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.

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.

Palin: A Slip on Oil Industry Ties?  —  Former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin stirred up more controversy over the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico Sunday when she suggested that the administration's response was linked to “the oil companies who have so supported President Obama in his campaign.”

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Louisiana Officials Threaten Action if Spill Response Proves Inadequate  —  VENICE, La. — Louisiana state and local officials continued to hammer BP and the federal agencies responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Sunday, repeatedly threatening to “take matters into our own hands” if the response fell short.

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 …

Waiting For A Hero To Arrive —  the Gulf spill.  Why are we so paralyzed?  —  Waiting For A Hero To Arrive  —  Peter Daou writes the piece we should all be writing: … What if it is?  —  I think that may be what everyone's afraid of.  Somewhere in the backs of our minds …

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.

Will Folks: Letting The Chips Fall  —  Since I founded FITSNews three-and-a-half years ago, I've made more than my fair share of powerful enemies in this state.  —  One reason for that?  I call it like I see it - whether you like it or not, agree with it or not, or even believe it or not.

‘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?

Still Waiting For Keith Olbermann To Condemn Obama's Assassination Program...  More than a week since a New York Times story on the Obama-approved program to assassinate U.S. citizens named as terrorists, Keith Olbermann still has not condemned that program.  One reader correctly observed …

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.

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 …