Something Fishy in South Carolina?  —  Is there something suspicious about the results in the US Senate primary victory of unknown Democrat Alvin Greene, who defeated fellow Democrat Vic Rawl, 59 percent to 41 percent?  I'm not sure yet, but there is a whiff of something strange going on here.

Sources: Obama Administration to Support Anti-Israel Resolution at UN Next Week  —  THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned that senior Obama administration officials have been telling foreign governments that the administration intends to support an effort next week at the United Nations to set …

Saint Sarah  —  To white evangelical women, Sarah Palin is a modern-day prophet, preaching God, flag, and family—while remaking the religious right in her own image.  —  Sarah Palin's pro-woman rallying cry is poised to transform the Christian right into a women's movement.

Obama to POLITICO: Congress shares the blame for BP  —  President Barack Obama said Friday that some members of Congress should share the blame for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  —  In an interview with POLITICO, the president said: “I think it's fair to say, if six months ago …

Schumer Says It ‘Makes Sense’ To ‘Strangle [Gaza] Economically’ Until It Votes The Way Israel Wants  —  This past Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) delivered a wide-ranging speech at an Orthodox Union event in Washington, D.C. The senator's lecture touched on areas such as Iran's nuclear program …

THE HEARTBREAKING TRUCE  —  I received an astonishing email today from a concerned friend who has been very influential in the fight to end the scourge of abortion.  —  Apparently, a 2012 Republican presidential prospect in an interview with a reporter has made the suggestion that the next President …

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites  —  Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran's nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.  —  In the week that the UN Security Council imposed …

The Left and the Afghan War.  —  Michael Cohen has a smart take on how the Left has been laying low on Afghanistan, noting that “The American Prospect, along with Salon, has devoted enormous and laudable energy to covering civil liberties issues related to the U.S. war on terror …

David Brooks doesn't inspire confidence  —  I'M SOMETIMES mystified by Tyler Cowen's taste in commentary.  He calls the latest David Brooks' column one of his favourites.  I think it's a total mess.  Titled “Prune and grow”, it's meant, I think, to be about fiscally responsible ways to invest in America's future.

Republicans Jubilant About Gulf Coast Coverage  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Republican communication strategists in Washington and Louisiana are thrilled at the press coverage of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, according to e-mails from GOP officials accidentally sent to the Huffington Post.

Arizona's Next Immigration Target: Children of Illegals  —  “Anchor babies” isn't a very endearing term, but in Arizona those are the words being used to tag children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants.  While not new, the term is increasingly part of the local vernacular because the primary authors …

A Brief, Possibly Drug-Induced Peruvian-Chasidic Interlude  —  Charles Mann forwarded me this video, along with a post by Alma Guillermoprieto that attempts to explain the video, nearly successfully.  I don't know what to make of much anymore, especially this, though I will say it is pleasing …

President attended fundraiser during Gulf memorial service  —  (CNN) - According his official schedule, President Obama did not attend the May 25 memorial service in Jackson, Mississippi for the workers who died in the Deepwater Horizon explosion because he was en route to a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer …

Iceland passes gay marriage law in unanimous vote  —  (Reuters) - Iceland, the only country in the world to have an openly gay head of state, passed a law on Friday allowing same-sex partners to get married in a vote which met with no political resistance.  —  The Althingi parliament voted 49 …

At Least 20 Campers Killed in Arkansas Flash Flood  —  Campers at the Remote Albert Pike Campground Were Swept Away By Rising Rivers; 3 Dozen Still Missing  —  At least 20 people in a remote part of Arkansas were killed early Friday morning after flash floods swept through their campsites following …

Millionaires make a comeback  —  Although hit hard during the Great Recession, the wealthy rebounded in 2009, data show.  —  Reporting from New York — Unemployment remains at near-record levels, and most Americans are struggling to rebuild their battered finances.

Pelosi: We'll stop blaming Bush when problems go away  —  Democrats will keep blaming George W. Bush until the problems from his administration end, according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  —  In an interview with MSNBC, Pelosi said congressional Democrats feel justified in blaming the Bush administration …

Hispanic Voters' Preferences Unchanged Post-Arizona Law  —  Two-to-one preference for Democrat is nearly identical to intentions before passage  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Hispanic voters nationwide haven't shifted their congressional voting preferences since the signing of Arizona's new immigration law on April 23.

S.C. Rep. Knotts asked to resign  —  The Lexington County Republican Party on Thursday night asked GOP state Sen. Jake Knotts to resign for calling gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley a “raghead.”  —  The county party said the comments brought “shame” and “disgrace” to both Knotts and the state …

The Chances of a “Double-Dip” are Essentially Nil  —  The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research has yet to call an official end to the recession that began in December of 2007, but most forecasters (and at least one outspoken member of the Committee …

Admiral Allen on Maine Boom, Tony Hayward, and How the Official Response Would Not Have Been Different If They'd Known the True Flow Rate  —  We sat down with the national incident commander for the BP oil spill, US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, this morning to talk about the latest.

Health overhaul to force changes in employer plans  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Over and over in the health care debate, President Barack Obama said people who like their current coverage would be able to keep it.  —  But an early draft of an administration regulation estimates that many employers …

Dealing With Chermany  —  So here's where we are: China has done nothing to change its policy of massive currency manipulation, and its exports are surging.  Meanwhile, Europe is going wild for fiscal austerity.  Angela Merkel says that budget cuts will make Germany more competitive — but competitive against whom, exactly?

Dems up on generic ballot  —  For the first time since December PPP finds Democrats leading on the generic Congressional ballot, albeit by the insignificant margin of 43-41.  —  The biggest reason for the shift is that the party is becoming more unified.  Democratic voters are planning …