In Elena Kagan's work as solicitor general, few clues to her views  —  In her six appearances before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Elena Kagan has argued some of the term's most important constitutional challenges to government action.  Justice Antonin Scalia has said that she “stepped into the fire.”

Voters Shifting to GOP  —  Republicans have solidified support among voters who had drifted from the party in recent elections, putting the GOP in position for a strong comeback in November's mid-term campaign, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks' Influence on Ratings  —  The New York attorney general has started an investigation of eight banks to determine whether they provided misleading information to rating agencies in order to inflate the grades of certain mortgage securities, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation.

L.A. council bans most official travel to Arizona  —  Members, arguing that the new immigration law could lead to racial profiling, also vote to bar future city contracts with companies in that state.  —  Councilman Ed Reyes meets with supporters after the council voted to ban most city travel …

The New Poor: The Economy Shifts, Leaving Some Behind  —  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many of the jobs lost during the recession are not coming back.  —  Period.  —  For the last two years, the weak economy has provided an opportunity for employers to do what they would have done anyway …

SC Gov. Sanford saw Argentine lover in Florida  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday he spent last weekend in Florida with his Argentine lover, hoping to rekindle the affair that wrecked his marriage and his political future and brought a formal rebuke from legislators for embarrassing the state.

In Kentucky's Senate race, ties to Mitch McConnell could be helpful or harmful  —  MONTICELLO, KY. — When Senate candidate Rand Paul told a lunchtime crowd at Shearer's Buffet that “we have to do things differently” in Washington and “bring 'em home and send some different Republicans,” …

Galbraith: The danger posed by the deficit ‘is zero’  —  James Galbraith is an economist and the Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. chair in government and business relations at the University of Texas at Austin.  He's also a skeptic of the prevailing concern over America's long-term deficit.

Iraq violence delays US withdrawal  —  Withdrawal of first large phase of combat troops likely to be delayed for at least a month due to Iraq's instability  —  The White House is likely to delay the withdrawal of the first large phase of combat troops from Iraq for at least a month …

The Annals of Arlen  —  “I love you, and I love Arlen Specter,” Barack Obama told a crowd in Philadelphia last fall.  If you happen to be in Pennsylvania, you can relive this incident many times a day, thanks to campaign ads that Senator Specter hopes will save his hide in next week's Democratic primary.

1,000-page climate bill is unveiled  —  Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) on Wednesday unveiled their nearly 1,000-page climate change bill, flanked by environmentalists, religious and ex-military leaders and energy industry officials.  —  But the glaring absence …

Criminal charges likely from Gulf oil spill, legal experts say  —  WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are likely to file criminal charges against at least one of the companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico spill, raising the prospects of significantly higher penalties than a current $75 million cap …

What's Happening to Faisal Shahzad?  —  The lack of a court appearance suggests prosecutors are getting information.  But they shouldn't have to improvise.  —  The Obama administration's announcement that it will seek legislative changes to Miranda warnings for terrorism suspects is a signal event.

VAT ‘will rise’ under coalition  —  VAT is set to rise under the new coalition government, according to a BBC survey of influential economists.  —  Of 29 independent economists currently used by the Treasury to assist its forecasts, 24 said they expected the rate to rise in the coming parliament.

Arrest of 13 CIA Agents Sought in Spain  —  Prosecutors attached to the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid are reportedly requesting that Judge Ismael Moreno issue an order for the arrest of thirteen CIA agents involved in an extraordinary rendition operation from 2004, the newspaper El País reports …

The Contrast in Mood Between Today and 1983  —  The most astonishing and surprising thing I find about Washington DC today is the contrast in mood between DC today and what DC was thinking a generation ago, in 1983, the last time the unemployment rate was kissing 10%.

USNA reconsiders greasy-statue climb  —  The Herndon Climb is a signature annual event at the United States Naval Academy.  Each May, a thousand first-year midshipmen surge to the top of a 21-foot granite obelisk coated with 200 pounds of lard.  The first mid to the top plants a midshipman's cap.

Statement by President Obama on Financial Reform  —  Throughout the debate on Wall Street reform, I have urged members of the Senate to fight the efforts of special interests and their lobbyists to weaken consumer protections.  An amendment that the Senate will soon consider would do exactly that …

The banality of weasels  —  They could toss in more, but FoxNews and Goldline  —  Oh dear, I hope it's okay to refer to Oil Executives (and clearly my betters) with a derisive name.  But after failing to contain an oil spill by dropping something they picked up from PODS …

U.S. posts 19th straight monthly budget deficit  —  (Reuters) - The United States posted an $82.69 billion deficit in April, nearly four times the $20.91 billion shortfall registered in April 2009 and the largest on record for that month, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

Has clout become the ‘kiss of death’?  —  The back-to-back primary defeats of two powerful appropriators have sent an unmistakable message to lawmakers: The trappings of power can be a trap.  —  On Wednesday night, West Virginia Democrats eighty-sixed Rep. Alan Mollohan …