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 …

Election 2010: South Carolina Governor  —  South Carolina Governor: Haley (R) 55% Sheheen (D) 34%  —  State Representative Nikki Haley is running stronger than her Republican Primary runoff opponent in the general election for South Carolina's first open gubernatorial race since 1994.

Dems tout breakthrough on bill  —  House Democrats have reached an agreement with the National Rifle Association on campaign-finance legislation that would roll back the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, removing a major obstacle on the bill, according to House sources.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Anti-Obama ad: ‘Gather your armies’  —  Alabama Republican congressional candidate Rick Barber is encouraging his fellow tea party activists to “gather your armies” against President Barack Obama — with a campaign ad that twice shows a hand fidgeting next to a Revolutionary War-era pistol.

The new threat to America: NATO  —  It's not just the euro (and with it the European Union) that's in danger of sinking out of sight.  So, too, is NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  Unless the United States takes a long, hard look at its connections with this Cold War relic, we may find ourselves caught in the undertow.

TN Dem attacks female Republicans: “You have to lift their skirts to find out if they are women.”  —  When liberals can't handle GOP women, they infantilize, sexualize, demonize, and dehumanize them.  I diagnosed the Four Stages of Conservative Female Abuse a few years ago.  Here's how I described the 4th Stage:

The Fed's Exit Strategy for Monetary Policy … To many observers, the Federal Reserve's extraordinary policy actions during the recent crisis averted a financial Armageddon and curtailed the depth and duration of the recession (Rudebusch 2009).  To combat panic and dislocation in financial markets …

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 …

Parents of twins mauled by fox gets police guard after web attacks by animal rights activists  —  The family whose babies were savaged by a fox in their cots are being given police protection over fears of an attack by animal rights activists.  —  Nine-month-old twins Lola and Isabella Koupparis …

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.

Bush's daughter Barbara ‘glad’ ObamaCare passed: Health care ‘should be a right for everyone.’  —  Yesterday, President Bush's 28-year old daughter Barbara was named Fox News Sunday's “Power Player of the Week” for her work as co-founder of Global Health Corps, a group of young professionals promoting global health equality.

BP phone operator says calls from concerned citizens fall on deaf ears  —  FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas—A contracted operator with BP said calls from concerned citizens are falling on deaf ears.  —  For this story, we'll refer to her as “Janice.”  —  Janice told 11 News she's one of 100 operators at the BP Call Center in West Houston.

German government close to collapse  —  • German coalition faces trouble on several fronts  —  • Election of new president could prove to be catalyst  —  German chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition government looked to be close to collapse today …