The Principles of Rand Paul  —  No ideology survives the collision with real-world politics perfectly intact.  General principles have to bend to accommodate the complexities of history, and justice is sometimes better served by compromise than by zealous intellectual consistency.

Op-Ed Columnist: Obama Versus the Corporations  —  So here's how it is: They're as mad as hell, and they're not going to take this anymore.  Am I talking about the Tea Partiers?  No, I'm talking about the corporations.  —  Much reporting on opposition to the Obama administration portrays it as a sort of populist uprising.

Despite Obama's Moratorium, Drilling Projects Move Ahead  —  WASHINGTON — In the days since President Obama announced a moratorium on permits for drilling new offshore oil wells and a halt to a controversial type of environmental waiver that was given to the Deepwater Horizon rig …

Sestak confirms WH job offer to get out of Senate race  —  Rep. Joe Sestak, winner of the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, is refusing to provide more information on what job he was offered by a White House official to drop of that race, although he confirmed again that the incident occurred.

The Great Shame: America's Pathetic Response to the Gulf Catastrophe  —  Shame on us.  —  A calamity is unfolding before our eyes - the greatest oil spill in history - and America's response is little more than a big yawn.  —  Bob Herbert writes: … Where is the outrage?

Blumenthal: “I have made mistakes and I am sorry.”  —  After nearly a week of criticism following revelations that he misrepresented his military record and five days after a press conference in which he expressed regret for his misstatements, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Richard Blumenthal apologized.

After keeping us waiting for a century, Mark Twain will finally reveal all  —  The great American writer left instructions not to publish his autobiography until 100 years after his death, which is now  —  Exactly a century after rumours of his death turned out to be entirely accurate …

Reid angles for tea party foe in Nev.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has knocked down his leading Republican challenger, paving the way for a potential fall fight with a tea party favorite who may be easier to beat.  —  Reid's unceasing attacks on his biggest-name challenger …

One false move in Europe could set off global chain reaction  —  If the trouble starts — and it remains an “if” — the trigger may well be obscure to the concerns of most Americans: a missed budget projection by the Spanish government, the failure of Greece to hit a deficit-reduction target, a drop in Ireland's economic output.

‘I was right and they were wrong’  —  From hero of the left to neocon turncoat, and still battling on: Christopher Hitchens talks to Decca Aitkenhead about old arguments and his new memoir  —  Christopher Hitchens: 'Do I think our civilisation is superior?  Yes, I do.  Do I think it's worth fighting for?

More mischief in Illinois race  —  It's been a rough stretch for Illinois Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias — and it could be getting a little bit rougher.  —  His family's business, Broadway Bank, was seized by regulators last month.  He's had trouble getting robust support …

Major Change Down Below... Live Blogging...  [Regular updates will be tacked on to the bottom of this post through the day.]  OK— I moved updates to top of page to make it easier for me.  —  Those just arriving, please scroll down to the double lines, and start there... then come back to the top, here.