Yet again, it all turns on Olympia Snowe  —  UPDATE, 11:34 a.m.: Senator Ben Nelson's spokesman, Jake Thompson, confirms that Nelson will vote Yes.  “He will vote for cloture on the Disclose Act,” Thompson emails.  “It's all about transparency.”  —  That removes one more element of suspense.

NH looking more competitive  —  Kelly Ayotte's seen her appeal to moderate voters crumble in the wake of her endorsement by Sarah Palin and her lead over Paul Hodes has shrunk to its lowest level of any public polling in 2010- she has a 45-42 advantage over him, down from 47-40 in an April PPP poll.

Ed Rendell Criticizes Obama for Going on ‘The View,’ Compares it to Jerry Springer  —  Here's one thing Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pennsylvania) and Pat Buchanan (R-everywhere) agree on: Pres. Obama should not go on ‘The View.’  —  Rendell: I think there's got to be a little bit of dignity to the presidency.

Rep. Barney Frank causes scene demanding discount  —  Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank caused a scene when he demanded a $1 senior discount on his ferry fare to Fire Island's popular gay haunt, The Pines, last Friday.  Frank was turned down by ticket clerks at the dock in Sayville …

“Journolist” Was Not a Progressive Idea (July 27, 2010 2:20 AM) … You can't argue that there's a careerist element lurking beneath the surface of Reihan Salam's latest defense of Journolist.  It's pretty much right there on top.  Salam explains that Ezra Klein's secretuve off-record web group represented …

Jeb Bush says no to 2012 run  —  Former Florida GOP Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday that he is “not running” for president in 2012.  —  In a wide-open presidential primary field, Bush's name has been floated as one of the few potential Republicans who might be able to attract voters beyond the typical GOP ranks.

The Long Strategy  —  I was a liberal Democrat when I was young.  I used to wear a green Army jacket with political buttons on it — for Hubert Humphrey, Birch Bayh, John F. Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt.  I even wore that jacket in my high school yearbook photo.  —  It's a magic green jacket.

Megan McArdle's Hack Post on Elizabeth Warren's Scholarship  —  So Megan McArdle wrote a long post attacking Elizabeth Warren as a scholar.  What's surprising is how little “there-there” there is to her critique.  I would love to see nomination hearings based around how expansive of a definition …

How to end the filibuster with 51 votes  —  If you can't manage the 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, you can't manage the 67 votes to change the rules and end the filibuster.  At least in theory.  —  But in practice, there's another path open to the Senate's growing ranks of reformers …

Top Dem: Rangel must decide alone whether to resign or face inquiry  —  The House's second-ranking Democrat on Tuesday said Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) will decide on his own whether to resign his seat or go forward with Thursday's ethics inquiry.  —  Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) …

Despite Tough Climate, Public Prefers Obama's Policies  —  Despite a tough year for President Obama, the public believes his administration's policies offer a better chance at improving the economy over the policies of his predecessor, former President George W. Bush.

Iraq billions ‘unaccounted for’  —  Billions have gone to rebuild Iraq but much of the money is impossible to trace, says a US audit  —  A US federal watchdog has criticised the US military for failing to account properly for billions of dollars it received to help rebuild Iraq.

Who's the Extremist?  —  As a progressive, I tend to think the Republican Party is much more ideologically extreme than the Democratic Party.  There are many reasons, some of which may be more legitimate than others.  But it turns out that my opinion isn't representative.

Mass. Legislature approves plan to bypass Electoral College  —  The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attacks Octopus Paul  —  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian leader, says Paul the Octopus, the sea creature that correctly predicted the outcome of World Cup games, is a symbol of all that is wrong with the western world.  —  He claims that the octopus is a symbol of decadence and decay among “his enemies”.

Shirley Sherrod's USDA Job Offer: Deputy Director of the Office of Advocacy and Outreach  —  Shirley Sherrod, who was forced to resign from the Department of Agriculture after an out-of-context video of remarks she made were published on a conservative website, is still considering …

Ex-Washington Post blogger David Weigel joins Slate  —  Journalist David Weigel, who resigned from the Washington Post last month following a leaked email controversy, is joining Slate as a political reporter.  —  “I'm thrilled to be joining Slate, thrilled to be working with writers I've read …

Jeff Lord Defends Jeffrey Lord  —  Well, somebody had to do it.  That fool has caused more trouble...but I like the guy so, here we go.  —  First, for the definition issue.  —  Random House Webster's College Dictionary defines lynching as: “to put to death, esp. hanging by mob action and without legal authority.”

Former GOP House Speaker sounds off on midterms  —  Former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert, center, spoke with CNN Tuesday about his Democratic successor Speaker Nancy Pelosi, foreground, and the upcoming midterm elections.  —  Washington (CNN) - Former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert …

Gore interviewed by Portland detectives  —  PORTLAND, Ore. - A law enforcement source confirms to KATU News that Portland detectives interviewed former U.S. Vice President Al Gore this past week in San Francisco.  —  Portland police detectives interviewed the VP on Thursday …

Dems fear GOP oversight of Obama administration  —  Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. (Alex Brandon/AP)  —  Speaking to a group of left-wing activists at the annual Netroots Nation convention in Las Vegas, Democratic Sen. Al Franken painted a bleak picture …

Getting Lost in the Fog of War  —  ANYONE who has spent the past two days reading through the 92,000 military field reports and other documents made public by the whistle-blower site WikiLeaks may be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.  I'm a researcher who studies Afghanistan …

NOM Sign: Lynch Gay Couples to Save Marriage  —  The National Organization for Marriage's “One Man, One Woman” bus tour hit Indianapolis today and the LGBT community came out to greet them.  Since we're hospitable Hoosiers, of course, our welcome wagon outnumbered the small dog and pony show put …