The wrong John Wayne  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann kicked off her presidential campaign on Monday in Waterloo, Iowa, and in one interview surrounding the official event she promised to mimic the spirit of Waterloo's own John Wayne.  —  The only problem, as one eagle-eyed reader notes …

I was wrong about same-sex marriage  —  Editor's note: David Frum writes a weekly column for CNN.com.  A special assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002, he is the author of six books, including “Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again,” and is the editor of FrumForum.

Blagojevich guilty on 17 counts  —  A federal jury today convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich on 17 of 20 counts, finding he brazenly abused the powers of his office in a series of attempted shakedowns captured on undercover government recordings.  —  Blagojevich showed no reaction as the jury announced their decisions.

Justices Reject Ban on Violent Video Games for Children  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to let California regulate the sale or rental of violent video games to children, saying governments do not have the power to “restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed” despite complaints about graphic violence.

Sarah Palin team reaching out to Iowa activists for meetings  —  Sarah Palin's camp is reaching out to activists and operatives in Iowa about setting up meetings while she's in the state Tuesday for the screening of a documentary about her - including with Chuck Laudner, a former Iowa GOP executive director and prominent conservative.

TSA stands by officers after pat-down of elderly woman in Florida  —  (CNN) — The Transportation Security Administration stood by its security officers Sunday after a Florida woman complained that her cancer-stricken, 95-year-old mother was patted down and forced to remove her adult diaper while going through security.

White House: ‘Significant’ deal on debt possible  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that a “significant” deal with Republicans on cutting government spending and raising the nation's debt limit is still possible, even as the administration hardened its stance on the need …

In Response To Prosser Choking Allegations, Fox's Van Susteren Calls On Female Chief Justice To Resign  —  Over the weekend, the Wisconsin State Journal reported that Justice David Prosser “grabbed fellow Justice Ann Walsh Bradley around the neck in an argument in her chambers last week …

N Korean children begging, army starving  —  Footage shot inside North Korea and obtained by the ABC has revealed the extent of chronic food shortages and malnutrition inside the secretive state.  —  The video is some of the most revealing footage ever smuggled out of the impoverished North Korean state.

Murder our Citizens, Please  —  As boatloads of American humanitarianofascists, including Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, and the Obamishly hued novelist/poet Alice Walker, steam toward Gaza, one proud GOP operative, Josh Trevino, assures Israel: … That's what I call thinking out of the box.

Robertson: God Will Destroy America For Marriage Equality  —  Following a story on New York passing marriage equality, Pat Robertson on The 700 Club warned that God will destroy America just like God destroyed Sodom, saying that “there's never been a civilization ever in history …

LI man busted for ‘pretending’ to be soldier to get first-class upgrade  —  This GI Joe wannabe got a hero's welcome just by dressing the part.  —  A Long Island man was arrested for donning an Army uniform and brazenly posing as a soldier so he'd get bumped up to first class on a flight …

Bristol Palin Cites ‘Foolish Decision’ on Virginity and ‘Not Accusing Levi of Date Rape’  —  Bristol Palin's contention that former boyfriend Levi Johnston “stole” her virginity is no attempt to bash him for their first sexual encounter, she said on “Good Morning America” today.

160 Million and Counting  —  In 1990, the economist Amartya Sen published an essay in The New York Review of Books with a bombshell title: “More Than 100 Million Women Are Missing.”  His subject was the wildly off-kilter sex ratios in India, China and elsewhere in the developing world.

Bashar al-Assad sets date for ‘national dialogue’ with opponents  —  Activists call Syrian president's overture ‘pointless’ while army repression continues in the country  —  Syrian authorities have set a date for a “national dialogue” with goverment opponents beginning on 10 July …

Inside Nancy Pelosi's drive to win the House majority back for Democrats  —  View Photo Gallery —  It has been almost six months since the California congresswoman relinquished the speakership of the House.  Now, as minority leader, she is focused on winning back Democratic control.

Gaza flotilla activists: One of our ships was sabotaged  —  Israeli activist says his ship, which is docked in Greece's Piraeus port, was found with its propeller shaft broken which he believes was a deliberate attempt at sabotage.  —  One of the ships due to participate in the Gaza flotilla …

Bloomberg's big bluff  —  Just call him Mayor Blowhard.  —  Or, compared to Gov. Cuomo, maybe Mayor Mouse is more apt.  —  Both Mike Bloomberg and Andrew Cuomo this year introduced budgets marinated in apocalyptic rhetoric — to reform their respective governments and curb their unions' appetites.