Obama to keep heat on Barton  —  As the political aftershocks from Rep. Joe Barton's expression of sympathy for British Petroleum continue, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel promised Sunday that President Barack Obama hopes to make sure that voters don't forget the gaffe anytime soon.

I asked Helen Thomas about Israel.  Her answer revealed more than you think.  —  On the night of May 26, I drove down to Washington from New York with my son, Adam, and his friend Daniel.  We arrived at 2:30 a.m. and crashed in a hotel.  A few hours later, we woke up and coaxed each other to prepare for a day at the White House.

An unexpected result for some census takers: the wrath of irate Americans  —  This is the scary season for the nation's census takers.  —  Since they began making follow-up house calls in early May, census takers have encountered vitriol, menace and flashes of violence.

Democrats spend big to lure Obama's minority and young voters back to the polls  —  As political gambles go, it's a big and risky one: $50 million to test the proposition that the Democratic Party's outreach to new voters that helped make Barack Obama president can work in an election where his name is not on the ballot.

Letter From Istanbul, Part 2  —  I leave Istanbul with four questions that Turks asked me echoing in my head.  Forget the answers, just these questions will tell you all you need to understand the situation here.  The four questions, which were asked of me by different Turkish journalists …

La. lawmakers: Prayer needed to stop oil disaster  —  You've seen the devastation.  Now it's your chance to help.  Tune in Monday night for a special “Larry King Live, Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help” telethon featuring an all-star panel of guests joining forces in the Gulf region.

Poll: Buck, Bennet lead in U.S. Senate primary races  —  Ken Buck holds a large lead over Republican primary opponent Jane Norton in the race for Colorado's U.S. Senate seat, a Denver Post/9News poll shows.  —  Buck, the Weld County prosecutor buoyed by outside TV buys and Tea Party sentiment …

Lieberman warns against ‘false’ energy bill, sees 20 swing votes  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Sunday that he sees 20 swing votes in play for including greenhouse gas limits in energy legislation that the White House and Senate Democratic leaders hope to advance this summer.

Breaking: Obama Administration Only Accepted Help From 5 Countries Out of 28 That Offered Assistance  —  Just last weekend Barack Obama announced that the BP oil spill was like 9-11.  —  This weekend as President Obama went golfing and to the ballgame, the Obama State Department was STILL …

The Useful Idiots Begin to Blubber  —  Instapundit » Blog Archive » PEGGY NOONAN: A Snakebit President: Americans want leaders on whom the sun shines.  “Mr. Obama is ...  You know, folks like Noonan and Mort Zuckerman whining about Obama, after they praised him, pushed him …

A yachting trip?  The 10 worst BP gaffes in Gulf oil spill.  —  BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward attended a yachting race in England yesterday.  It was just the latest BP public relations gaffe in the Gulf oil spill.  Here are 10 of the worst.  —  The decision by BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward …

25 Saudi Guantanamo prisoners return to militancy  —  (Reuters) - Around 25 former detainees from Guantanamo Bay camp returned to militancy after going through a rehabilitation program for al Qaeda members in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi security official said on Saturday.

Washington Post Alternate Reality: Public More Concerned About Deficit Than Jobs or Economy Overall  —  A stunning front-page article in Saturday's Washington Post moves the paper firmly into conservatives' dream universe on deficit policy.  “Stimulus plans run up against deficit fears” by Lori Montgomery serves up this whopper:

Former watchdog Walpin loses suit over firing  —  A federal agency inspector general fired last year by President Barack Obama amid claims of bizarre and incompetent behavior, Gerald Walpin, has lost the first round in his legal bid to win back his job.  —  On Thursday, U.S. District Court …