Obama and Boehner Close to Major Deal, Officials Say  —  WASHINGTON —The Obama administration has informed Democratic Congressional leaders that President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner were starting to close in on a major budget deal that would enact substantial spending cuts …

Pentagon to Certify It is Ready to End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Top defense officials plan to certify Friday that the Pentagon is ready to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military, officials said, a landmark moment after almost two decades of controversy.

Out from under the anti-tax pledge  —  WITH A HANDFUL of exceptions, every Republican member of Congress has signed a pledge against increasing taxes.  Would allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire as scheduled in 2012 violate this vow?  We posed this question to Grover Norquist …

Huntsman campaign manager Susie Wiles resigns  —  Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman's (R) presidential campaign manager, Susie Wiles, is resigning and will be replaced by communications director Matt David, according to the campaign.  —  Huntsman is announcing the changes to his staff at a meeting this afternoon.

Allen West Refuses To Apologize, Blames Military Background For His Insulting Remarks  —  Facing a barrage of criticism, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) remains defiant and says he won't apologize to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) for a disparaging email in which he called her “vile …

Gay ‘Barbarians’ Demand Ex-Gay ‘Discipline’ From Bachmann Clinic  —  Today a group of gay “barbarians” descended upon Marcus Bachmann's Christian counseling center to protest the harmful ex-gay therapy offered there.  During a radio interview in 2010, Bachmann compared gay people to “barbarians” who need to be “disciplined.”

Widower to Conservative Org: I Won't Be Needing Your Services  —  Ron Wallen, who testified at Wednesday's Senate DOMA hearing  —  During Wednesday's historic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act, Ron Wallen, a 77-year-old veteran and resident of Indio, Calif. …

Workers: Heat Lamps Shined On Hyatt Hotel Picket Line  —  CHICAGO (CBS) — Union workers say someone turned on the heat lamps in blazing hot broad daylight Thursday, as they walked a picket line in front of the Park Hyatt Hotel.  —  As WBBM Newsradio 780's Mike Krauser reports …

Sharpton Appears to Win Anchor Spot on MSNBC  —  After giving a nearly six-month tryout for the Internet talk show host Cenk Uygur, the cable news channel MSNBC is preparing to instead hand its 6 p.m. time slot to the Rev. Al Sharpton.  —  Mr. Sharpton's imminent hiring …

U.S. loses $1.3 billion in exiting Chrysler  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — U.S. taxpayers likely lost $1.3 billion in the government bailout of Chrysler, the Treasury Department announced Thursday.  —  The government recently sold its remaining 6% stake in the company to Italian automaker Fiat …

Mitt Romney's Fundraising Pitch: What He Tells High Rollers Behind Closed Doors  —  ABC News' Shushannah Walshe reports (@shushwalshe) reports:  —  Mitt Romney was back in New York City Tuesday evening trying to reel in more cash for his campaign, holding top dollar events at The Pierre …

Williams on NPR: Elitist and white  —  No single person has had a greater impact on National Public Radio in the past year than Juan Williams.  —  The political wildfire started by his firing ultimately took down the media organization's CEO, top news executive and top fundraiser …

1937!  1937!  1937!  —  The Telegraph has a leaked draft of the eurozone rescue plan for Greece.  The financial engineering is Rube Goldbergish and unconvincing.  But here's what leaped out at me: … OK, so we're going to demand harsh austerity in the debt-crisis countries; and meanwhile …

Home Depot Co-Founder: Obama Is Choking Recovery  —  Bernie Marcus co-founded Home Depot (HD) in 1978 and brought it public in 1981 as the U.S. was suffering from the worst recession and unemployment in 40 years.  The company thrived, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and redefining home improvement retailing.

Secretary Of State Husted Certifies Signatures For Referendum On Senate Bill 5  —  Petitioners have met Constitutional requirements to place issue on November ballot  —  COLUMBUS - Secretary of State Jon Husted today certified that petitioners seeking a referendum on Senate Bill 5 …

When Rahm's Temper Made a Comeback  —  To view this video you must to have Flash Player 9.0 or later installed.  Click to download the most recent version of Flash.  —  In dealing with the press, Mayor Rahm Emanuel often tries to emulate his former boss, President Barack Obama.

DHS Video Characterizes White Americans as Most Likely Terrorists  —  Big Sis fear campaign continues, but Americans are just as likely to be killed by peanut allergies than they are in terrorist attacks  —  A new promotional video released by the Department of Homeland Security characterizes …

Having Plunged Previously, After The Affordable Care Act Passed Private Sector Employment Increased  —  I don't think this chart showing that private sector employment has grown after the passage of the Affordable Care Act really proves much one way or another, but it certainly proves …

Rick Perry Accuses Obama Of Leaving Astronauts To ‘Hitchhike Into Space’  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone (@michaelpfalcone) reports:  —  As America bids farewell to the space shuttle era on Thursday, likely presidential candidate Rick Perry appears none too pleased with the Obama administration …

G.O.P. Governors Swing Right, Leaving Voters Behind  —  If the states are laboratories of democracy, then the Republican Party's research pipeline has run dry.  Moderate Republican governors, a thriving species before last year's elections, are all but extinct.

Sane Conservatives and the Debt Ceiling  —  Sane conservative economists recognize that not raising the debt ceiling on August 2nd would be a disaster.  Sane conservatives understand that the ratings agencies will lower our credit rating if we won't raise the ceiling, and that we have almost $500 billion …

Politico reporter who covered Palin quits for Democratic Party job  —  A Politico reporter who often penned stories about Sarah Palin and other Republicans has quit journalism to work with the Democratic Party in Arizona, sources tell The Daily Caller.  —  That reporter, Andy Barr …