SO THE KNOXVILLE TEA PARTY CROWD HAD A RECESS RALLY at the Federal Courthouse, where Rep. Jimmy Duncan and Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker have offices.  They had 100-15 people (I heard that about half that many counterprotesters were there at the beginning, but they were marching off …

Constitutionality of Health Insurance Mandate Questioned  —  President Obama has called for a serious and reasoned debate about his plans to overhaul the health-care system.  Any such debate must include the question of whether it is constitutional for the federal government to adopt and implement the president's proposals.

An overdraft?  That'll be £200 at Lloyds TSB (but only £15 if you're a Muslim)  —  Many Lloyds TSB customers are being hit with charges of up to £200 a month if they go into the red - while Muslims who use the bank are only being charged £15.

White House Reveals Identity of Firm That Sent Unsolicited E-Mails on Health Reform  —  The White House revealed to FOX News that it hired a private communications firm to distribute mass e-mails, including unsolicited spam to help sell President Obama's health care plan.  —  FOXNews.com

Web extra: Congressman Herger calls Obama plan ‘threat to democracy’  —  Republican Congressman Wally Herger held a health care town hall meeting Aug. 18 at Simpson University in Redding, where a partisan crowd of over 2,000 people loudly cheered Herger's position that a public option was “unacceptable.”

A Judgment Call That Comes Up A Bit Short  —  The first lady stepped off Air Force One during the Obama family's recent mini-vacation out West wearing a pair of moss-colored shorts.  They were not the kind of knee-grazing Bermudas or pedal pushers that the fashion industry has long advocated …

Daschle Has the Ear of the White House and the Health Industry  —  WASHINGTON — Six months have passed since the morning when Tom Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader, under fire for not paying certain taxes, called President Obama in his study off the Oval Office to withdraw his nomination as health secretary and reform czar.

Baucus does not represent his state, say Montanans  —  Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 8/17-19.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (No trend lines)  —  Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Max Baucus' actions on health care?  —  Approve Disapprove Not sure  —  All 42 44 14

Lebanese man is target of first rendition under Obama  —  Contractor Raymond Azar is arrested in Afghanistan, hooded, stripped and flown to the U.S. His alleged crime?  Bribery.  A human rights activist calls the case ‘bizarre.’  —  Reporting from Alexandria, Va. - A Lebanese citizen …

‘Clunkers’ Program Benefits Foreign Automakers More, Data Shows  —  Smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles like the Toyota Corolla are top sellers, while buyers are trading in SUV's like the Ford Explorer to be scrapped, turning the already dwindling number of American car owners into the growing ranks of foreign car drivers.

Stimulus hits a pothole  —  And Obamacare can't be rationalized on economic or medical grounds because it's not about that.  It's about moving America left.  —  Recommend  —  The other day, wending my way from Woodsville, N.H., 40 miles south to Plymouth, I came across several “stimulus” …

'I've never seen anything like this'  —  MARIANNA, Fla. — Rep Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) is a skilled politician who has pretty much seen it all — a Deep South Democrat who's managed to dispatch all opponents in his conservative-leaning Panhandle district since winning election in 1996.

Senator seeks data on health insurer profits  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate Democrat asked the top 15 health insurers to explain what portion of premiums go to profits versus patient care, putting further pressure on the companies to explain their business practices as Congress considers sweeping health reform legislation.

Monitors: Taliban cut off fingers of Afghan voters  —  KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — Making good on a threat of election day violence, the Taliban sliced off the index fingers of at least two people in Kandahar province, according to a vote monitoring group.  —  After they cast their ballots …

“Wars of Necessity”  —  This phrase is getting kicked around a lot lately, I'm sort of in search of an operational definition.  Fortunately, here's Richard Haas: … If that's what people mean by “war of necessity” then I think we can probably do without the phrase.

Garofalo: Tea Party Protesters ‘Functionally Retarded Adults’; Says ‘I Want My Country Back’ Code for ‘I Want My White Guy Back’  —  You probably already knew Jeanane Garofalo was no fan of conservatives, Republicans or just about anything that could be described as right of center.