On Today's Ruling in Virginia  —  Since the enactment of health reform legislation in March, several state Attorneys General have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.  Having failed in the legislative arena, opponents of reform are now turning to the courts …

WashPost TV critic smears ABC's Amanpour as possible Taliban sympathizer  —  This is really just beyond the pale.  —  Everyone knows that Post critic Tom Shales can't stand Christiane Amanpour and has what is now officially a creepy obsession with belittling her work.

Ethics cases raise racial questions  —  But the investigation that cost him his House Ways and Means Committee gavel grew out of an OCE-initiated probe.  While five of the other black Democrats eyed in the same affair ended up facing no sanctions from the ethics committee …

Meacham out; Harman buys Newsweek  —  The Washington Post Co. has sold Newsweek to Sidney Harman, a wealthy industrialist and husband of Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), and Jon Meacham will not remain as the magazine's editor, the company has confirmed.  —  The terms of the deal were not announced …

Rudy: GZ Mosque is a ‘desecration,’ ‘decent Muslims’ won't be offended  —  This went way under the radar three weeks ago, but Rudy Giuliani made what, as best as I can tell, were his first public comments about the planned mosque near Ground Zero on the Jeff Katz show on radio (someone will I'm sure correct me if I'm wrong).

THE EMPTY CHAMBER  —  Just how broken is the Senate?  —  “Sit and watch us for seven days,” one senator says of the deadlocked chamber.  “You know what you'll see happening?  Nothing.” … KEYWORDS … “This is just one of those days when you want to throw up your hands and say, ‘What in the world are we doing?’ ”

Defining Prosperity Down  —  I'm starting to have a sick feeling about prospects for American workers — but not, or not entirely, for the reasons you might think.  —  Yes, growth is slowing, and the odds are that unemployment will rise, not fall, in the months ahead.  That's bad.

Even Fox News Can't Hide Sharron Angle's Wingnuttery in Their Special on the Mid-Term Elections  —  Well, it looks like Sharron Angle's favorite refuge Fox News can't manage to do a report on her without exposing just how extreme this woman really is.  The network aired a special Sunday night …

Arizona Sheriff: ‘Our Own Government Has Become Our Enemy’  —  (Correction: As initially posted, this story inaccurately said that Pinal County was contiguous with the Mexican border.  It is in southern Arizona, but not on the border.)  —  (CNSNews.com) - Pinal County (Ariz.) …

To deal with the deficit, let the tax cuts expire  —  For the past few months, we have heard powerful, passionate arguments about the need to cut America's massive budget deficit.  Republican senators have claimed that we are in danger of permanently crippling the economy.

Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age  —  At Rhode Island College, a freshman copied and pasted from a Web site's frequently asked questions page about homelessness — and did not think he needed to credit a source in his assignment because the page did not include author information.

WikiLeaks must be stopped  —  Let's be clear: WikiLeaks is not a news organization; it is a criminal enterprise.  Its reason for existence is to obtain classified national security information and disseminate it as widely as possible — including to the United States' enemies.

GOP Resumes Favorable Standing on Generic Ballot  —  Democratic enthusiasm for voting in midterms is the lowest seen this year  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Registered voters favor Republicans by 48% and Democrats by 43% in Gallup's generic congressional ballot for the week of July 26 through Aug. 1.

Obamacare Only Looks Worse Upon Further Review: Kevin Hassett  —  One of the more illuminating remarks during the health-care debate in Congress came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told an audience that Democrats would “pass the bill so you can find out what's in it, away from the fog of controversy.”

48% Blame Obama for Bad Economy, 47% Blame Bush  —  For the first since President Obama took office, voters see his policies as equally to blame with those of President George W. Bush for the country's current economic problems.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds …

A new headache for Giannoulias?  Another Rezko loan  —  His family bank lent $22.75 million, in newly uncovered deal  —  By February 2006, businessman and political fixer Tony Rezko was already politically radioactive, caught up in a federal investigation that would see him criminally charged by the end of that year.

Rand Paul: Congress has no business protecting miners  —  Reform-minded lawmakers in both the House and Senate are pushing legislation to bolster the work-safety protections for miners working underground.  But don't try to convince Rand Paul.  —  The Republican running to replace outgoing Sen. Jim Bunning …

Go Find Me the Peak of the Laffer Curve  —  My New Year's Plea from 2007 has been getting some attention in the recent discussions over whether cutting tax rates will raise revenue.  In this post, I'd like to follow up on the last line of that plea, which I have not seen recently quoted:

Rep. Ryan pushes budget reform, and his party winces  —  Viewing him as a rising star in the party, Republicans in Congress often talk up Rep. Paul Ryan as a potential governor, senator or House leader.  The lanky, youthful-looking congressman from Wisconsin has begged off …

McCain places hold on Clapper nomination  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has placed a hold on President Obama's nominee to serve as director of national intelligence (DNI), his spokeswoman said Monday.  —  Spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan confirmed a report that that the Arizona senator has requested …

Could Pot Drive Turnout In Key Elections?  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Putting the question of marijuana legalization on state ballots in 2012 may be one of the most effective ways for a dispirited Democratic Party to get reluctant voters out to the polls.

Arizona was once tolerant of illegal immigrants.  What happened?  —  Analysts suggest it was a perfect storm of demographic shifts, a scary criminal element, the recession and a new governor.  —  Reporting from Phoenix — Arizona has made a name for itself as the state with the harshest policies against illegal immigration.

Breitbart to get RNC invite  —  California event rescheduled, not canceled  —  The Republican National Committee will invite Andrew Breitbart to its rescheduled “big donor” fundraiser in Southern California, which had been set to feature the conservative columnist and online-media mogul …

AT&T, Verizon to Target Visa, MasterCard With Smartphones  —  AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. mobile carriers, are planning a venture to displace credit and debit cards with smartphones, posing a new threat to Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc., three people with direct knowledge of the plan said.