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 …

A real problem vs. an imaginary one  —  After the release of the June job numbers, there were plenty of worthwhile charts and graphs making the rounds, but this one from Paul Krugman was especially helpful.  —  In case it's a little hard to see, that red line is the unemployment rate …

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

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Conrad budget cuts $800B from Defense  —  The secret Senate Democratic budget resolution relies heavily on $800 billion in cuts to the Pentagon.  —  The secret Senate Democratic budget resolution drafted by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and shared with the White House relies heavily …

Sheila Bair's Bank Shot  —  'They should have let Bear Stearns fail," Sheila Bair said.  —  It was midmorning on a crisp June day, and Bair, the 57-year-old outgoing chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — the federal agency that insures bank deposits and winds down failing banks …

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 …

Eric Cantor Hit By Democrats For Potentially Profiting From U.S. Default … WASHINGTON — House Democrats are circulating a resolution accusing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) of having a conflict of interest in the debt ceiling debate, a move that could provide an awkward C-SPAN moment …

After Years of Struggle, South Sudan Becomes a New Nation  —  JUBA, South Sudan — The celebrations erupted at midnight.  Thousands of revelers poured into Juba's steamy streets in the predawn hours on Saturday, hoisting enormous flags, singing, dancing and leaping on the back of cars.

James Murdoch could face criminal charges on both sides of the Atlantic  —  As phone hacking scandal leaves News Corp open to prosecution, James Murdoch looks less likely to inherit empire  —  James Murdoch and News Corp could face corporate legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic …

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.

The Trouble With Approval Ratings  —  They provide only a very fuzzy picture of the electorate's attitudes.  —  Political observers love presidential approval ratings, which seem to make elections predictable, at least in those years when an incumbent is running.