Constitutionality of Health Insurance Mandate Questioned  —  President Obama has called for a serious and reasoned debate about his plans to overhaul the health-care system.  Any such debate must include the question of whether it is constitutional for the federal government to adopt and implement the president's proposals.

SO THE KNOXVILLE TEA PARTY CROWD HAD A RECESS RALLY at the Federal Courthouse, where Rep. Jimmy Duncan and Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker have offices.  They had 100-15 people (I heard that about half that many counterprotesters were there at the beginning, but they were marching off …

Report Reveals CIA Conducted Mock Executions  —  A long-awaited report on post-9/11 interrogation tactics will reveal harrowing new details about treatment of suspected terrorists. … A long-suppressed report by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general to be released next week reveals …

Baucus does not represent his state, say Montanans  —  Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 8/17-19.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (No trend lines)  —  Do you approve or disapprove of Senator Max Baucus' actions on health care?  —  Approve Disapprove Not sure  —  All 42 44 14

'I've never seen anything like this'  —  MARIANNA, Fla. — Rep Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) is a skilled politician who has pretty much seen it all — a Deep South Democrat who's managed to dispatch all opponents in his conservative-leaning Panhandle district since winning election in 1996.

White House Reveals Identity of Firm That Sent Unsolicited E-Mails on Health Reform  —  The White House revealed to FOX News that it hired a private communications firm to distribute mass e-mails, including unsolicited spam to help sell President Obama's health care plan.  —  FOXNews.com

Is Donna Edwards Catching the #Rahmflu?  —  It was somewhat disconcerting when Donna Edwards would not confirm to the Hill this week that she would vote against any bill through conference that did not have a public plan: … So Howie Klein asked her if she'd like to clarify that.

Monitors: Taliban cut off fingers of Afghan voters  —  KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — Making good on a threat of election day violence, the Taliban sliced off the index fingers of at least two people in Kandahar province, according to a vote monitoring group.  —  After they cast their ballots …

Lebanese man is target of first rendition under Obama  —  Contractor Raymond Azar is arrested in Afghanistan, hooded, stripped and flown to the U.S. His alleged crime?  Bribery.  A human rights activist calls the case ‘bizarre.’  —  Reporting from Alexandria, Va. - A Lebanese citizen …

Stimulus hits a pothole  —  And Obamacare can't be rationalized on economic or medical grounds because it's not about that.  It's about moving America left.  —  Recommend  —  The other day, wending my way from Woodsville, N.H., 40 miles south to Plymouth, I came across several “stimulus” …

“Wars of Necessity”  —  This phrase is getting kicked around a lot lately, I'm sort of in search of an operational definition.  Fortunately, here's Richard Haas: … If that's what people mean by “war of necessity” then I think we can probably do without the phrase.