Busted.  Van Jones Linked to 9-11 Truther Movement Back in **January 2002**  —  Yesterday, news broke out that Barack Obama's communist Green Czar was a 9-11 Truther.  The administration much later in the day released a statement saying Van Jones was “not now or ever” involved in the 9-11 Truther movement.

Gates: AP decision ‘appalling’  —  Defense Secretary Robert Gates is objecting “in the strongest terms” to an Associated Press decision to transmit a photograph showing a mortally wounded 21-year-old Marine in his final moments of life, calling the decision “appalling” and a breach of “common decency.”

Sources: White House drafting health care bill  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — CNN has learned that the White House is quietly working to draft health care legislation after allowing Congress to work on its own for months.  —  Multiple sources close to the process tell CNN that while the plan is uncertain …

Franken Talks Down Angry Mob!!!  —  I got to witness something really special the other day.  About a dozen tea party activists had staked out Sen. Al Franken's booth at the Minnesota State Fair and confronted him loudly when he arrived.  But within minutes, he'd turned an unruly crowd into a productive conversation on health care.

Quote of the Day: Where Is America's Partisan Political Ugliness Heading?  —  Our political Quote of the Day comes from Time's Joe Klein, who attended a health care reform town hall in Arkansas and asks the question I've asked here at TMV many times: just where is America's accelerating trend towards political ugliness headed?

Why ‘GQ’ Doesn't Want Russians To Read Its Story … text sizeAAA  —  For war journalist Scott Anderson, the most confounding part of his recent assignment for GQ magazine to explore the root of terrorist acts in Russia a decade ago wasn't the suggestion of treachery and subterfuge he found.

Pawlenty sides with critics  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty today gave his support to parents and schools wary about showing President Obama's televised back-to-school address in classrooms next week.  —  Pawlenty said that showing the address, slated to be telecast at 11 a.m. Central Time on Tuesday …

Public Option Not Vital to Health Reform, Teamsters' Hoffa Says  —  Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) — Teamsters President James Hoffa said dropping the so-called public option wouldn't be a “deal killer” for health-care legislation, signaling a split among leaders of unions that are a core constituency of President Barack Obama.

Despite Best Efforts, Rep. Baron Hill Ends Up on YouTube In a Compromising Position  —  Rep. Baron Hill (D., Ind.) cannot possibly be this big a jerk all the time.  At a recent town hall, a young woman raised her hand and identified herself as a journalism student working on a school project …

Unemployment Hits 9.7%, but Job Loss Slows in August  —  Employers eliminated 216,000 jobs in August even as the larger American economy showed signs of turning around, suggesting that while the pace of job losses continues to slow, workers will still be among the last to benefit from a recovery.

Rep. Bachmann: Dems Want To Sabotage Me Because I Might Become President  —  On Mike Gallagher's radio program yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) offered a novel theory as to why Democrats want her out of office: They don't want her to become the first woman president.

Let's Get Fundamental  —  If I were magically given an hour to help Barack Obama prepare for his health care speech next week, the first thing I'd do is ask him to read David Goldhill's essay, “How American Health Care Killed My Father,” in the current issue of The Atlantic.

Drift  —  Charlie Cook is out with another ominous political analysis/forecast for the Democrats, particularly when it comes to continued Democratic control of the House.  The key issue for Cook is Obama's dramatic decline in support among political independents over the course of the summer.

Obama Regulation Czar Advocated Removing People's Organs Without Explicit Consent  —  (CNSNews.com) - Cass Sunstein, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), has advocated a policy under which the government would “presume” …

Audi Chief Calls Chevy Volt “A Car For Idiots”  —  Bring on the war of words.  In a frank conversation with MSN writer Lawrence Ulrich, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen has said that the Chevy Volt will fail and that anybody who buys the car is an idiot.

GOP gov. candidate Chris Christie not issued traffic ticket after accident that injured motorcyclist in 2002  —  Adding to Chris Christie's campaign trail headaches over his driving record, officials in Elizabeth confirmed tonight the Republican gubernatorial candidate was in a traffic accident …

The Coming Reset in State Government  —  My fellow governors and I are likely facing a permanent reduction in tax revenues.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  State government finances are a wreck.  The drop in tax receipts is the worst in a half century.  Fewer than 10 states ended …