In Clarence Thomas's gun rights opinion, race plays a major role  —  He hardly ever speaks during oral arguments, often appearing asleep on the bench.  But in his written opinion Monday supporting the right to bear arms, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas roared to life.

Jobless Benefits Repeat  —  Once again, the Congress is going to go on a break without having extended long term jobless benefits, as the Senate failed to get 60 votes last night on another plan from Democrats.  —  By my count, this is the third time that Senators will have gone …

An Update from Christopher Hitchens  —  I have been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus.  This advice seems persuasive to me.  I regret having had to cancel so many engagements at such short notice.  —  Keywords:

Trashing Thurgood Marshall  —  Just because Elena Kagan is white didn't stop Republicans from injecting race into her Supreme Court confirmation hearings.  —  The second day of the confirmation hearings of Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court was marked by some substantive dialogue …

Portland police will investigate accusations that Al Gore groped woman  —  Portland police announced today that it will re-open and investigate a Portland massage therapist's allegations that former Vice President Al Gore sexually assaulted her at a downtown hotel in October 2006.

Crossroads hauls in $8.5M in June  —  A new political group conceived by veteran GOP operatives Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie and launched to much fanfare earlier this year had its first big fundraising month in June, raising millions and also spawning a new partner outfit.

Kagan Faces Another Day of Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings  —  WASHINGTON — They grilled her on her handling of military recruitment at Harvard Law School.  They highlighted how, as an aide to President Bill Clinton, she helped edit a medical group's statement to strengthen support …

Pentagon recommends Medal of Honor for a living soldier  —  The Pentagon has recommended that the White House consider awarding the Medal of Honor to a living soldier for the first time since the Vietnam War, according to U.S. officials.  —  The soldier, whose nomination must be reviewed by the White House …

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis  —  EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION  —  Program Contact:  —  TRANSMISSION OF MATERIAL IN THIS RELEASE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL  —  (202) 693-4676  —  UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT  —  SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

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 …

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is Andrew Sullivan  —  Leave it to Andrew Sullivan.  It's been 24 hours since I offered $100,000 for the full list and contents of the Ezra Klein's four-year experiment in political-journalist editorial collusion — the on line progressive jazz fusion station known as JournoList.

Google to Add Pay to Cover a Tax for Same-Sex Benefits  —  Working for a company as rich as Google comes with an incredible number of fringe benefits: the free food, the free laundry, the doctor on duty at company headquarters and the impressive five months of maternity leave with full pay and benefits, to mention a few.

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.

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.

Election 2010: Pennsylvania Senate  —  Pennsylvania Senate: Toomey (R) 45%, Sestak (D) 39%  —  Republican Pat Toomey continues to hold a modest advantage over Democrat Joe Sestak in the race to replace Arlen Specter as U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey …

Manchin spokesman: No plans to change Byrd succession process  —  After speculation swirled Wednesday that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) might revisit succession plans for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), a Manchin spokesman told the Charleston Gazette the governor has not considered it.

Lindsey Graham, This Year's Maverick  —  Lindsey Graham was sitting in a sedan early one morning and contentedly discussing the various fellow South Carolina conservatives who dislike him — Tea Partiers, Constitutionalists, immigration hardliners — when Van Cato, his upstate regional director …

Why Endorse McCain?  —  I haven't been keeping score, but my sense has been that National Review stays out of Republican congressional primary races, at least most of the time.  This is a good thing.  It reflects an ethos focused on the strategic direction of the conservative movement rather than tactical politics.

Dept. of originality  —  A reader emailed last night puzzled by echoes among three columns:  —  Martin Linsky, Newsweek, February 25 2008:  —  It has been a rarity in modern political life: a wide-open race for the nomination of both parties.  But whatever happens from here on out …

GOP warned on immigration  —  President Barack Obama's allies have been blasting the GOP's blockade of immigration-reform legislation, making the case that Republicans will alienate a core constituency - conservative Christians - unless they get on board.  —  Republicans have brushed off that warning …

2 Suitors for Newsweek Are Said to Be Ruled Out  —  WITH a 5 p.m. Thursday deadline approaching for the final round of bids, at least two people were preparing to make offers for Newsweek while two others were told by the magazine's owners that their bids would not be considered.

We're looking more like France  —  Republicans can barely contain their glee at their electoral prospects for this year.  —  There is reason for this optimism.  The Obama administration's poll numbers continue to sink, and history tells us that things could get worse before they get better.

HealthCare.gov  —  Though the health-care bill doesn't really kick in until 2014, it mandated that the Department of Health and Human Services build out the Web site for comparison shopping by July 1, 2010.  That seemed a bit odd to me, as the shopping it could promote wasn't shopping through the exchanges …

NRA Now Leans Toward Endorsing Harry Reid  —  Multiple sources tell me the National Rifle Association is planning to endorse liberal Harry Reid against pro-gun champion Sharron Angle.  —  Two weeks ago, I told you about the carveout the NRA received in exchange for their support for the DISCLOSE ACT deal.