Debt Commission Eying Mostly-Cuts Package  —  The latest from the Obama administration's deficit commission: … That sounds like a classic pleases no one, goes nowhere package.  Since it includes tax increases, zero Republicans will vote for it.  But since it's mostly weighted to spending cuts, most Democrats will reject it.

Democrats Gone Wild: Rep. Ciro Rodriguez Loses It  —  I've often noted that I expect this to be a long, hot summer.  The mid-term elections are inching closer and Democrats are having to finally admit that they are in real political trouble.  For those keeping score at home, let's recap …

Polanski Is Free After Swiss Reject U.S. Extradition Request  —  Updated  —  Article: Swiss Reject U.S. Request to Extradite Polanski  —  The justice ministry of Switzerland said on Monday that it had denied a request to extradite the director Roman Polanski to the United States …

In the heat wave, the case against air conditioning  —  Washington didn't grind to a sweaty halt last week under triple-digit temperatures.  People didn't even slow down.  Instead, the three-day, 100-plus-degree, record-shattering heat wave prompted Washingtonians to crank …

Governors Voice Grave Concerns on Immigration  —  BOSTON — In a private meeting with White House officials this weekend, Democratic governors voiced deep anxiety about the Obama administration's suit against Arizona's new immigration law, worrying that it could cost a vulnerable Democratic Party in the fall elections.

The Class War We Need  —  The rich are different from you and me.  They know how to game the system.  —  That's one interpretation, at least, of last week's news that Americans with million-dollar mortgages are defaulting at almost twice the rate of the typical homeowner.

GOP ‘Young Guns’ to release book  —  Three top House Republicans are set to release a book this fall about the future of conservative politics, placing a younger set of GOP lawmakers center stage as the party makes its final push to win control of the House.

SarahPAC steps into the big leagues  —  A new financial report filed Sunday evening showed Sarah Palin's political action committee has taken its fundraising to a higher level - and suggests that she has begun building a more sophisticated political operation in place of a bare-bones organization …

Brown to support Wall Street reform; Dems edge closer to 60  —  Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) announced Monday he will vote for Wall Street reform when it comes up for a final vote, all but assuring Democrats the 60 votes they need to pass the legislation.  —  Brown voted for the bill …

Cleveland comic-book legend Harvey Pekar dead at age 70  —  CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Harvey Pekar's life was not an open book.  It was an open comic book.  —  Pekar chronicled his life and times in the acclaimed autobiographical comic-book series, “American Splendor,” portraying himself as a rumpled …

The Feckless Fed  —  Back in 2002, a professor turned Federal Reserve official by the name of Ben Bernanke gave a widely quoted speech titled “Deflation: Making Sure ‘It’ Doesn't Happen Here.”  Like other economists, myself included, Mr. Bernanke was deeply disturbed by Japan's stubborn …

Americans Unsure About “Progressive” Political Label  —  More than twice as many say label does not describe them as say it does  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup polling reveals widespread public uncertainty about the “progressive” political label — a label recently embraced by no less than Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

Historic oil spill fails to produce gains for U.S. environmentalists  —  For environmentalists, the BP oil spill may be disproving the maxim that great tragedies produce great change.  —  Traditionally, American environmentalism wins its biggest victories after some important piece …

On second thought...  Boston city councilors backtrack on Arizona boycott bid  —  Red-faced Boston city councilors who boldly voted to shun the state of Arizona over its new immigration crackdown are now showing signs of boycotter's regret.  —  The grandstanding pols kept a low profile …

When Was The New Black Panther Case Downgraded?  —  I did an interview with New York Daily News Columnist Errol Louis about the New Black Panther Party case today and realized that there's a specific data point that has been lost in all the breathless coverage of this case and whether …

More Americans' credit scores sink to new lows  —  NEW YORK - The credit scores of millions more Americans are sinking to new lows.  —  Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers — nearly 43.4 million people — now have a credit score of 599 or below, marking them as poor risks for lenders.

26 Year Old Woman Raped and Murdered by Basij Members for “Bad Hijab”  —  ACT NOW |  Stoning, Rape and Execution of Women is Bad Gender Policy; It is Time to Remove the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women  —  According to sources, this was the last picture Elnaz Babazadeh uploaded …

REPUBLICANS JUST DON'T LIKE THE UNEMPLOYED, CONT'D.... I've been marveling in recent months at the ways in which Republican lawmakers and candidates seem to actively dislike — on a personal level — those who've lost their jobs in the recession.  It's kind of odd, given that the unemployed …