John Quincy Adams a Founding Father?  Michele Bachmann Says Yes  —  On the heels of her official entry into the Presidential campaign in Iowa yesterday, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann came to “GMA” today.  I gave her the opportunity to clear up some of her past statements that caused Chris Wallace …

N.Y. town clerk: I won't sign gay wedding license  —  New York's gay weddings victory lap has not extended to all parts of the Empire State, with a rural town clerk determined to not sign any same-sex marriage licenses.  —  Barbara MacEwen, the town clerk in upstate Volney who is responsible …

More Details Emerge in Wisconsin's ‘Chokegate’  —  With the Wisconsin Supreme Court devolving into a storyline only Vince McMahon could love, rumors are still swirling about what actually happened when two justices engaged in a physical confrontation behind closed doors on June 13.

Bombers attack luxury hotel in Kabul  —  Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — A group of people using bombs and small arms attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul Tuesday, and fighting was ongoing with Afghan security forces, Chief of Criminal Investigation Mohammed Zahir told CNN.

The Failure of Al Gore: Part Deux  —  That Al Gore's definitive statement on the crisis of the climate change movement appeared in the back pages of Rolling Stone magazine rather than in a more prominent and prestigious location is one sign of the decline in his reputation.

Tearful Glenn Beck Describes How He And His Family Were Attacked In New York Park  —  “These people were some of the most hateful people I have ever seen,” said a distraught Glenn Beck this morning as he described an altercation he and his family had last night while watching a screening …

Herman Cain: 'I Don't Think The Current Minimum Wage Is Necessary'  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from Story City, IA.  —  Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain likes to cast himself as the only GOP presidential contender who has not held public office.

Tom Petty reportedly issuing cease and desist letter to Bachmann  —  Tom Petty may be taking legal action to make sure Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann stops using his songs at her campaign events.  —  “NBC News: @TomPetty unhappy with Michele Bachmann's use of 'American Girl …

Obama Gun-Sting Breakthrough  —  Thanks to a clever bipartisan deal, embattled ATF chief Kenneth Melson will testify before Congress about his role in the bungled Fast and Furious gun sting—possibly revealing who on Obama's team was in on the scheme.  —  The head of the embattled federal agency …

Bachmann in Strong Position as She Enters 2012 Race  —  Bachmann's name recognition is 69%, with highest Positive Intensity Score  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who formally announced her presidential candidacy Monday in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa …

“No Retreat From Freedom's Rise” Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Remarks at Council on Foreign Relations  —  I want to speak plainly this morning about the opportunities and the dangers we face today in the Middle East.  The revolutions now roiling that region offer the promise of a more democratic, more open, and a more prosperous Arab world.

White House dumps ‘secret shopper’ survey of doctors  —  The Obama administration will not move forward on a controversial proposal to have “secret shoppers” pose as patients to investigate how difficult it is for patients to receive primary care.  —  “On April 28th, the U.S. Department …

Special Report: A little house of secrets on the Great Plains  —  (Reuters) - The secretive business havens of Cyprus and the Cayman Islands face a potent rival: Cheyenne, Wyoming.  —  At a single address in this sleepy city of 60,000 people, more than 2,000 companies are registered.

Diaz, Lone Democrat Who Voted ‘No’ on Gay Marriage Bill, Reflects on Defeat  —  NEW YORK - Bronx state Senator Ruben Diaz, the lone Democrat to vote against the landmark gay marriage bill in New York, reflected on the defeat Monday, saying Christians need to organize better against gay marriage …

Obama is His Own Worst Enemy  —  David Brooks wrote a perceptive column today about the deficiencies in President Obama's leadership style.  —  He can expect a barrage of negative comment from conservatives who will reject Brooks' criticisms as insufficiently spicy.

“Go the F*** to Sleep” not funny  —  Editor's note: Karen Spears Zacharias is the author of the forthcoming memoir, “The Shelter of Mockingbirds: The Murder of 3-Year-Old Karly Sheehan.”  Follow her on Twitter.  —  (CNN) — “Go the F*** to Sleep” is being hailed as a cathartic children's book for parents.

Two thousand years in one chart  —  An alternative timeline for the past two millennia  —  SOME people recite history from above, recording the grand deeds of great men.  Others tell history from below, arguing that one person's life is just as much a part of mankind's story as another's.

Who Doesn't Pay Federal Income Taxes (Legally)  —  Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul.  —  Conservatives are fond of railing against those who are able to legally avoid paying federal income taxes.

Dire Straights  —  The decline of marriage isn't the fault of gays.  —  If you're a single man in New York state, we have some good news.  Soon there will be a way for you to get married and never have to worry about your wife complaining about the toilet seat or taking half your stuff in a divorce.

Fact-checking Michele Bachmann's announcement speech and Sunday interviews  —  (CHARLIE RIEDEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS) “Of course a person has to be careful with statements that they make. … — Rep. Michele Bachmann, responding to a question about being “a flake” on “Fox News Sunday,” June 26, 2011

Lisa Baron Reads from Life of the Party  —  For a decade-plus, Lisa Baron—a political communications advisor and sometime sex columnist—hit the campaign trail with Republican candidates.  In her new political memoir, Life of the Party: A Political Press Tart Bares All (Citadel Press) …

Wonkbook: The debt-ceiling deal so far  —  Cantor, who has been participating in bipartisan budget talks headed by Vice President Joe Biden, pulled out June 23 citing an impasse over taxes that required intervention by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.

Report: Treasury must cut spending 44 percent in default  —  New analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) which has been shared extensively with members of Congress estimates that the Treasury Department would not be able to pay all its bills and would need to implement an immediate 44 percent cut …

Video: Putting the CON in consequences, with LGBT-obsessed Rick Santorum  —  Did you know that Vermont public schools are getting into deep discussions involving the intricacies of the transgender experience with students as young as second grade?  Uh huh — Rick Santorum has a friend who says so:

Stephanopolous to Bachmann: We'll investigate your foster kids  —  Proving what the clear-eyed could already see: If you're a Republican, the media will hound you for every last scrap of anything, no matter how unfair or trivial. … George Stephanopolous was deep in the Clinton administration …

Kucinich: There Are Some Who Want to Give a Wrong Picture about Syria  —  DAMASCUS, (SANA)- U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich called on international media not to engage in exaggerating the events in Syria and jumping to conclusions without talking to people and listening to what they want.

Harkin: Climate change a factor in flooding  —  SIOUX CITY — U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, told reporters Monday while overlooking the swollen Missouri River that some revisions need to be made to the Army Corps of Engineers' master manual but that it's “not fair” to criticize the corps.

Thirteen Clear Factual Errors in Richard Stengel's Essay on the Constitution (And I Am Looking for Your Help) (Update: My Letter to the Editor)  —  [Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.  Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]  —  Late last week, I fisked Richard Stengel's …

NYT reporter may have to testify  —  New York Times reporter James Risen, excused last year from testifying before a grand jury investigating a leak about a top-secret CIA program targeting Iran's nuclear effort, could be forced to testify at a criminal trial involving the same leak …