The President Surrenders  —  A deal to raise the federal debt ceiling is in the works.  If it goes through, many commentators will declare that disaster was avoided.  But they will be wrong.  —  For the deal itself, given the available information, is a disaster, and not just for President Obama and his party.

Mitt Romney opposes compromise deal on the debt ceiling  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) broke his silence on the congressional debt-ceiling fight on Monday, emerging to say he couldn't back the final deal announced Sunday.  —  Romney, who had refused to weigh in during recent weeks …

Did Obama Get Rolled?  —  The debt ceiling agreement is a horrible piece of legislation.  It ratchets down already too-low domestic discretionary spending caps and imposes painful sacrifice on the middle class with little asked of the rich.  Obviously, though, you can't assess any deal without asking “compared to what?”

WHIP COUNT: House leaders in both parties seek votes to pass debt-limit deal  —  The debt-limit deal announced on Sunday night is expected to attract more than 60 votes in the Senate, but its outlook in the House is much more cloudy.  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will need Democratic votes …

Ahead of vote, Biden dispatched to Hill  —  With some Democrats blasting the debt-ceiling deal agreed to by leaders and the White House Sunday night, Vice President Biden was set to return to Capitol Hill Monday to reassure Democrats before they start voting.

A deal that found the lowest-common denominator  —  (Alex Wong - VIA BLOOMBERG) Assuming no hiccups in the House — and that might be a big assumption — we've got a deal.  The deficit-reduction side includes $1 trillion in cuts now, $1.5 trillion (or more) in deficit reduction later, and a vote on a balanced budget amendment.

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Sen. McCain credits the Tea Party for deficit agreement  —  Days after comparing its members to hobbits, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday credited the Tea Party for its role in pushing for a deficit deal.  —  “I don't think without the Tea Party we would have had an agreement,” McCain said.

New health insurance plans will be required to cover birth control  —  The Obama administration on Monday announced that new health plans will be required to cover contraceptive drugs and counseling without co-pays starting next year.  —  The Health and Human Services guidelines, however …

Did Obama capitulate — or is this a cagey move?  —  It was President Obama's bottom line, a position he repeated in every recent public utterance on his debt-ceiling talks with Congress: Any deal must be “balanced” with spending cuts and tax increases.  —  But in his eleventh-hour stare …

U.S. Political Ideology Stable With Conservatives Leading  —  Most Republicans are conservative, but one in five is “very conservative”  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' political ideology at the midyear point of 2011 looks similar to 2009 and 2010, with 41% self-identifying as conservative, 36% as moderate, and 21% as liberal.

Ads tout Rick Perry as ‘better option’ for president  —  A new so-called super PAC supporting a prospective Rick Perry presidential campaign is going up Monday in Iowa with a statewide television buy touting the Texas governor as “a better option” for president.

Debt ceiling agreement a fair compromise?  —  David Mark  —  Moderator :  —  Facing the imminent prospect of default, the White House and Senate Republicans worked through Sunday to close a debt ceiling deal that gives President Barack Obama greater certainty in managing the Treasury's borrowing needs …