Obama the pariah  —  Democrats in tough reelection races have a blunt message for President Obama: Keep away.  —  Obama's approval ratings are in the basement and show no signs of improving, so Democrats are keeping their distance.  On the stump, in campaign ads and at fundraisers, Obama's absence is increasingly conspicuous.

Rick Perry Is Dead Wrong  —  There are many things I like about Texas Gov. Rick Perry, including his stance on the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.  But apparently his new glasses haven't altered his perception of the world, or allowed him to see it any more clearly.

Bergdahl Is Set to Resume Life on Active Duty  —  WASHINGTON — Six weeks after being released from five years in Taliban captivity, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is expected to return to life as a regular Army soldier as early as Monday, Defense Department officials said late Sunday.

The Strange Leak of the New Exposé ‘Clinton, Inc.’  —  Sure, hotly anticipated books leak all the time.  But 10 days early?  And by a tipster who seems to be posing as a Tea Partier—but who one source suspects is affiliated with the Clintons?  —  The marketing and publicity folks …

Kansas' Ruinous Tax Cuts  —  There was a windstorm of hasty excuses in recent weeks after Kansas reported that it took in $338 million less than expected in the 2014 fiscal year and would have to dip heavily into a reserve fund.  Spending wasn't cut enough, said conservatives.

The False Statement Of Fact That Forms The Backbone Of John Boehner's Anti-Obama Lawsuit  —  Last January, the two lawyers behind Speaker John Boehner's lawsuit claiming that President Obama is not implementing Obamacare fast enough authored an article in Politico Magazine laying out the legal theory behind this litigation.

‘Archie’ Will Die Saving Gay Friend In Comic Book  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Archie Andrews will die taking a bullet for his gay best friend.  —  The famous freckle-faced comic book icon is meeting his demise in Wednesday's installment of “Life with Archie” when he intervenes in an assassination attempt …

Americans' Approval of the Supreme Court Remains Divided  —  Approval among Republicans up 21 percentage points from 2013  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans remain divided in their assessments of the U.S. Supreme Court, with 47% approving of the job it is doing, and 46% disapproving.

Exclusive poll: Karen Lewis could give Rahm run for his money  —  For the past couple of weeks, Karen Lewis has been saying she is “seriously” considering running for mayor.  —  It turns out voters are taking the fiery Chicago Teachers Union president's potential candidacy seriously as well.

Obamacare Fails to Fail  —  How many Americans know how health reform is going?  For that matter, how many people in the news media are following the positive developments?  —  I suspect that the answer to the first question is “Not many,” while the answer to the second is “Possibly even fewer,” for reasons I'll get to later.

Israel Intercepts Drone Sent From Gaza  —  JERUSALEM — Israel intercepted a drone sent from Gaza on Monday as it flew just off the shore of the port city of Ashdod, about 14 miles north of the Palestinian enclave, adding a new element to a week-old conflict.

Holder sees ‘racial animus’ in opposition  —  Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday he and President Obama have been targets of “a racial animus” by some of the administration's political opponents.  —  “There's a certain level of vehemence, it seems to me, that's directed at me [and] directed at the president,” Holder told ABC.

Georgia Republicans bicker in only Senate debate  —  Kingston fired back: “You were making money off your appointment rather than helping us try to get this port deepened.”  —  The debate devolved further from there.  — Outsider cred: After Kingston said he has a six-point …

Individuals Pile Into Stocks as Pros Say Bull Is Spent  —  Main Street and Wall Street are moving in opposite directions.  —  Individual investors are plowing money back into the U.S. stock market just as professional strategists say gains for this year are over.

Rikers: Where Mental Illness Meets Brutality in Jail  —  After being arrested on a misdemeanor charge following a family dispute last year, Jose Bautista was unable to post $250 bail and ended up in a jail cell on Rikers Island.  —  A few days later, he tore his underwear …

Mark Mayfield, a Tea Party Founder, Became the Unlikely Focus of a Big Controversy  —  JACKSON, Miss. — Mark Mayfield, one of the founders of the Mississippi Tea Party, had lost his political appetite.  —  He stayed away from Facebook and stopped writing letters to the editor.

DOJ investigates Nebraska parade float critical of Obama  —  The U.S. Department of Justice has sent a member of its Community Relations Service team to investigate a Nebraska parade float that criticized President Obama.  —  A Fourth of July parade float featured at the annual Independence …