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.

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.

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.

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 …

Romney supporters raise $12 million to bolster WH bid  —  A super-PAC run by supporters of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) announced a $12 million haul during the first half of this year.  —  Restore Our Future, the outside spending group founded by supporters of Romney's presidential campaign …

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.

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 …

Bill Clinton Handicaps the GOP Presidential Candidates  —  At the Aspen ideas festival, the former commander in chief offers his thoughts on Romney, Huntsman, Bachmann, and how Obama can win in 2012  —  ASPEN, Colo. — Former President Clinton, playing handicapper in chief …

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 …

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.

U.S. Officials Behind ‘Fast and Furious’ Gun Sales Should Be Tried in Mexico, Lawmaker Says  —  While the investigation continues into the U.S. operation that helped send thousands of guns south of the border, Mexican lawmakers say they'll press for extradition and prosecution in Mexico …

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 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.

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.

White House's New Anti-Terror Strategy: Kill the Suspects?  —  Usama bin Laden has been killed.  The U.S. is poised to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.  And the Obama administration's shift in counterterrorism strategy from land wars to precision strikes and raids is raising concerns …

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 …