Reid: Cantor acted ‘childish’ and shouldn't be at the negotiation table  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) acted “childish” in the debt talks.  —  He is the the latest Democratic leader to accuse Cantor of impeding progress …

“Republican Candidate” Extends Lead vs. Obama to 47% to 39%  —  Margin marks first statistically significant lead among registered voters  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Registered voters by a significant margin now say they are more likely to vote for the “Republican Party's candidate for president” …

In Interview, Murdoch Defends News Corp.  —  In his first significant public comments on the tabloid newspaper scandal that has engulfed his media empire, News Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch vigorously defended the company's handling of the crisis but said it would establish …

Documents Show Obama White House Attacked, Excluded Fox News Channel  —  White House Emails Detail anti Fox Bias inside Obama White House: “I'm putting some dead fish in the fox cubby — just cause” “[FNC Anchor] Bret Baier...is a lunatic”  —  Judicial Watch, the public interest group …

Mitt Romney Breaks Silence on Debt Ceiling  —  ABC News' Emily Friedman(@EmilyABC) reports:  —  It didn't take long for Mitt Romney to field a question on the debt ceiling negotiations today during an event at the Portsmouth Rotary Club in New Hampshire.  —  After Romney's opening remarks …

Conspiracy of Two  —  For one of the world's most watched buildings, the White House is remarkably easy to sneak into.  On the afternoon of Sunday, July 3, while reporters scribbled down the details of President Obama's early return from a family vacation at Camp David — short sleeves …

Palin PAC raises $1.6M in first half of year  —  Former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee, Sarah PAC, raised almost $1.6 million in the first six months of this year, it will report in Federal Election Commission filings.  —  Sarah PAC had slightly …

'We're running out of time'  —  It's safe to say the Secretary of the Treasury is feeling some anxiety. … Putting aside, at least for now, whether Tim Geithner is my favorite Treasury Secretary of all time or not, I've been thinking a bit lately about what it must be like to be in his shoes right now.

Judge Declares Mistrial In Roger Clemens Perjury Case  —  NEW YORK (CBSNewYork / AP) — The judge presiding over Roger Clemens' perjury trial has declared a mistrial over over inadmissible evidence shown to jurors that could have prejudiced them against the former Yankees star.

End to Minnesota Shutdown in GOP Hands  —  Special session could be called within three days  —  ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton sent a letter Thursday to House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, saying he “reluctantly” agrees to accept …

U.S. credit rating not worth saving, Ron Paul says  —  The United States's top credit rating is “probably not” worth saving, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Thursday, less than a day after a major rating agency indicated it was considering a downgrade as the country hurtles toward …

The Accused Killer in His Own Words  —  Read a partial transcript of the confession that police say Levi Aron gave during questioning … My name is Levi Aron... On Monday evening around 5:30 I went to my dentist, Dr. Sorcher, to make a payment for visit for exam routine.

Book Challenges Obama on Mother's Deathbed Fight  —  The White House on Wednesday declined to challenge an account in a new book that suggests that President Obama, in his campaign to overhaul American health care, mischaracterized a central anecdote about his mother's deathbed dispute with her insurance company.

Bin Laden Plotted to Attack U.S. on 9/11 Anniversary  —  Osama bin Laden was working to assemble a team of militants to attack the U.S. on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 hijackings, according to communications that Navy SEALs seized from his Pakistani hideout when they killed the al Qaeda leader this spring.

55% Oppose Tax Hike In Debt Ceiling Deal  —  As the Beltway politicians try to figure out how they will raise the debt ceiling and for how long, most voters oppose including tax hikes in the deal.  —  Just 34% think a tax hike should be included in any legislation to raise the debt ceiling.

Reinhart and Rogoff: The Economy Can't Grow  —  As public debt in advanced countries reaches levels not seen since the end of World War II, there is considerable debate about the urgency of taming deficits with the aim of stabilizing and ultimately reducing debt as a percentage of gross domestic product.

Obama, Moderate Republican  —  OK, not exactly.  But Nate Silver's analysis of the budget proposals is a must-read.  Nate looks at polling, and extracts the following implied preferences for the mix between tax increases and spending cuts in a debt deal:  —  What Obama has offered …

Which Is Worse?  Default or Voting to Raise the Debt Ceiling Again in 2012?:  Today's Qs for O's WH - 7/14/2011  —  CARNEY: That is a bad scenario.  I'm not sure — I mean —  TAPPER: Is it worse —  CARNEY: You know, there are things you could anticipate.  But I — yes.