‘Wellstone effect’ for Kennedy?  —  Key conservative voices have begun to charge in the day after Sen. Ted Kennedy's death that Democrats are inappropriately politicizing the senator's death, his memorial and his legacy.  —  Kennedy was that ultimate political creature, a “lion of the Senate …

UPDATED: As boycott continues, Glenn Beck's audience swells  —  An advertising boycott against Fox News host Glenn Beck has succeeded in keeping most major sponsors from running commercials on his show even as the controversial commentator's viewership has grown.

The Onion Wins The Internet.  —  First, there was the article on the “afterbirthers” demanding to see Obama's placenta.  Now, we have an Onion segment discussing whether or not using a minotaur to gore detainees is, in fact, torture.  Obviously there are two sides to the question.

Markey: Medicare will take hit  —  Some people, including Medicare recipients, will have to give up some current benefits to truly reform the nation's health-care system, Rep. Betsy Markey told a gathering of constituents in Fort Collins on Wednesday.  —  Markey has repeatedly said during …

Obtained: The RNC's Health Care Survey  —  I just chatted with Raymond Denny, the 64-year-old La Center, Wash., man who received the RNC's “2009 Future of American Health Survey,” which alleged that President Obama's health reform plans might discriminate against Republicans.  Here's the survey question:

Girl taken in 1991 surfaces; couple held  —  (CNN) — A 29-year old woman walked into a northern California police station, saying she was abducted 18 years ago, authorities said Thursday.  Two people are being held in connection with the case.  —  Jaycee Dugard is in good health …

My Last Word on Guns  —  Jason Zengerle indicates that the real point is that openly carrying weapons at a protest makes it harder for the Secret Service to do their job.  Probably.  On the other hand, lots of things make it harder for the Secret Service to do their job.

‘Post’ poll: Only 4% of Jewish Israelis think Obama is pro-Israel  —  The number of Israelis who see US President Barack Obama's policies as pro-Israel has fallen to four percent, according to a Smith Research poll taken this week on behalf of The Jerusalem Post.

Big Beck: Goes over 3 million viewers, beats O'Reilly in demo: Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, August 26, 2009  —  Though a little scandal might alienate advertisers, it's pure ratings gold.  Last night Glenn Beck had over 3 million viewers at 5pm, second only to O'Reilly for the night.

Abuse Issue Puts the Justice Dept. and C.I.A. at Odds  —  WASHINGTON — With the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate detainee abuses, long-simmering conflicts between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Justice Department burst into plain view this week, threatening relations between …

Business groups target climate bill  —  Advocates for manufacturers and small businesses are launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign against climate change legislation in states represented by senators likely to determine the bill's fate.  —  The National Association of Manufacturers …

Till Debt Does Its Part  —  So new budget projections show a cumulative deficit of $9 trillion over the next decade.  According to many commentators, that's a terrifying number, requiring drastic action — in particular, of course, canceling efforts to boost the economy and calling off health care reform.

Banks ‘Too Big to Fail’ Have Grown Even Bigger  —  Behemoths Born of the Bailout Reduce Consumer Choice, Tempt Corporate Moral Hazard  —  When the credit crisis struck last year, federal regulators pumped tens of billions of dollars into the nation's leading financial institutions …

ABC, NBC Won't Air Ad Critical of Obama's Health Care Plan  —  The refusal by ABC and NBC to run a national ad critical of President Obama's health care reform plan is raising questions from the group behind the spot — particularly in light of ABC's health care special aired in prime time last June hosted at the White House

Bush's Search Policy For Travelers Is Kept  —  Obama Officials Say Oversight Will Grow  —  The Obama administration will largely preserve Bush-era procedures allowing the government to search — without suspicion of wrongdoing — the contents of a traveler's laptop computer …

Rammell howls at Otter for not buying wolf tag  —  This time, the howling isn't coming from the wolves.  —  Rex Rammell, a long-shot gubernatorial candidate seeking the Republican nomination, criticized Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter on Wednesday for not making good on a promise to buy the first wolf tag.

Gutless Cowards  —  Observe the man who undoubtedly receives medicare speaking in an Iowa town hall meeting with Senator Charles Grassley earlier this week: … Observe that Grassley says NOTHING to dissuade the gentlemen from his thesis or desire.  —  This has happened again, and again, and again in the last month.

Stephen Hayes: Cheney Himself Didn't Actually Torture.  So There!  —  Indefatigable Dick Cheney hagiographer Stephen Hayes, nervously typing away while Cheney glowers over his shoulder, has yet another post up attacking yours truly for suggesting that the newly-released CIA docs don't prove Cheney's claim that torture worked.

Pastor Of Gun-Toter At Obama Event Prayed For Obama To Die  —  Chris Broughton, the man who brought an assault rifle and a handgun to the Obama event in Arizona last week, attended a fiery anti-Obama sermon the day before the event, in which Pastor Steven Anderson said he was going to …

Fox News beats CNN and MSNBC with more limited Kennedy coverage  —  Fox News maintained its top ranking among the cable news channels Wednesday as its competitors turned most of their coverage over to the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy.  The event didn't prove to be a major draw for viewers, however.

Dealing With Being the Health Care ‘Villains’  —  LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Max Shireman says that when he looks in the mirror he does not see the monster the politicians have made him out to be.  —  Sure, he could stand to lose a few pounds.  And there was that speeding ticket last year for going 40 in a 30-mile-an-hour zone.