Democrats Seem Set to Go Alone on a Health Bill  —  WASHINGTON — Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority's cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.

David Axelrod's Very Big Problem  —  The allegations in this Bloomberg story —if true— pose a huge problem for a senior advisor to the president, David Axelrod.  This is the heart of the problem: … The problem is that Axelrod's former firm is currently receiving huge fees …

Woman yells ‘Heil Hitler’ to Jewish man praising Israel's national health care system.  —  Conservatives have strenuously denied that there is any anti-Semitism on display by anti-health reform protesters at town hall meetings nationwide — despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Science proves zombies could annihilate humans  —  If zombies actually existed, an attack by them would lead to the collapse of civilisation unless dealt with quickly and aggressively.  —  That is the conclusion of a mathematical exercise carried out by researchers in Canada.

Robert Novak (1931-2009)  —  The Evans-Novak column ran under the title “the Sonnenfeldt Doctrine.”  When I finished reading that early spring day in 1976, I remember thinking, this is quintessential Bob Novak.  —  State Department Counselor Helmut Sonnenfeldt had told a London gathering …

I Am Vaguely Calling You Out  —  This is a message for all you Chicken Littles, you handwringers, you wannabe strategists, you people who have suggestions or doubts: I am vaguely calling you out.  —  Who you are is not really important.  Why I am vaguely calling you out is also not important.

60 Votes  —  Quick background: Republicans will filibuster any healthcare bill that reaches the floor of the Senate, and it takes 60 votes to break a filibuster.  If a healthcare bill includes a public option provision, it's vanishingly unlikely that we can find those 60 votes.

NBC POLL: PLURALITY OPPOSES PUBLIC OPTION  —  From NBC's Mark Murray  —  The question of whether or not the eventual health-care reform legislation will include a public/government option to compete with private insurers has dominated the health-care debate over the past two days.

In Appraisal Shift, Lenders Gain Power and Critics  —  Mike Kennedy, a real estate appraiser in Monroe, N.Y., was examining a suburban house a few years ago when he discovered five feet of water in the basement.  The mortgage broker arranging the owner's refinancing asked him to pretend it was not there.

Sweden newspaper: Israel kills Palestinians, harvests their organs  —  A leading Swedish newspaper reported this week that Israeli soldiers are abducting Palestinians in order to steal their organs, a claim that prompted furious condemnation and accusations of anti-Semitic blood libel from a rival publication.

Howard Dean Says Senate Republicans Want Obama Dead  —  A QUIET SCREAM  —  Former DNC Head Plays Games With Incendiary Language  —  Apparently, libtalkers aren't the only ones asserting that conservatives want Obama dead.  After a week of reckless rhetoric from the left side of the dial …

Poll: Was Palin's resignation a smart move?  —  (CNN) - A new national poll suggests that most Americans don't think Sarah Palin's decision to step down as Alaska governor was a smart political move.  —  Sixty-one percent of people questioned in a Marist survey released Tuesday …

Netroots Nation frustration and the impediments to progressive change  —  I just returned to Seattle from Netroots Nation, the yearly gathering of progressive bloggers, journalists, and activists.  Last year, in Austin, the atmosphere was absolutely electric, with the election approaching …

Why the Public Option S**t Storm is Great News  —  I'm almost certainly going to get in trouble for blogging on vacation, but I thought this point needed to be made and didn't see anyone making it: I have no idea whether the administration intended to shift its position on the public option over the weekend …

Fiorina takes a step toward challenging Boxer in 2010  —  SACRAMENTO — Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina inched closer Tuesday toward a run for U.S. Senate next year, filing paperwork that will allow her to begin raising money for polling, political consultants and other preparations …

Why ‘Obama-care’ is failing  —  The president and his supporters are blaming the wrong people for his healthcare woes — they should look in the mirror.  —  To listen to the White House and its supporters, in and out of the media, you would think that opposition to “Obama-care” is the hobgoblin of a few small minds on the right.

An Unexpected Ally's Road to Championing Same-Sex Marriage  —  Theodore B. Olson's office is a testament to his iconic status in the conservative legal movement.  A framed photograph of Ronald Reagan, the first of two Republican presidents Mr. Olson served, is warmly inscribed with “heartfelt thanks.”

Labor Warns Dems: We'll Sit Out Election If You Oppose Public Plan  —  One of the country's most prominent union officials is warning that big labor may pull its support from Democrats who don't fight for a government-run insurance plan.  —  In an interview with the Huffington Post on Saturday …

Obama Goes Postal, Lands in Dead-Letter Office: Caroline Baum  —  Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) — “UPS and FedEx are doing just fine.  It's the Post Office that's always having problems.”  — Barack Obama, Aug. 11, 2009  —  No institution has been the butt of more government- inefficiency jokes than the U.S. Postal Service.

Danish Conservatives Call for Burqa Ban  —  The immigration spokesman for Denmark's Conservative Party is calling for a ban on the wearing of burqas in public.  He says the garment was introduced by the Taliban and is “not Islamic at all.”  —  Denmark's Conservative Party said this week …

Will Bagram Be President Obama's Guantanamo?  —  The White House declined to comment Tuesday about a letter sent by the American Civil Liberties Union asking why President Obama is refusing to make public information about the detainees imprisoned at the US military's Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

Methane seeps from Arctic sea bed  —  Methane bubbles observed by sonar, escape from sea bed as temperatures rise  —  Scientists say they have evidence that the powerful greenhouse gas methane is escaping from the Arctic sea bed.  —  Researchers say this could be evidence of a predicted positive feedback effect of climate change.

Honesty about the Stimulus  —  On August 6, Christina Romer, the chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, gave a talk (it can be read at http://blog.prospect.org/blog/weblog/ DCEconClubprint.pdf) entitled “So, Is It Working?  An Assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at the Five-Month Mark.”

Enzi: Reform health care in stages  —  CASPER - Congress should approach health care reform in steps, instead of trying to put together a comprehensive package said U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.  —  Health care is so massive that reforms can't be made with one major bill …