckless Right courts violence  —  Hysterical talk from TV and radio hosts may be a cynical marketing exercise.  But it's getting too dangerous to ignore.  —  A man bearing a sidearm appears outside President Obama's Aug. 11 town hall meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., under a sign proclaiming …

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.