Obama tells Kyl in private Oval Office meeting: I won't secure border b/c then Republicans will have no reason to support “comprehensive immigration reform.”  —  promoted from the diaries because duplicity should be publicized  —  On June 18, 2010, Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl told …

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.

Al Qaeda Lays Out Conditions for Peace With U.S.  —  American-Born Militant Spokesman Says Obama Must Withdraw Troops, Stop Backing Israel and Leave Muslims Alone  —  (CBS/AP) Al Qaeda's American-born spokesman has repeated the terror group's conditions for peace with America in a video released Sunday.

On The Border  —  The NY Times pushes to the border of statistical incoherence and tells us that in Arizona, crime is down even if the perception of crime is up: … Interesting.  I would have hoped that Arizonans had a better grip on the reality in their own state than some NY Times reporter.

A conversation with “Over the Cliff” authors: Hate talk, extremism and right-wing violence  —  John Amato and David Newiert, Crooks and Liars bloggers and authors of the new Over the Cliff: How Obama's Election Drove the American Right Insane (reviewed here last week) took time out of their schedules …

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.

Lieberman warns against ‘false’ energy bill, sees 20 swing votes on carbon caps  —  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.

Women are the ‘secret weapon’  —  Organizer of flotilla: “thieving enemy” won't use arms against women.  —  Talkbacks (113)  —  Make JPOST.COM your Home Page  —  Iranian Threat  —  Jewish World  —  Local Israel  —  Arts & Culture  —  Français  —  Classifieds  —  Israel

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 …

McConnell: GOP filibuster of Kagan nomination possible  —  Washington (CNN) - The top-ranking Senate Republican refused Sunday to rule out a filibuster against Elena Kagan's confirmation to the Supreme Court.  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told “FOX News Sunday” …

Yissum develops potato-powered batteries for the developing world  —  Researchers in Jerusalem have just announced they've developed super simple, sustainable, organic electric batteries which are powered by treated potatoes.  Their findings have just been published in the Journal of Renewable …

Geert Wilders: Change Jordan's name to Palestine  —  Rightist Dutch leader wants to end Mideast conflict by finding Palestinians ‘alternate homeland’  —  Geert Wilders, who leads the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) in Holland, said last week he believes Jordan should be renamed Palestine.

Source: Israel lifting blockade of Gaza ‘except for military items’  —  Jerusalem (CNN) — Israel plans to ease its blockade of Gaza, a source from the prime minister's office told CNN Sunday.  —  “Israel has decided to enable the flow of all civilian goods into the Gaza strip.