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 …

Bush rates are kept safe in debt-limit talks  —  The White House, seeking an agreement to raise the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by Aug. 2, on Monday said it would not insist that any deal include an end to former President George W. Bush's controversial tax rates on the wealthy.

Supreme Court strikes down ban on sale of violent video games to minors  —  The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a California law that banned the sale of violent video games to minors, ruling video games are protected under the First Amendment as free speech.

The Political Use of the White House ‘Just Got More Interesting’  —  Was the below campaign video filmed in the White House?  It certainly appears so, although it's hard to say with certainty.  —  We all remember President Bill Clinton using the Oval Office for fundraising events in 1996.

Two top Herman Cain staffers resign  —  Washington (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's New Hampshire state director, his only staffer in the state, as well as a Cain campaign regional director have both resigned.  —  Matt Murphy is the former state director and Jim Zeiler is the former regional director.

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.

What's needed: A $4 trillion gimmick-free deficit deal in two parts  —  The Congressional Budget Office's latest report on this nation's long-term budget outlook tells an all too familiar and all too grim story.If we continue down our current path, debt will eclipse the size of the entire economy …

Texas to defund Planned Parenthood  —  The Texas Legislature approved a bill Monday that would both compel the state to push the Obama administration to convert Texas's Medicaid program into a block grant and defund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.

Two probes opened into Bradley claim  —  By Patrick Marley, Jason Stein and Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - Two agencies are investigating a claim by Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley that Justice David Prosser put her in a chokehold earlier this month.

Lobbyists took $100k cut in pay to work for members of Congress  —  Some lobbyists who went to work on Capitol Hill this year took a pay cut of about $100,000, an analysis by The Hill shows.  —  A review of financial disclosure reports for lobbyists who were hired as congressional aides …

Weiner horning in on successor race  —  His ego has no bounds.  —  In a dazzling display of arrogance, disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner is trying to insert himself back into politics — calling power brokers and would-be candidates for his old seat, hoping they'll let him play …

Bachmann: Obama ‘is afraid of my candidacy’  —  President Obama “fears” Republican Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign, the Minnesota congresswoman said Monday night.  —  Bachmann, the newly-minted candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, pointed to the president's reelection office's attack …

Pentagon Confirms New DADT Discharges  —  The Pentagon confirmed Monday that more service members have been discharged under “don't ask, don't tell” pending certification of the policy's repeal, with one individual's discharge approved as recently as Thursday.

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Palin Not Reaching Out to Key Iowans Ahead of Visit  —  WATERLOO, Iowa — Sarah Palin appears to be designing her impending visit to Iowa to be as low-key as possible.  —  The former Alaska governor is slated to arrive in the small Iowa town of Pella on Tuesday to attend the premiere of …

Medicare Concerns Dominate Town Hall Meeting  —  Concerns about Medicare and health care dominated a Town Hall meeting Sunday held by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who along with state legislators also fielded questions on issues ranging from deficits and collective bargaining to voter ID and ethanol.