President Obama calls African-Americans a ‘mongrel people’  —  NEW YORK — President Obama waded into the national race debate in an unlikely setting and with an unusual choice of words: telling daytime talk show hosts that African-Americans are “sort of a mongrel people.”

Ousted USDA Employee Sherrod Plans to Sue Blogger  —  Ousted USDA employee Shirley Sherrod says she will sue conservative blogger over edited video  —  Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted a video edited in a way that made her appear racist.

Shirley Sherrod To Sue Andrew Breitbart  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  SAN DIEGO — Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted an edited video of her making racially tinged remarks last week.

The Rangel case — Lessons from Sherrod?  —  (This post is being published before the charges against Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) have been published by the House ethics committee subpanel.  I will try to update this post after the charges have been published.)

Rangel Deal  —  All signs suggest that House Ethics Committee sachems and Charlie Rangel's lawyers have reached a deal that will prevent any public ethics ‘trial’ over the charges against the former Ways and Means Chair.  Up on the Hill Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) just told our Brian Beutler that …

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — July 2010  —  The July Health Tracking Poll indicates overall public support for the health reform law is steady from June, while unfavorable views of the law have trended downward.  Half the public (50%) now expresses a favorable view of the law …