Primary night yields good news for President Obama and Democrats  —  The headline victory of the primaries belonged to Sen. Michael Bennet, who gallops to a surprisingly wide nine-point victory over challenger Andrew Romanoff.  AP  —  President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party …

The Point of No Return  —  For the Obama administration, the prospect of a nuclearized Iran is dismal to contemplate— it would create major new national-security challenges and crush the president's dream of ending nuclear proliferation.  But the view from Jerusalem is still more dire …

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll  —  The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 26% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president.  Forty-five percent (45%) Strongly Disapprove …

Former U.S. Representative Dan Rostenkowsi has died  —  Dan Rostenkowski was the most important congressman ever to represent Chicago, “Mr. Chairman” of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, confidante of presidents, pride of the Polish community and bringer of millions upon millions …

NYT On The So-Called Ground Zero Mosque.  —  The New York Times has a new piece up on Faisal Rauf and Daisy Khan, the couple behind the proposed Islamic community center near Ground Zero that has brought rank Islamophobia into the Republican mainstream:

RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN: Reid courts Hispanics  —  GOP blocking immigration reform, senator tells Latinos  —  U.S. Sen. Harry Reid on Tuesday slammed Republicans for blocking comprehensive immigration reform and told Hispanics they shouldn't be treated differently because “their skin's a tone darker” …

Americans split evenly on gay marriage  —  Americans are split on the issue of same-sex marriage, according to a new CNN poll.  —  (CNN) - Nearly half of all Americans think the Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll.

JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater emerges from jail, basks in new status as celebrity  —  Fired-up flight attendant Steven Slater was walking on air as he emerged from jail Tuesday night as a folk hero.  —  “I knew there was a brouhaha about this, but while I was on the inside …

Depressed Democratic Turnout Portends Rotten November  —  I guess Michael Bennet won his primary in Colorado yesterday, but his winning total of votes came in under both GOP contenders.  The Connecticut Governor's primary featured just 20% Democratic turnout.

Giant Mecca clock seeks to call time on Greenwich  —  For more than a century, a point on the top of a hill in south-east London has been recognised as the centre of world time and the official starting point of each new day.  —  But now the supremacy of Greenwich Mean Time is being challenged …

Exclusive: Rand Paul's accuser clarifies “kidnapping”  —  The woman who sparked a national firestorm by recounting Rand Paul's  —  youthful indiscretions to GQ magazine is now clarifying her account: She says she was not kidnapped nor forced to do drugs by Paul.

Study Looks at Tax Cut Lapse for Rich  —  WASHINGTON — As debate heats up over President Obama's proposal to let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthy but to extend them for everyone else, a nonpartisan Congressional analysis circulated on Capitol Hill on Tuesday provides a look at the impact …

Kerry: McMahon ‘roid rage attacks’ need to be stopped  —  Connecticut Senate nominee Linda McMahon's “GOP/WWE roid rage attacks” need to be stopped, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said Wednesday.  —  Kerry took a shot at McMahon's past as CEO of the wrestling outfit a day after she won …

Crowd waiting for housing vouchers gets rowdy  —  A crowd of people hoping to get federal housing assistance became unruly Wednesday morning with reports of fights breaking out in the crowd.  —  Thousands of people were lined up at the Tri-Cities Plaza shopping center …

Why the GOP really wants to alter the 14th Amendment  —  As Lindsey Graham and his fellow Republicans explain it, their sudden turn against conferring citizenship on anyone born in the United States was prompted by the mortal threat of “anchor babies” — the children of foreigners who scurry …

Elite Isolation  —  It seems to me that this chart is the key to understanding today's political economy:  —  Virtually every single member of congress, every senator, every Capitol Hill staffer, every White House advisor, every Fed governor, and every major political reporter is a college graduate.

Does The 2012 GOP Convention Logo Include A Minaret?  —  The RNC's 2012 convention logo features the Tampa Bay skyline and one of the buildings apparently represented in the logo is what was formerly the Old Tampa Bay Hotel, a prominent feature of the Florida city's skyline.

U.S. Trade Deficit Unexpectedly Widens to $49.9 Billion in June  —  The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly widened in June by a record $7.9 billion as imports rose and shipments abroad declined.  —  The $49.9 billion gap was the biggest since October 2008 and followed a $42 billion shortfall in May …

Rangel's rambling floor speech has House Dems wishing they didn't recognize him  —  The Democrats, at long last, had strung together a good day.  They forced House Republicans to return, grumbling, from summer vacation for votes that allowed Democrats to show support for teachers, cops and strong borders.

Desiree Rogers named CEO of Johnson Publishing  —  Plans expansion for Ebony, Jet mags and cosmetics line  —  Desiree Rogers, President Obama's former White House social secretary, said Tuesday after being named CEO of Johnson Publishing Co. that she intends to expand Ebony and JET magazines' licensing …

NC: PHB exclusive video of NOM's Brian Brown at Raleigh rally - plus I am mistaken for a fundie (!)  —  My high-quality vid is still uploading, but I have this lower-res version for those excited to see the flopsweat on Brian Brown's brow ASAP.  So the background first — I did this on my lunch hour …