Obama: I'm not Dick Cheney  —  President Barack Obama used a television interview set to air Monday night to defend his administration's use of far-reaching surveillance programs as carefully supervised and controlled.  —  Obama also appeared to reject comparisons between himself …

President Obama Defends NSA Spying  —  It's “transparent,” the president tells Charlie Rose in an interview.  Here's a portion of that transcript, from PBS.  —  Via: Matt Dunham / AP  —  Barack Obama: Well, in the end, and what I've said, and I continue to believe, is that we don't have to sacrifice …

CNN Poll: Obama approval falls amid controversies  —  Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama's approval rating dropped eight percentage points over the past month, to 45%, the president's lowest rating in more than a year and a half, according to a new national poll.

Opinion recap: One hand giveth....  Analysis  —  In a ruling that might easily be misunderstood if not read very closely, the Supreme Court on Monday simultaneously strengthened Congress's hand in expanding the ranks of eligible voters, and yet assured states that they retain the ultimate power to decide who gets to vote.