MSNBC Trashes Obama's Address: Compared To Carter, “I Don't Sense Executive Command”  —  Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Howard Fineman react to President Obama's Oval Office Address on the oil spill.  Here are the highlights of what the trio said: Olbermann: “It was a great speech …

The Night Beat: Clapper to Get a Recess Appointment?  —  Good evening.  —  1. Be aware: the White House has a strategy here for getting climate change legislation passed.  It's called “getting to conference.”  That is, the Senate needs to pass a bill this year.

8 House members investigated over fundraisers held near financial reform vote  —  The Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating eight lawmakers who held fundraisers within 48 hours of a major House vote on a Wall Street reform bill or received substantial donations from business people …

Estimates of Oil Flow Jump Higher  —  A government panel on Tuesday released yet another estimate of the amount of oil flowing from BP's damaged well, declaring that as much as 60,000 barrels a day could be spewing into the Gulf of Mexico.  —  That is roughly 2.5 million gallons of oil a day …

The Debbie Schlussel Experience Part 2: The Fixation  —  Imagine, if you will, that you're a normal person and then one day a quasi-famous mentally ill blogger becomes fixated on you the way Gollum was fixated on the Ring.  Even though she hasn't been setting the world on fire lately …

Poll: Enthusiasm dips for Democratic voters  —  USA TODAY's Susan Page mentioned findings from a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll in today's analysis of President Obama's Oval Office address, including a widening “enthusiasm gap” between Democrats and Republicans looking at the November elections.

Seattle officer punches girl in face during jaywalking stop  —  SEATTLE — Seattle police are investigating what they call an assault of an officer in South Seattle.  —  However, a police officer is seen punching a 17-year-old girl in the face during the incident captured by a video camera on Monday.

Nightmare vision for Europe as EU chief warns ‘democracy could disappear’ in Greece, Spain and Portugal  —  Democracy could ‘collapse’ in Greece, Spain and Portugal unless urgent action is taken to tackle the debt crisis, the head of the European Commission has warned.

Dems flirt with backing Crist  —  The emergence of a politically unknown billionaire self-funder in the Florida Senate race is prompting top Democrats in the state to say publicly what some have been whispering for weeks: If Jeff Greene, who got rich betting on the collapse of the housing market …

Outlaw the burning of the American flag  —  On Monday, folks across America gathered together to celebrate our national flag.  For 233 years now, the Stars and Stripes has been a unique symbol of freedom and democracy across the globe - the representation of all we are and all that we stand for.

Extreme Makeover  —  President Barack Obama's point-man for his latest approach to the Muslim world is John Brennan, the White House's counterterrorism czar, recently described by the Washington Post as one of the president's most trusted advisers.  Two weeks ago Brennan explained …

More straight talk from Chris Christie - The day of reckoning is here  —  Dude, this guy needs no explanation because he does it so well himself.  I'll be honest, I can't get enough of Christie.  I need this guy to be president right freaking now!!!!  It's painful to hear such great words coming …

Government to the Economic Rescue  —  Historians will look back at this time and say the three-pronged strategy of TARP, fiscal stimulus and bank stress testing kept us out of the abyss.  —  Those of us who don't live in caves are constantly bombarded with poll results—on just about every subject.

Gulf crisis represents an opportunity  —  As I listened to President Barack Obama last night, I was heartened to hear him say that there are efforts that should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking out of the well.  This is until the company finishes drilling a relief well later …

Puzzling complexity  —  Imagine a jigsaw puzzle of 1 billion pieces.  They are scattered randomly across a pasture that is 1 million miles square.  If someone assigns you the task of finding all these pieces, how would you do so?  —  One option is to search for each of these billion pieces by yourself.

Pawlenty's PAC to aid Iowa Republicans  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has established political action committees to help him raise money for candidates this year in Iowa and New Hampshire, expected to hold the first 2012 presidential nominating contests.  —  The move by Pawlenty …