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” …

Ron Paul ads hitting airwaves in Iowa, N.H.  —  Ron Paul is hitting the airwaves for the first time in Iowa and New Hampshire with a spot that warns ominously against raising the federal debt limit, POLITICO has learned.  —  The 60-second spot, made with all the flare of a Hollywood movie preview …

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.

Debt Ceiling Stalemate Not About Numbers  —  There is an old joke, attributed to both Winston Churchill and George Bernard Shaw.  It goes something like this:  —  Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for 5 million pounds?  —  Woman: My goodness, Mr. Churchill ... Well, I suppose …

The Bain of Mitt Romney's campaign  —  A company that laid off hundreds of employees.  A federal “bailout” to rescue a failing bank.  Mitt Romney, at the center of it all.  —  It's a story line from a tough Democratic ad that was teed up for use against Romney in his 1994 Senate campaign in Massachusetts.

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.

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 …

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 hits Chicago for 50th birthday fund-raisers at the Aragon  —  Logo for the Obama Aug. 3 birthday fund-raiser.  —  follow Lynn Sweet on Twitter: @lynnsweet  —  Rahm Emanuel headlined Obama fund-raiser Wednesday in Chicago.  —  WASHINGTON—President Obama returns to Chicago on Aug. 3 …

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 …

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.

Michele Bachmann's Weak Command Of Yiddish  —  The GOP continues its oft-troubled Jewish outreach efforts by having Michele Bachmann try and fail to pronounce “chutzpah.”  —  Meanwhile, her church says the Pope is the Antichrist, so she's sure to break out of the Evangelical bubble any day now.

The comedian-in-chief  —  Here's a joke for you: President Obama nearly bankrupts the country with his out-of-control deficit spending — then demands responsible fiscal leadership from the Republicans.  —  OK, this is no time for humor: The country faces a deadline of Aug. 2 to either raise …

Brookland NIMBYs Killing The Environment  —  Here's a map highlighting the location of 901 Monroe Street NE in Washington, DC:  —  As you can see, it's right by a Metro station.  Many people, myself included, would like to see America consume less gasoline.  One good way to achieve this is for more people to ride mass transit.

A Gun Activist Takes Aim at U.S. Regulatory Power  —  MISSOULA, Mont.—With a homemade .22-caliber rifle he calls the Montana Buckaroo, Gary Marbut dreams of taking down the federal regulatory state.  —  He's not planning to fire his gun.  Instead, he wants to sell it …

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 …

Bernanke: deep spending cuts could derail recovery  —  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the House Financial Services Committee hearing on “Monetary Policy and the State of the Economy” on Capitol Hill in Washington July 13, 2011.  REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque