Utah Sen. Bob Bennett loses convention fight  —  Utah Sen. Bob Bennett lost his bid to be nominated for a fourth term Saturday, defeated at the state Republican Party convention amid a strong conservative sentiment that threatens to unseat other establishment-backed Republicans in the months to come.

The latest on Elena Kagan  —  I've laid out my case against Elena Kagan as thoroughly as I could, but with several anonymous (i.e., unreliable) reports percolating that she's the likely choice and could be announced as early as Monday, it's worthwhile to note several recent items from others pertaining to her selection:

Don't Mention the War  —  Why does the Obama administration find it so hard to utter the words ‘terrorism’ and ‘jihad’ and ‘Islamic extremism’?  —  On Saturday, May 1, a crude car bomb composed of gasoline canisters, propane tanks, fertilizer, and fireworks failed to detonate in Times Square.

The Left and Economics  —  According to Zeljka Buturovic and Dan Klein, people who self-identify as “progressive” have low levels of economic knowledge whereas those who self-identify as “libertarian” or “very conservative” rank very highly.  For reasons suggested by Tyler Cowen, I think that conclusion is nonsense.

Obama says health care law already helps millions  —  WASHINGTON - The new health care law already is helping millions of people through tax breaks for small businesses and assistance for families with young adults, President Barack Obama said Saturday.  —  In his weekly radio and Internet address …

Gates: Military spending should be subjected to harsher scrutiny  —  Defense Secretary Robert Gates is warning Congress and the Pentagon brass that military spending must receive harsh scrutiny in the face of the nation's tough economic times and large deficit.

Op-Ed Columnist: The Tea Party Tries to Outrun Race  —  Racist.  Tea Party.  —  Are those separate concepts or a single one?  Depends on whom you ask.  —  According to an article accompanying a Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Wednesday: “About 61 percent of tea party opponents …

The Crisis Comes Ashore  —  Why the oil spill could change everything.  —  The continuing undersea gusher of oil 50 miles off the shores of Louisiana is not the only source of dangerous uncontrolled pollution spewing into the environment.  Worldwide, the amount of man-made CO2 …

Pelosi leads congressional delegation to Afghanistan to visit Karzai, McChrystal  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) arrived with a congressional delegation in Afghanistan on Saturday to meet with top officials there.  —  Pelosi led a delegation that arrived for meetings …

Oh the Irony: “America is Back!,” Baby, But The Magazine Proclaiming This Just Might Go Out of Business  —  Remember this?  Of course you do.  It was like three weeks ago.  You're morons, not retards.  —  Well, Newsweek's on the auction block, and the Washington Post Company's sales brochure …