Judge Blocks Key Parts of Immigration Law in Arizona  —  PHOENIX — A federal judge, ruling on a clash between the federal government and a state over immigration policy, has blocked the most controversial parts of Arizona's immigration enforcement law from going into effect.

Democratic Message: We May Be Incompetent, But They're Crazy  —  Only in meta-ville do you hold a press conference to announce a campaign message for the fall.  Today, the Democratic Party asked reporters to come over to their Ivy Lane headquarters to listen to the party chairman describe …

Obama not invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding  —  Plus: Unknown actresses in the running for ‘Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ lead  —  President Barack Obama made a visit to the ladies of “The View” Wednesday afternoon to tape an episode that airs Thursday.  And although all five hosts …

Angle: DISCLOSE Act already exists (except it doesn't)  —  It was rejected by the Senate this week.  But here's what Sharron Angle said to conservative talker Heidi Harris today (audio at right):  —  Harris: Interesting story, or I should say Op-Ed, in the Washington Post this morning …

AMERICA'S NEW HEALTH CARE SYSTEM REVEALED  —  Updated Chart Shows Obamacare's Bewildering Complexity  —  Download a PDF version of the chart below  —  Washington, DC - Four months after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously declared “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it …

Schwarzenegger orders more furloughs for state workers  —  Editor's note: This post has been changed to specify the departments excluded from the governor's furlough order.  It also clarifies payroll cost savings from furloughs last year  —  Less than one month after ending furloughs …

Court Upholds Expulsion of Counseling Student Who Opposes Homosexuality  —  A federal judge ruled schools can expel students, like Julea Ward, who believe homosexuality is morally wrong.  Ward's lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University was dismissed.  —  A federal judge has ruled in favor …

Journolist veers out of bounds  —  This may be the most embarrassing thing I have ever written — and looking back on my writing, there is a lot of competition for that dubious distinction — but when I became a reporter, it was almost a holy calling.  —  We really believed we were doing good.

Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic of American Education-Related Social Stratification  —  Peter Beinart, like all good heterodox liberals, thinks we should curb race-based affirmative action in college admissions in favor of something more focused on class.

SEC Says New FinReg Law Exempts It From Public Disclosure  —  So much for transparency.  —  Under a little-noticed provision of the recently passed financial-reform legislation, the Securities and Exchange Commission no longer has to comply with virtually all requests for information releases …

Gov. Christie on Saving Money & the Hard Decisions We Have to Make  —  Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy  —  NJ Gov. Chris Christie on “Morning Joe”: This teacher complaining, they're getting four-to-five percent salary increases a year …

The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers  —  How much do your kindergarten teacher and classmates affect the rest of your life?  —  Economists have generally thought that the answer was not much.  Great teachers and early childhood programs can have a big short-term effect.  But the impact tends to fade.

Haphazard Firefighting Might Have Sunk BP Oil Rig … The Coast Guard has gathered evidence it failed to follow its own firefighting policy during the Deepwater Horizon disaster and is investigating whether the chaotic spraying of tons of salt water by private boats contributed to sinking …

Rod Blagojevich: Not Guilty  —  It is impossible when covering a trial as a journalist not to start thinking like a juror.  The jobs are not all that different to begin with: sifting facts, weighing sides, judging trustworthiness, trying to be objective about it all.

What's So Strange About Socialism?  — By: Stanley Kurtz  —  What is so strange about the idea that President Obama might be a socialist?  True, it would be a big deal if the president of the United States considered himself an opponent of the capitalist system, especially …

Congress Is Rethinking Its Ban on Internet Gambling  —  WASHINGTON — With pressure mounting on the federal government to find new revenues, Congress is considering legalizing, and taxing, an activity it banned just four years ago: Internet gambling.  —  On Wednesday, the House Financial …

Rangel digs in for a fight before 1 p.m. Thursday ethics trial  —  Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is ready to lay out his case to the public and thinks he can win, barring a last-minute deal in his showdown with the House ethics committee.  —  “[Thursday] is D-Day and he's digging in for a fight …

Juggling the Sherrod Chainsaw  —  While Jim Treacher enjoys the weather in Acapulco, other people will be trawling.  Like John Hayward, AKA Doctor Zero.  Follow the good Doc on twitter, and read him at his home and in the Hot Air Greenroom.  —  Shirley Sherrod ended up as the star …

EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Accused of Stalling on MOVE Act for Voters in Military  —  U.S. Army Sgt. George Scheufele prepares to mail in his completed absentee ballot after voting in the American Presidential and Congressional election while at Camp Eagle in the battle-torn Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq.

Land Use and Real Estate Bubbles  —  A very basic model of the economy would suggest that the overall price of real estate should stay very flat over time.  Land should get more expensive as more people try to live in a particular metro area since building more land, though possible, is difficult to undertake.

Fools Gold: Inside the Glenn Beck Goldline Scheme  —  Goldline International is under investigation by the Santa Monica City Attorney's office, jointly with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, as well as being the subject of a separate investigation by Congress into the possible criminal practices.

Math Is Hard: John Thune's Plan To Eliminate Deficits In 10 Many, Many Years  —  Sen. John Thune (R-SD) — the fifth highest ranking Republican in the Senate — has a new plan for lowering deficits, and as you might expect from GOP leadership, it involves zero tax hikes.

Filibuster reform is short of needed votes  —  Senate Democrats do not have the votes to lower the 60-vote threshold to cut off filibusters.  —  The lack of support among a handful of Senate Democratic incumbents is a major blow to the effort to change the upper chamber's rules.

Our Divisive President  —  Barack Obama promised a new era of post-partisanship.  In office, he's played racial politics and further split the country along class and party lines.  —  During the election campaign, Barack Obama sought to appeal to the best instincts of the electorate …

Politics Thwarts Att'y General In Fighting Corruption, New York State Voters Tell Quinnipiac University Poll; Dems Have No Clue Of Attorney General Candidates  —  Only 30 percent of New York State voters say giving the next Attorney General more power to fight corruption in state government …

Senate Dems, GOP squabble may sink spill bill  —  Senate Democrats and Republicans appear on a collision course that would sink chances of passing oil-spill and energy legislation amid disagreements over both substance and process.  —  Democratic leaders Wednesday foretold the likely failure …