Boehner fires back at ‘whining’ White House  —  House Minority Leader John Boehner today escalated a growing battle with Congressional Democrats and the White House, accusing the latter of “childish partisanship” after President Obama criticized him for remarks about the financial crisis.

The Most Unhappy Fellow  —  Our Independence Day weekend winner of the title of Most Unhappy Person in Washington is: John Boehner, the House minority leader.  —  I know this is a bit of a surprise since the award almost always goes to the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, whose job is frequently compared to herding cats.

Sen. Graham predicts Tea Party movement will eventually ‘die out’  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has earned the ire of Tea Party groups for his penchant for negotiating with Democrats, predicted this week the movement will “die out.”  —  Graham, who has partnered with Democrats …

Democrats to punt on taxes  —  Democratic leaders are likely to punt the task of renewing Bush-era tax cuts until after the election.  —  Voters in November's midterms will thus be left without a clear idea of their future tax rates when they go to the polls.

Pelosi: Unemployment Checks Fastest Way to Create Jobs  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill June 24.  (AP Photo)  —  Unemployment benefits are creating jobs faster than practically any other program, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.

Independent Voters Favor GOP in 2010 Election Tracking  —  Prefer Republican candidate to Democrat by an average of 45% to 35%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — By an average 10 percentage-point margin since March, 45% to 35%, independent registered voters have consistently preferred the Republican …