Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93  —  Betty Ford, the outspoken and much-admired wife of President Gerald R. Ford who overcame alcoholism and an addiction to pills and helped found one of the best-known rehabilitation centers in the nation, died Friday in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 93.

Panetta Says Defeat of Al Qaeda ‘Within Reach’  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Defense secretary Leon E. Panetta, who arrived in Kabul on Saturday, said the United States was “within reach of strategically defeating Al Qaeda” and that the American focus had narrowed to capturing or killing 10 …

The Road (Maybe) Ahead  —  HALPERIN'S TAKE  —  This isn't a prediction, but here is one highly plausible sequence of a series of events that could play out on the debt crisis:  —  Some time in the next 5 days, the President reaches an understanding with Speaker Boehner, Congressman Hoyer …

Worst President Ever, Revisited  —  No, I'm not ready to crown Barack Obama the Worst President Ever just yet, but consider this:  —  Yes, George W. Bush wrecked our economy, destroyed New Orleans, turned a budget surplus into massive deficits, ignored warnings of a major terrorist attack …

The new oppo research: Spotting the labels on the wine on the politician's restaurant table.  —  Some busybody business professor named Susan Feinberg pulled this trick on Paul Ryan and Talking Points Memo is lapping it up: … So, Feinberg was appalled, stunned, and outraged.  That's got to hurt.

I Received ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapy at Marcus Bachmann's Clinic  —  TWO Exclusive Investigative Report by John M. Becker  —  The date was Thursday, June 30, 2011.  I turned on the television and listened half-heartedly to the commercials as I busied about doing other things.

Charting Our Policy Insanity  —  Just to say what should be obvious: unemployment is extremely high by historical standards, while interest rates are very low.  Yet unemployment has almost disappeared from policy discussion, which is preoccupied with the need to appease hypothetical bond vigilantes.

DSCC blames ‘staff error’ for Murray fund-raising appeal to Koch exec  —  Update: Friday 12:32 p.m.: DSCC sent a response to the Koch executive, blaming the appeal for money on a “staff error” and rescinding it — while getting in several digs at the Kochs and their involvement in “right-wing smear campaigns.”

Obama turns to small-scale solutions to a weak economy  —  The White House, threatened by the high unemployment rate, proposes free-trade agreements and more spending on high-speed rail in the absence of more ambitious tools, such as stimulus spending.  —  President Obama delivers a statement …

Trailing G.O.P. With Cameras, Seeking Gaffes  —  AMHERST, N.H. — Aaron Fielding quietly stalks his prey — Republicans — with his video camera, patiently waiting for a political moment worthy of YouTube.  —  At 27, he is a full-time “tracker” for American Bridge 21st Century …

As Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal, Some Choices May Be Lost  —  Now that same-sex marriage has been legalized in New York, at least a few large companies are requiring their employees to tie the knot if they want their partners to qualify for health insurance.

Our Excuser-In-Chief  —  We haven't yet said anything about today's disastrous employment news.  What is to be said?  Unemployment is up to 9.2%, with underemployment much higher.  A mere 18,000 jobs were added in June, less than one-fifth of what economists expected.

Following Controversy Over Pledge, Family Leader Clarifies Anti-Porn Statement  —  GOP presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum both signed a candidate pledge by the influential social conservative group THE FAMiLY LEADER which ThinkProgress, ABC, the Washington Post …

No, Seriously: No Excuses  —  In the early days of the education-reform movement, a decade or so ago, you'd often hear from reformers a powerful rallying cry: “No excuses.”  For too long, they said, poverty had been used as an excuse by complacent educators and bureaucrats who refused …