In Defense of Andrew Breitbart  —  The media and progressive-left Democrats now appear in a rush to convict Andrew Breitbart of shoddy journalism, while exonerating Shirley Sherrod and the NAACP from charges of abiding racism within their ranks.  Both Sherrod and the NAACP have charged …

In the hours after Sen. John McCain announced his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate in the last presidential race, members of an online forum called Journolist struggled to make sense of the pick.  Many of them were liberal reporters, and in some cases their comments reflected …

Reid to advance limited oil spill and energy bill, delaying climate action  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will bring a limited package of oil spill response and energy measures to the floor next week, delaying action until at least this fall on a broader proposal …

Bush Tax Cuts Roil Democrats  —  Two more Senate Democrats called for extending tax cuts for all earners—including those with the highest incomes—in what appears to be a breakdown of the party's consensus on the how to handle the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts.

The Vast Left-Wing Media Conspiracy  —  Everyone knew most of the press corps was hoping for Obama in 2008.  Newly released emails show that hundreds of them were actively working to promote him.  —  When I'm talking to people from outside Washington, one question inevitably comes up: Why is the media so liberal?

Congress Ranks Last in Confidence in Institutions  —  Fifty percent “little"/"no" confidence in Congress reading is record high  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup's 2010 Confidence in Institutions poll finds Congress ranking dead last out of the 16 institutions rated this year.

A Brief Historical Interlude.  —  Jonathan Chait makes a very good point about Newt Gingrich's insistence that building a mosque near Ground Zero constitutes a “double standard” that allows “Islamists to behave aggressively towards us.”  Here's the full quote:

Caucus to listen to Tea Party, not lead it (Rep. Michele Bachmann)  —  Congress has strayed from the fundamental principles of the Constitution and Americans have noticed.  Your federal government is recklessly overspending and vastly expanding its reach and powers the likes this country has never seen.

Proposed deficit remedy: the healthcare ‘public option’  —  A group of House Democrats seeks to revive the idea of offering a government insurance plan.  The reasoning: ‘Because it saves so much money.’  —  Reporting from Washington — As both political parties worry about the growing federal deficit …

Facebook looking into deletion of Palin mosque post  —  Sarah Palin's attack on plans to build a mosque two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center vanished from Facebook amid an online campaign to brand it “hate speech.”  —  Her note, which was reposted soon after a reporter's inquiry …

Top Republican: Fiscal commission putting tax hikes ‘on the table’  —  A Republican senator on the president's fiscal commission said Thursday it will likely recommend tax increases as part of a solution for the nation's fiscal woes  —  Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said on ABC's “Top Line” …

Wall Street Journal reporter handcuffed at federal court  —  A Wall Street Journal reporter attempting to interview an attorney involved in the corruption trial of former governor Rod Blagojevich was handcuffed by security officers this morning at the federal courthouse.