Etheridge Statement on Viral Video  —  Washington, DC, Jun 14 - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) released the following statement on the viral video which appeared on the internet today:  —  “I have seen the video posted on several blogs.  I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved.

Steve King: Obama Favors The “Black Person” By Default  —  1 hour and 40 minutes ago — Walid Zafar  —  Rep. Steve King (R-IA) appeared on the G. Gordon Liddy Show this morning to discuss Arizona's controversial immigration law and accused Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama …

Yet Again the NRA Sells Out Freedom to the Democrats … There are few organizations purportedly on the side of freedom that aggravate me more than the National Rifle Association.  —  In fact, these days I cringe when I see good conservatives with their lifetime member sticker from the NRA on the back of their cars.

I admit it: I was wrong to have supported Barack Obama  —  In three and a half years of blogging, this has been my single most unpopular post.  There's little point, I know, in reminding readers that my support for Barack Obama was qualified; that I simultaneously endorsed GOP Congressional candidates …

McMaster to endorse Haley  —  (CNN) - South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley will pick up a major endorsement Tuesday from one of her former rivals in the Republican primary - Attorney General Henry McMaster.  —  McMaster campaign manager Trey Walker told CNN that the attorney general plans …

Meg Whitman Was Accused of Shoving eBay Employee  —  SAN FRANCISCO — During her 10 years as chief executive of eBay, Meg Whitman, the Republican candidate for governor of California, was known as a demanding leader who did not hesitate to express displeasure with employees who failed to live up to her standards.

Cameras role on ‘Atlas’  —  Production ends 30-year trek to bring pic to screen  —  The long-brewing feature version of author Ayn Rand's “Atlas Shrugged” has begun shooting in Los Angeles as a $5 million indie produced by John Aglialoro and Harmon Kaslow.

Armed pair held at Central Command base  —  MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (CNN) — A heavily armed man and woman were in custody Monday after trying to enter the Air Force base that houses the headquarters for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan without authorization, an Air Force spokeswoman said.

Washington Sketch: Clinton finally ahead of Obama in popularity  —  It's about two years too late, but Hillary Clinton has finally pulled ahead of Barack Obama.  —  By any measure — favorability ratings or job approval — Americans by a sizable margin have warmer views of the secretary of state than they do of the president.

Jindal Orders Barrier Wall Off Gulf Shore  —  Louisiana Gov. Takes Matters Into Own Hands, But Will BP Foot the Bill?  —  Eight weeks into the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of the Mexico, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has told the National Guard that there's no time left to wait for BP …

Hosts Mangle Angle's ‘FOX & Friends’ Debut  —  Inaccuracies Tar GOP Nominee's National Debut  —  LAS VEGAS — Harry Reid may not need to spend millions of dollars to marginalize his opponent in the U.S. Senate race.  —  He can just let “FOX & Friends” handle it.

Efforts to Repel Gulf Oil Spill Are Described as Chaotic  —  GRAND ISLE, La. — Deano Bonano, the emergency preparedness director for Jefferson Parish, marched from a motor home being used as a command center to an office across the street filled with BP officials.  —  It was late May.

NPR Poll Shows Tough Road Ahead For Democrats  —  A new public opinion survey for NPR shows just how difficult it will be for Democrats to avoid big losses in the House this November.  —  Democrat Stan Greenberg and Republican Glen Bolger conducted the first public battleground poll of this election cycle.

Amos slated to lead Marine Corps  —  Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended that Gen. James Amos will be the next commandant of the Marine Corps, POLITICO has learned.  Lt. Gen. Joseph Dunford has been recommended to be assistant commandant.  —  President Obama has not yet nominated …

The revolving door swings again  —  It raised plenty of eyebrows when Linda Douglass, a one-time journalist for ABC, CBS and National Journal, joined the Obama administration ... only to rejoin the ranks of journalism last week with a gig at the Atlantic (POLITICO, itself, has wrestled with this revolving door issue).

UC Irvine suspends Muslim student group for disrupting Israeli ambassador's talk  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A University of California, Irvine, disciplinary committee ruled that a Muslim student group should be suspended for at least a year because of a protest that disrupted a talk …

South Carolina voter: I voted for Alvin Greene because ... his name reminded me of Al Green  —  It's as good a theory as any other.  Two things here.  First, I'm happy to announce that I'll be a candidate for U.S. Senator from New York this year under my new legal name, Harrison Forde.

Obama Will Take to Oval Office With a Familiar Theme  —  WASHINGTON — The venue says it all.  By choosing to speak to the nation on Tuesday night for the first time from the Oval Office, where his predecessors have spoken of wars and disasters, President Obama is conveying the gravity of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

9/11 families' fury as Obama compares BP oil spill to Twin Towers attack  —  British families of 9/11 victims described Barack Obama as ‘cruel’ yesterday for comparing the terrorist outrage to the BP oil spill.  —  The U.S. president said there were ‘echoes’ between the Gulf of Mexico disaster …

The Nation: Why the Far Right Hates Soccer  —  Every World Cup, it arrives like clockwork.  As sure as the ultimate soccer spectacle brings guaranteed adrenaline and agony to fans across the United States, it also drives the right-wing noise machine utterly insane.

Barcelona plans Islamic veil ban  —  Barcelona plans to be the first large city in Spain to ban the use of the full-face Islamic veil in public buildings, its mayor announced Monday.  —  Jordi Hereu said he will sign a decree which will apply in all public spaces such as the city hall and municipal covered markets and creches.

Setbacks Cloud U.S. Plans to Get Out of Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — Six months after President Obama decided to send more forces to Afghanistan, the halting progress in the war has crystallized longstanding tensions within the government over the viability of his plan to turn around the country and begin pulling out by July 2011.