Armed guards like air marshals, claims NRA program chief  —  (CNN) - The man charged with developing the National Rifle Association's program to place armed guards in American schools defended the controversial plan Sunday against critics who claim it's a dangerous diversion from new gun restrictions.

LaTourette: ‘Plan B’ failure not a rebuke of Boehner's ‘leadership’  —  Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) failure to secure enough support among fellow Republicans for “Plan B” to avoid the “fiscal cliff” was not a rebuke of Boehner's leadership by the conservative wing of the party, a top House GOP lawmaker said Sunday.

How Party of Budget Restraint Shifted to ‘No New Taxes,’ Ever  —  WASHINGTON — On a Saturday afternoon in October 1990, Senator Pete Domenici turned from a conversation on the Senate floor, caught the eye of a clerk by raising his right hand, and voted in favor of a huge and contentious bill to reduce federal deficits.

Today We Are Gathered ... To Hear More About Me  —  President Obama was supposed to eulogize the memory of Sen. Daniel Inouye.  Instead he told us about his favorite summer vacation.  —  Someone needs to tell Barack Obama—it must get particularly confusing this time of year …

Hospital apologises to 38 families for appalling care that saw a patient starve to death  —  An NHS hospital has apologised to 38 families after a patient starved to death and it left other dying people screaming in pain.  —  From left: Patricia Bridle, Laurence Hodges, Lois Smith and Chris Grande

Guess Who Still Believes in Invisible Vigilantes  —  Lots of chatter about the WSJ's account of how the deficit negotiations broke down, although — a few fun quotes aside — most of it is what we already pretty much knew.  But here's a passage that bothered me:

“Confiscation could be an option”  —  It's one of the most common refrains coming from the “reasonable discussion” crew as they pave the way for upcoming gun control legislation.  Whether we hear it from the clucking tongues of guests on Morning Joe or from their legions of supporters on the web, the patter is the same.

Jerry Brown's California revival  —  He's no kid at age 74, but California Gov. Jerry Brown has staged a comeback this year that Bill Clinton could appreciate.  —  It looked as though Brown's second go-round in the governor's job might well end after a single term.

A Father's Journey  —  FOR a long while, my father's way of coping was to walk quietly from the room.  He doesn't remember this.  I do.  I can still see it, still feel the pinch in my chest when the word “gay” came up — perhaps in reference to some event in the news, or perhaps in reference to me …

Egypt constitutional vote: ‘Things are definitely worse than under the old regime’  —  As Egyptians vote on whether to adopt the new constitution, Richard Spencer talks to those promoting the new rules - and those fearful of what is to come.  —  When Alber Saber's mother called police …

Michael Steele: NRA Press Conference ‘Very Haunting And Very Disturbing’ (VIDEO)  —  Former Republican National Committee chairman and MSNBC commentator Michael Steele on Friday said he found the press conference led by National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre “very haunting and very disturbing.”