THIS ROBERT REICH COLUMN ON THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE is supposed to make you feel bad about the “right wing hate machine,” but instead it's a stunning admission of incompetence: … Hmm.  So it's like this: … Remember how Bush was supposed to be the idiot who went into Iraq without a plan …

Conrad says he won't support government-run health care program  —  CARRINGTON, N.D. — Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. presented his cooperative health care proposal here Thursday and told an audience of 100 that he would not vote for a government-run health care program.

Obama embraces the new “exception not the rule” strategy on town halls  —  The double-down on the town hall drama — highlighting the outbursts and deeming protesters as “mobs” — was probably untenable for the White House and Dems.  —  For one thing, it's tough for members of Congress …

Health Debate Fails to Ignite Obama's Grass Roots  —  MUSCATINE, Iowa — At her home on Tom Sawyer Road here the other night, Bonnie Adkins agreed to begin spreading the word that President Obama's embattled health care plan needed help.  —  Ms. Adkins, who for the past two years devoted hundreds …

In America, Crazy Is a Preexisting Condition  —  Birthers, Town Hall Hecklers and the Return of Right-Wing Rage  —  In Pennsylvania last week, a citizen, burly, crew-cut and trembling with rage, went nose to nose with his baffled senator: “One day God's going to stand before you …

Jesse Kelly town hall a great success  —  Rep. Giffords canceled her town hall in Sahuarita/Green Valley and Jesse Kelly scheduled an appearance in the same venue at the same time and place.  From the looks of the video below it was very successful.  Both sides were allowed to speak for two hours and with no problems.

Advertisers deserting Fox News' Glenn Beck  —  Cable host calls Obama ‘racist’ and sponsors move to distance themselves  —  STORY QUOTES COMMENTS SCREENER (1815) … NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — In what is shaping up to be one of the more effective boycott campaigns in years …

Senators use Twitter to argue about ‘death panels’  —  Sens. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) took to Twitter Friday to clash over comments the latter made regarding end-of-life provisions included in healthcare reform legislation.  —  Specter initiated the tussle, tweeting about a call he made to Grassley's office.

Kennedy absences raise concern for health vote  —  Sen. Edward Kennedy's absence from two high-profile public events is raising worries that the country's longest congressional champion for health reform may not be available to shepherd it through the Senate this fall.

Clermont police interview suspect in Obama ‘Joker’ posters  —  (TOM BENITEZ, ORLANDO SENTINEL / August 12, 2009)  —  CLERMONT - Clermont police have interviewed one suspect who is admitting to putting up the dozens of posters pasted around the city depicting President Obama as the Joker character …

UK defends its healthcare  —  The fractious British political classes have united in defence of the UK's healthcare system after it has become a byword for the failings of universal, state-funded provision among the US Republican right.  —  Gordon Brown, prime minister, and David Cameron …

Sestak big winner in Netroots straw poll  —  PITTSBURGH—Progressive online activists prefer Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) over Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) by a landslide margin, according to results of a Netroots Nation straw poll released Saturday.  The poll also showed significant resistance …

Azerbaijani Authorities Interrogate Music Fan Over Eurovision Vote For Armenia  —  The offending song: Inga and Anush perform “Jan-Jan.”  —  BAKU — It's a simple song competition.  Or is it?  —  The Eurovision Song Contest has long promoted itself as an event where national audiences …

Woodstock, Celebrating 40 Years Of ...  ... flaming hypocrisy from the back-to-nature crowd, which trashed a meadow, disturbed the bucolic peace with electronic noise, disrupted dairy operations, narrowly avoided a public health disaster, contributed to the destruction of untold thousands upon thousands …

When the kooks take the stage  —  IT'S HARD TO SAY what's more amusing, the wild-eyed rants at town hall meetings or the conservative attempts to portray those snarling sentiments as genuine mainstream anger about the president's health care plans.  —  Some Republicans are gleeful in the hope …

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN TOWN HALL ON HEALTH CARE  —  THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Montana!  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  It's great to be here.  Please, everybody have a seat, have a seat.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  I am excited to be back in Montana.  (Applause.)  I want to —

Kirk Watson's Statement on Running for Re-Election  —  As we reported earlier, Kirk Watson has decided to run for re-election in Senate District 14.  The Senator released the following statement on his intentions to remain in the Texas Senate (emphasis added)