How Obama Survived August  —  At the beginning of the month, I predicted that August might turn out be a bloodbath for Democrats.  At the time, the Democratic self-containment on health care had dissolved, cranks were taking over constituent meetings, and that real anxiety about Obama had found …

Americans Still Sharply Divided on Healthcare Reform  —  Opponents more likely than supporters to base their 2010 vote on the issue  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The American people are no less divided on healthcare reform today than they were a month ago.  A new Gallup Poll finds 39% of Americans saying …

When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings  —  The controversy over President Obama's speech to the nation's schoolchildren will likely be over shortly after Obama speaks today at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.  But when President George H.W. Bush delivered …

Employer Requirement in Baucus Health Package Would Have Unintended Effect of Discouraging Hiring of Low-Income and Minority Workers  —  While an employer responsibility requirement is an essential component of health care reform, a proposal included in the new health reform package …

Adviser losing patience with Obama  —  One of President Barack Obama's former top campaign advisers is “losing patience” with the White House, he told POLITICO Tuesday morning, as frustrations among the president's liberal allies crest over issues from health care legislation to gay rights.

The Story Behind the Story  —  IF YOU HAPPENED to be watching a television news channel on May 26, the day President Obama nominated U.S. Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, you might have been struck, as I was, by what seemed like a nifty investigative report.

Marc Garlasco - Is HRW's Anti-Israel Investigator A Nazi-Obsessed Collector?  —  UPDATE: I've published a critical followup to this post, both because I've gotten specific emails accusing Garlasco of being a Stormfront.org contributor (100% not true) and because there's a general risk …

Obama warns students about posting on Facebook  —  For Immediate Release September 8, 2009  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.  So this is the first day of high school?  —  STUDENTS: Yes.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Wow.  I'm trying to remember back to my first day of high school.  I can't remember that far back.

Lieberman: Public option is ‘not attainable’ because 'the public doesn't support it.'  —  Last week, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told the Connecticut Post that he believed the only “opportunity to achieve significant reform with bipartisan support” was if the public option was “off the table.”

The Public Plan Is Not the Same Thing as Cost Control  —  This will not be a popular post, I fear.  But one of the themes I'm seeing in a lot of the commentary is that the absence of a public plan is essentially equivalent to the absence of cost control, and the presence of a public plan is pretty much the presence of cost control.

Valerie Jarrett's Show  —  The White House shouldn't expect the furor over Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality Van Jones to go away just because he's resigned, says a former Obama Administration transition team member …

Rep. Jean Schmidt Tells Birther: ‘I Agree With You’  —  Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) spoke at the Voice of America tea party this Labor Day weekend outside of Cincinnati, OH.  Following a tense Q&A session — during which, the congresswoman was booed for acknowledging that the Constitution …

Mohamed ElBaradei left out evidence of Iran bomb, France claims  —  This is Mohamed ElBaradei's last year addressing the annual conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency.  —  He will not be universally missed.  Long chided for being soft on Iran, he goes into this year's conference amid …

Bill Clinton, Then and Now: The Esquire Interview  —  In a sprawling discussion of his past and our common future, the former president compares his administration's early years with Obama's and talks about what he believes — in health care and next year's midterms — is about to happen

Dep't of Stupid Headlines: L.A. Times Edition  —  Today, there's an article in the Los Angeles Times entitled:  —  “Obama is fast losing white voters' support”.  —  A reasonable person might expect the punchline to be either that the manifest decline in Obama's approval ratings …

Illegal Immigrants and HR 3200: Estimate of Potential Costs to Taxpayers  —  Steven A. Camarota is the Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies.  —  Based on our analysis of Census Bureau data, we estimate that there are 6.6 million uninsured illegal immigrants …

WHO SET UP GOVERNMENT ‘PROPAGANDA’ CONFERENCE CALL?  Newly Revealed White House, NEA Audio Contradict  —  Another conference call has materialized, revealing a concerted effort by government to use the arts to address political issues.  —  Lee Rosenbaum, a blogger for Artsjournal.com …

Win a dinner with Palin  —  (CNN) - If you've ever wanted to eat dinner with Sarah Palin, now's your chance.  —  With bids starting at $25,000, eBay is auctioning off a dinner for five with the former Alaska governor and her husband, Todd.  The proceeds will go to “Ride 2 Recovery,” …

Chambliss: Obama Better Show Humility In Speech To Congress  —  Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said today that, because of angry town hallers and the like, President Obama should show “humility” when he speaks to Congress Wednesday night.  —  “What you're seeing is folks on my side anxious …

As ‘Rescissions’ Spawn Outrage, Health Insurers Cite Fraud Control  —  Firms Defend ‘Rescissions’ as Fraud Control  —  LOS ANGELES — The untimely disappearance of Sally Marrari's medical coverage goes a long way toward explaining why insurance companies are cast as the villain in the health-care reform drama.

Right-Wing Woman Dares Dem Congressman To Take $20 Bill Out of Her Hand  —  Here's a fun YouTube that's been making the rounds of the right-wing blogs, from an August 31 town hall by Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) — in which a woman literally dared him to come down and take her money right out of her hand.