Kagan may get confirmed, but Thurgood Marshall can forget it  —  Oppo researchers digging into Elena Kagan's past didn't get the goods on the Supreme Court nominee — but they did get the Thurgood.  —  As confirmation hearings opened Monday afternoon, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee took …

In Ordinary Lives, U.S. Sees the Work of Russian Agents  —  WASHINGTON — They had lived for more than a decade in American cities and suburbs from Seattle to New York, where they seemed to be ordinary couples working ordinary jobs, chatting to the neighbors about gardening and schools, apologizing for noisy teenagers.

Collins Pulls Back Support For Wall Street Bill Over Bank Tax  —  Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) joined Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) this evening, putting herself back into the undecided column on Wall Street reform legislation, after House and Senate negotiators added new fees on banks to the final bill late last week.

Dems quietly cheer gun ruling  —  When the Supreme Court extended the individual right to own a gun Monday, they handed Second Amendment advocates—many of whom are at home in the GOP—one of their most significant legal victories ever.  —  But who won the day in politics?  The Democrats.

In Ireland, a Picture of the High Cost of Austerity  —  DUBLIN — As Europe's major economies focus on belt-tightening, they are following the path of Ireland.  But the once thriving nation is struggling, with no sign of a rapid turnaround in sight.  —  Nearly two years ago …

From Washington Post To NBCU: Dave Weigel Joins MSNBC As Paid Contributor  —  Team Weigel rejoice - it didn't take Dave Weigel very long to land on his feet after he resigned last week from The Washington Post.  —  Tonight at the end of Countdown, Keith Olbermann introduced new “MSNBC contributor” Dave Weigel.

Gen. Petraeus' nomination puts some Democrats in awkward spot  —  President Barack Obama's nomination of Gen. David Petraeus has put some Democrats in a politically awkward position.  —  While Senate Democrats are expected to rally behind Petraeus to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal …

Obama's good for GOP, Boehner says  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner, the Ohio Republican with his eye on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's gavel, said the tide is turning the GOP's way.  —  “The American people have written off the Democrats,” Boehner said Monday in an interview with Tribune-Review editors and reporters.

Election 2010: Louisiana Senate  —  Louisiana Senate: Vitter (R) 53%, Melancon (D) 35%  —  Louisiana's race for the U.S. Senate looks largely the same way it has since the beginning of the year, with incumbent Republican David Vitter continuing to earn over 50% of the vote in a state with unusually high Tea Party membership.

Lara Logan, You Suck  —  Lara Logan, come on down!  You're the next guest on Hysterical Backstabbing Jealous Hackfest 2010!  —  I thought I'd seen everything when I read David Brooks saying out loud in a New York Times column that reporters should sit on damaging comments to save their sources from their own idiocy.

Feingold leads by 2  —  It's looking more and more likely that Wisconsin will be in the top tier of competitive Senate races this fall.  Russ Feingold leads challenger Ron Johnson by only two points, 45-43.  Johnson is polling closer to Feingold than Tommy Thompson was as he contemplated a potential campaign.

Former Vice President Gore Visits San Diego  —  SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Convention Center was packed with more than 11,000 human resource professionals as former Vice President Al Gore made a rare public appearance Monday.  —  Little has been seen of Gore in the past several weeks since confirmed reports …

Sharron Angle, Camera-Shy Candidate, Shifts Coverage  —  RENO — There is a game in Nevada called “Where's Sharron Angle?” that the press is tired of playing.  —  Ms. Angle, a Nevada Senate candidate and Tea Party darling, has steadfastly refused to talk to reporters here …

Wrong Track Distress  —  It's getting harder and harder for most Americans, looking honestly at the state of the nation, to see the glass as half full.  And that's why the public opinion polls contain nothing but bad news for Barack Obama and the Democrats.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® Drops Sharply  —  The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® which had been on the rise for three consecutive months, declined sharply in June.  The Index now stands at 52.9 (1985=100), down from 62.7 in May.