McConnell: Medicare recess appointment is ‘truly outrageous’  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blasted the White House for its plan to sidestep Congress in appointing Donald Berwick to lead Medicare.  —  “As if shoving a trillion-dollar government takeover …

CNN's Octavia Nasr Leaving Network After Controversial Hezbollah Tweet  —  In the latest case of new media (or oversharing) gone wrong, CNN's Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs Octavia Nasr is leaving the company following the controversy caused by her tweet in praise of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah

Republicans And Democrats Lining Up Behind Major Changes To Social Security  —  Is there a new, bipartisan consensus forming on Capitol Hill about whether (and how) to scale back Social Security benefits?  A surprising number of signs point to “yes” — and that has many progressives looking ahead …

Why I am blacklisted by MSNBC  —  In case you were wondering why you haven't seen me on MSNBC recently, it seems that Joe Scarborough, he of the lowest rated morning show in cableland, has blackballed me.  And Phil Griffin, the alleged president of MSNBC, is going along with it.

America's most unlikely politician  —  Last month, an unknown, unemployed former soldier astonished America by becoming the Democratic nominee for South Carolina's upcoming senate election.  How on earth did he do it?  —  The journey to the home of one of the most enigmatic figures to emerge …

A New Generation, an Elusive American Dream  —  GRAFTON, Mass. — After breakfast, his parents left for their jobs, and Scott Nicholson, alone in the house in this comfortable suburb west of Boston, went to his laptop in the living room.  He had placed it on a small table that his mother …

Obama Job Approval Rating Down to 38% Among Independents  —  Overall job ratings for the president continue to be below majority level  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Thirty-eight percent of independents approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president, the first time independent approval of Obama …

The year of ‘no comment’  —  Nevada Republican Sharron Angle was in no mood for conversation last month as she darted to her car at the end of a campaign event.  When a Las Vegas reporter tried to ask the Senate candidate a question anyway, an Angle supporter called him an “idiot.”

United States v. Arizona — How 'Bout United States v. Rhode Island?  — By: Andy McCarthy  —  Well whaddya know?  It turns out that Rhode Island has long been carrying out the procedures at issue in the Arizona immigration statute: As a matter of routine, RI state police check immigration status …

Tipper Gore Isn't Buying Masseuse's Story  —  According to the tabloids, the last straw in Al and Tipper Gore's 40-year marriage was massage therapist Molly Hagerty's claim the former Vice President demanded sexual favors during a 2006 massage in his Portland, Ore. hotel room.

Something Is Happening In Palinland  —  From Mercede Johnston's blog: … That's a very good question.  So is the question of how Palin finally put the screws on Levi.  In Palinland, no one knows what's really going on.  But I wonder if this is a somewhat panicked response …

There is no ‘free’ lemonade  —  In giving drink away, girls ignore rules of economics — and sum up what's wrong with U.S.  —  This column is a true story — every word of it.  And I think it very appropriate to consider around the Fourth of July, Independence Day spirit.

Okla., S.C., Utah could pass Ariz.-style anti-immigration laws  —  Which state is the next Arizona?  —  Attention is focused on the federal government's decision to challenge Arizona's strict anti-immigration law, but three other states could pass similar legislation next year.

Former Fox News Producer Committed Suicide, Investigators Say (Updated)  —  Julianna Rolle, a 39 year-old former Fox News producer, was found dead at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff last weekend in her hometown of Rancho Palos Verdes, California.  Authorities now say she jumped to her death.

Colorado Pols Responds to Newspaper Legal Threats  —  UPDATE: Check out this note we received from David Mastio, Deputy Editorial Page Editor at The Washington Times: … You might have noticed that the principal authors of Colorado Pols have not cited The Denver Post, or several other newspapers in the state, for some weeks.

Mother of baby saved by Israelis wants him to murder them  —  Ha'aretz reports on a documentary by Channel 10 reporter Shlomi Eldar about a Palestinian Arab baby with a rare disease being treated in Israel. … (h/t Islamonazism blog)

Why Isn't Investment Higher?  —  Truly, we live in a time of mass delusion — or maybe make that elite delusion — where there are lots of things that everyone believes, without a shred of evidence to back that belief.  Here's one more: everywhere you go, you encounter the claim that businesses …

San Francisco's Rules for Making Pot Brownies  —  Department of Public Health has guidelines for edible marijuana treats  —  You know you're a Californian when you have to ask if the brownies someone brought to a potluck are “special” or not.  —  But while the casual peddler of edible marijuana …

Democrats digging harder than ever for dirt on Republicans  —  The Democratic Party is moving faster and more aggressively than in previous election years to dig up unflattering details about Republican challengers.  In House races from New Jersey to Ohio to California …

Mitt Romney's dumb critique of Obama's New START nuke treaty.  —  In 35 years of following debates over nuclear arms control, I have never seen anything quite as shabby, misleading and—let's not mince words—thoroughly ignorant as Mitt Romney's attack on the New START treaty in the July 6 Washington Post.

Jindal signs guns in church law  —  Louisiana GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed a law allowing holders of concealed-weapons permits to carry guns into houses of worship.  —  The bill, signed Tuesday night, allows permit holders who take an additional eight hours of tactical training each year …

Hezbollah readying for urban war in southern Lebanon, IDF warns  —  Deployment of UN forces has pushed militants into built-up areas where international troops have no authority, army says.  —  Israel's military on Wednesday offered evidence of what it says is a growing threat from Hezbollah …

Give Petraeus Five Stars  —  It's up to David Petraeus now.  One can argue the merits and the import of a civilian-led military (and find no disagreement here).  But if General Petraeus had collapsed during that Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last month and not gotten back up, the war would be over.