The Mother of All No-Brainers  —  The Republicans have changed American politics since they took control of the House of Representatives.  They have put spending restraint and debt reduction at the top of the national agenda.  They have sparked a discussion on entitlement reform.

White Supremacist Stampede  —  A startling number of white-power candidates are seeking public office.  Eve Conant reports on their under-the-radar strategy and David Duke's White House flirtation.  —  Add to the growing list of candidates considering a bid for the GOP presidential nomination …

Chaffetz backs Romney over ex-boss Huntsman  —  Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) on Tuesday for president over his onetime boss, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R).  —  Chaffetz, the conservative congressman who's considering a Senate run …

DSK accuser sues NY Post for “prostitute” report  —  (Reuters) - The hotel maid who accused former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault sued the New York Post and five of its journalists for libel on Tuesday for reporting that she was a prostitute.

Anthony cleared of murdering Caylee  —  Below:  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — Casey Anthony was found not guilty Tuesday of murdering her daughter, 2-year-old Caylee Anthony, after a trial that riveted the nation with its twists and turns.  —  Only on msnbc.com  —  Anthony, 25, cried and then hugged …

The Debt Ceiling Is Certainly Not “Unconstitutional”  —  As we approach the debt ceiling sometime in August, with no agreement seemingly in reach, there is wild talk in Washington to the effect that the debt ceiling violates Section Four of the Fourteenth Amendment.  The theory is bunk.

Newt Gingrich offers bleak view of campaign finances  —  Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich talks with residents of Clear Lake, Iowa during the town's Independence Day parade Monday.  (Charlie Neibergall/AP)  —  Newt Gingrich, whose presidential bid has been beset by problems including …

Behind the Scenes, Christian Right Leaders Rally Behind Rick Perry  —  In early June, TIME has learned, a group of prominent figures on the Christian Right held a conference call to discuss their dissatisfaction with the current GOP presidential field, and agreed that Rick Perry would be their preferred candidate if he entered the race.

The riddle of the missing US ambassador as London toasts Ronald Reagan centenary  —  It was one of the most glittering events of the year, attracting some of the greatest names in American and British politics.  —  But as the British roasted lamb and the sunny Californian chardonnay were cleared away …

Boat People  —  Some questions for the “activists” aboard the Gaza flotilla.  —  The tale of the Gaza “flotilla” seems set to become a regular summer feature, bobbing along happily on the inside pages with an occasional update.  A nice sidebar for reporters covering the Greek debt crisis …

BMW layoffs exemplify the evisceration of the middle class  —  Every working American should be dismayed by — and afraid of — what BMW is doing.  —  By all accounts, BMW's parts distribution warehouse in Ontario was one of the jewels of the company's system.

Global warming lull down to China's coal growth  —  Solar power is coming to China - but coal-burning grew amazingly quickly a few years back  —  The lull in global warming from 1998 to 2008 was mainly caused by a sharp rise in China's coal use, a study suggests.

Madison 360: Baldwin likely to forgo safety for her dream of Senate seat  —  She really wants to do it.  —  That's the precise phrase I've heard for weeks from elected officials, political professionals and supporters who know her.  —  While the words are consistent …

Paul Ryan is in total denial  —  If Paul Ryan really believes what he said about his Medicare plan in this interview with a local Wisconsin TV station, then he is in total denial about how unpopular his proposal really is — and how much of a jam it created for his fellow Republicans:

Perry Breaks With a Fellow Texan: Bush  —  AUSTIN, Tex. — Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican contemplating a presidential run, shares many attributes with the last man who ran for president from here, his predecessor and onetime patron, George W. Bush.  He has the same straight-legged Texas swagger …

Specials  — Main - TIME 100 - Person of the Year - Best Blogs - Best Websites - Worst Cars - TIME 100 Roundtable - Best Inventions - Top 10 - All-TIME 100 … Campaign manager, John Boozman for Senate  —  It's been a banner year for the only daughter of Mike Huckabee …

Reid: US stands at ‘brink’ of default  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday warned that the U.S. now stands at the brink of default and called on Republicans to join Democrats in brokering a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling.  —  “For the first time …

Solid Majority of Jewish Americans Still Approve of Obama  —  Changes in approval among Jews continues to reflect broader U.S. patterns  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Jewish Americans gave President Barack Obama a 60% job approval rating in June, down from 68% in May, but statistically unchanged from 64% in April.

Rick Santorum's Math Fail: Blasts Obama For Creating ‘Only 240 Million Jobs’  —  2012 GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum continued his long-shot campaign this morning with an appearance on CNN.  During the interview, Santorum attempted to criticize the Obama administration's record on jobs …

Arizona conservatives scramble after campaign finance law's defeat  —  The state's Clean Elections Act had swept a surge of small-government Republicans into power.  —  Arizona Republican state Sen. Steve Smith, right, had never run for public office before last year.

The Shame of the Cities and the Shade of LBJ  —  President Lyndon Johnson and the “best and the brightest” who staffed his administration led this country into three quagmires.  By far the most famous, but perhaps not the most expensive and dangerous resulted from LBJ's escalation of the Vietnam War.

The Sorrow and Pity of Another Liquidity Trap  —  There is only one real law of economics: the law of supply and demand.  If the quantity supplied goes up, the price goes down.  —  Back in the third quarter of 2008, the public held about $5.3 trillion of U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds.