Biden: Tea partiers like ‘terrorists’  —  Vice President Joe Biden joined House Democrats in lashing tea party Republicans Monday, accusing them of having “acted like terrorists” in the fight over raising the nation's debt limit.  —  Biden was agreeing with a line of argument made by Rep. Mike Doyle …

Giffords's Return Marks Moment of Unity in Divided House  —  The clock was running down, and the debt ceiling compromise did not yet have enough ayes to pass.  Then, slowly, applause started trickling through the House chamber.  The clapping grew over the next half minute, until finally …

Most of Newt Gingrich's Twitter Followers Are Fake  —  Yesterday Newt Gingrich laid out a new argument for why he should be the GOP presidential nominee: He's got the most Twitter followers.  But according to a former Gingrich staffer, he bought them.  —  Gingrich complained yesterday …

The Fine Print on the Debt Deal  —  If Democrats read the fine print on the debt deal struck by President Obama and Congressional leaders, they'll find that it's a little better than it appears at first glance.  —  That's not to say that the deal is a good one for them.

The real story of the US debt deal is not the triumph of the Tea Party but the death of the Socialist Left  —  For British conservatives, the US debt deal is a thing of beauty.  Under the terms of the deal, the federal government will cut spending by $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years …

Matt Damon weighs in on the debt ceiling  —  Last week, Ben Affleck briefly became part of the conversation about the debt ceiling.  And now his longtime buddy and fellow actor Matt Damon has weighed in on the debate.  —  “I'm so disgusted man. ...  I don't know what you do in the face of that kind of intransigence.

We The Stupid  —  I stand here in abject stupefaction.  The so-called “right” or “Tea Party” in this republic is being so thoroughly rolled and defeated that I am struggling to come up with an adequate violent submission metaphor that does not involve prison rape . . . and they honesty think that they're “winning.”

The Winner of the Power Line Prize Is...  “The Spending Is Nuts,” by Justin Folk:  —  “Squirrels,” as we call it informally, is a beautiful piece of work.  (View it on YouTube in HD here.)  We asked Justin to share his thoughts on the contest and his video:

The red and the black  —  Where federal taxes are raised and spent  —  SOME American states receive more in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes; others receive less.  Over twenty years these fiscal transfers can add up to a sizeable sum.  From 1990 to 2009 …

What we wish Obama had said  —  Does anyone else have a sick sense of déjà vu this morning?  —  After months of slow-motion capitulation, President Obama has cut an eleventh-hour deal with Republican leaders to raise the debt ceiling.  After vowing to heed the public outcry …

It's Public Opinion, Stupid  —  Jared Bernstein praises the president with faint damns: … I think this is roughly correct.  Public opinion is everything.  Ronald Reagan was successful because public opinion supported him: he wanted to cut taxes and raise defense spending and so did big chunks of the public.

Budget talks in a word: ‘Ridiculous,’ ‘disgusting’ and ‘stupid’ top poll  —  Americans give overwhelmingly negative reviews to the fierce budget debate that has transfixed Washington over the past few weeks, and large numbers now think less favorably about the country's political leaders …

Putin says U.S. is “parasite” on global economy  —  (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States Monday of living beyond its means “like a parasite” on the global economy and said dollar dominance was a threat to the financial markets.

Boehner: I got 98 percent of what I wanted  —  CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley sat down with Speaker of the House John Boehner in his office at the Capitol on Monday.  —  With a brutal partisan fight over the debt ceiling drawing to an apparent close, Boehner said he understands …

AFP Wisconsin ballots have late return date  —  Americans for Prosperity is sending absentee ballots to Democrats in at least two Wisconsin state Senate recall districts with instructions to return the paperwork after the election date.  —  The fliers, obtained by POLITICO …

CBO ANALYSIS OF AUGUST 1 BUDGET CONTROL ACT  —  Letter to the Honorable John Boehner and the Honorable Harry Reid  —  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the impact on the deficit of the Budget Control Act of 2011, as posted on the Web site of the House Committee on Rules on August 1, 2011.

Two Things About Huntsman's Mail Piece  —  Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman returns to New Hampshire this week hoping to try again after a campaign launch that appeared to have more buzz before than after.  —  In the last two weeks, his campaign manager and longtime friend have now left the campaign.

GOP Rep. Lamborn: Associating With Obama Is Like ‘Touching A Tar Baby’  —  Appearing on the Caplis and Silverman radio show last Friday, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) said, “Now I don't even want to have to be associated with [Obama], it's like touching a tar baby and you're stuck, you're part of the problem now.

Krugman Quibble  —  I agree with most of what Paul Krugman has to say about the debt deal-with one crucial exception.  He's right that Obama should have included raising the debt ceiling in last December's tax deal...but he's wrong, I think, about the President using what we'll call …

Obama to head home for 50th birthday fundraiser  —  The sound of helicopters over the Chicago lakefront today signaled the practice drills that accompany a presidential visit.  And with Congress poised to act on a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling, President Barack Obama's plans to return …

DeMint won't target GOP yes votes  —  Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) says he's not going to target incumbent Republican senators who back the debt deal.  —  “I respect how any of those folks vote, I obviously disagree.  This is not a good deal for America,” DeMint told POLITICO Monday evening.

Decline Is a Choice  —  Here's the situation with respect to defense spending, which Speaker Boehner fought for yesterday, with some (very limited) success:  —  ♦ FY12: Freeze enacted at $530B, based on FY11.  That's $13B below the House appropriations level, and $23B below the Ryan budget …

Bolton Speaks  —  John Bolton has just issued a thoughtful statement raising “serious questions ... about the national-security implications of the proposed deal to raise the Federal debt ceiling.”  Bolton calls attention to the worrisome short-term defense cuts that the deal makes likely …