A Smoking Gun in the Kagan Case?  —  Shannen Coffin was a deputy attorney general during the Bush administration, and was charged with defending the federal partial-birth abortion act in court.  At National Review, he writes that documents released by the Clinton White House show Elena Kagan's …

Boehner and Cantor back efforts to repeal entirety of healthcare reform  —  The top two House Republicans signed onto two petitions to force votes to repeal Democrats' healthcare reform law in its entirety.  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor …

NEW EVIDENCE REVEALED: GORE SEX SCANDAL VICTIM TELLS ALL!!!  —  AL GORE SEX SCANDAL ACCUSER reveals shocking NEW EVIDENCE — ONLY to the NATIONAL ENQUIRER in a bombshell world exclusive interview!  —  “AL GORE is a pervert and sexual predator,” declares MOLLY HAGERTY, 54 …

Economic Scene: Betting That Cutting Spending Won't Derail Recovery  —  The world's rich countries are now conducting a dangerous experiment.  They are repeating an economic policy out of the 1930s — starting to cut spending and raise taxes before a recovery is assured …

In U.S. Bailout of A.I.G., Forgiveness for Big Banks  —  At the end of the American International Group's annual meeting last month, a shareholder approached the microphone with a question for Robert Benmosche, the insurer's chief executive.  —  “I'd like to know, what does A.I.G. plan to do with Goldman Sachs?” he asked.

After The Fall  —  John Edwards parties on.  —  five days before John Edwards's mistress Rielle Hunter sat down with Oprah to talk about the by-then-infamous sex tape and other embarrassments that had destroyed his political career, the former presidential candidate showed up at the West End Wine Bar …

Obama: Our first female president  —  If Bill Clinton was our first black president, as Toni Morrison once proclaimed, then Barack Obama may be our first woman president.  —  Phew.  That was fun.  Now, if you'll just keep those hatchets holstered and hear me out.  —  No, I'm not calling Obama a girlie president.

I'll Take a Cashier's Check, Mr. Breitbart  —  Welcome to the Journolist Top Secret Progressive He-Man Wingnut Haters Club and L33t H4xoR Chat Room.  Disclaimer: this is a private discussion forum intended solely for the benefit of JournoList members.  Reproduction, transmission, redistribution …

Nation of Islam leader accuses Jews of ‘anti-black’ behavior, asks for dialogue  —  CHICAGO — Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan has written the leaders of more than a dozen major U.S. Jewish groups and denominations seeking “repair of my people from the damage” he claims Jews have caused blacks for centuries.

Why Obamanomics Has Failed  —  Uncertainty about future taxes and regulations is enemy No. 1 of economic growth.  —  The administration's stimulus program has failed.  Growth is slow and unemployment remains high.  The president, his friends and advisers talk endlessly about the circumstances …

Sharron Angle retreats a bit, but mostly stands ground  —  Republican candidate for Senate gives first interview to mainstream medium  —  U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle breaks her silence toward the mainstream media Tuesday by talking to Jon Ralston on “Face to Face.”  —  2 a.m.

Sharpton: My Listeners Overwhelmingly Support Court's Gun Rights Decision  —  CLARENCE AND AL  —  Thomas, Sharpton Listeners On Same Side Of Gun Debate  —  For all the flak Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has taken from so-called civil rights leaders (in addition to obnoxious white liberals) …

The Ugly Party vs. the Grown-Up Party  —  My political friendships and sympathies are increasingly determined not by ideology but by methodology.  One of the most significant divisions in American public life is not between the Democrats and the Republicans; it is between the Ugly Party and the Grown-Up Party.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — June 2010  —  The start of summer finds Americans remain divided on the health reform law, but favorable views of the new law increased seven percentage points over the past month to 48 percent, compared to 41 percent who have “generally unfavorable” …

Long-Term Budget Outlook  —  Recently, the federal government has been recording the largest budget deficits, as a share of the economy, since the end of World War II.  As a result of those deficits, the amount of federal debt held by the public has surged.

Christie calls for GOP rebranding  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday in an interview with POLITICO outlined a path for the GOP to rebrand as the party keeping “our eye on the cash register,” while also praising some Democrats for taking the right approach to tackling major issues like education.

White House to let McChrystal retire with 4 stars  —  Washington (CNN) — President Barack Obama has agreed to waive a Pentagon rule and let outgoing Gen. Stanley McChrystal retire at his full four-star rank, a White House spokesman said Tuesday  —  While the general is short of the time needed …

The Great Recession at 30 Months  —  Half of Work Force Has Taken a Job-Related Hit, but Some Green Shoots of Optimism  —  More than half (55%) of all adults in the labor force say that since the Great Recession began 30 months ago, they have suffered a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay …

House fails to pass unemployment benefits extension with two-thirds vote  —  The House failed Tuesday afternoon to pass an unemployment benefits extension under suspension of the rules.  —  The bill failed to gain the two-thirds needed — 261-155 — with 30 Republicans voting in support while 16 Democrats opposed the legislation.

Time to shut down the US Federal Reserve?  —  Like a mad aunt, the Fed is slowly losing its marbles.  —  Kartik Athreya, senior economist for the Richmond Fed, has written a paper condemning economic bloggers as chronically stupid and a threat to public order.

War-funding puzzle stumps Dems  —  House Democratic support for the war in Afghanistan has eroded to a point where President Barack Obama is now so reliant on Republican votes that he's backtracking from his own party's efforts to add new education funding to avert teacher layoffs.

Vacation Interruptus  —  Sorry, but I can't let this pass.  Glenn Greenwald has been conducting one of his patented vile, intellectually dishonest jihads against the Atlantic's Jeff Goldberg and he has now truly gone berserk.  I should say that Jeff is a friend of mine, one with whom I sometimes disagree …

US accepts international assistance for Gulf spill  —  US accepts international assistance in dealing with massive oil spill in Gulf of Mexico  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is accepting help from 12 countries and international organizations in dealing with the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fisher, Portman Locked In Horse Race In Ohio Senate Bid, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Obama Can't Get Above Water In Key Swing State  —  Democratic Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Republican Rob Portman remain in a tight race for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat with 42 percent for Fisher and 40 percent for Portman …