The Seinfeld Hearings  —  How Senators could, but probably won't, make the Sotomayor confirmation a show about something.  —  Printer  —  Friendly  —  If you suspect this week's Senate confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor will be, like “Seinfeld,” a show about nothing, you are probably right.

Liz Cheney: Investigating My Dad Would Prove Americans 'Can't Trust' Democrats With National Security  —  On Saturday, the New York Times reported that former Vice President Dick Cheney gave “direct orders” to the CIA, compelling the agency to withhold “information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years.”

CIA planned al-Qaida assassinations in friendly countries, officials say  —  Dick Cheney, the former vice president, ordered a highly classified CIA operation hidden from Congress because it pushed the limits of legality by planning to assassinate of al-Qaida operatives in friendly countries without …

Down the Mississippi: Barack Obama effect ends white rule in Deep South town  —  A tiny Mississippi delta town has elected its first black mayor after the white incumbent, unopposed for 30 years, faced a young challenger inspired by President Barack Obama's feat in winning the White House.

If a Teleprompter Falls in the White House Does It Make a Sound?  —  ABC News' Sunlen Miller and Jake Tapper report: If a teleprompter falls in the White House, does it make a sound?  —  Yes, especially when it's the President's teleprompter - or TOTUS as it is often referred to.

The Price of Innovation  —  Two pieces worth reading on health care innovation.  First, Glenn Reynolds on his family: … This is something I've been saying for a while.  But it touches on something else I've been thinking about—the way in which our attempts to measure health care innovation …

The Legacy  —  Guilty of a shocking crime against his own brother-in-law, real-estate mogul Charles Kushner has been cast out of power.  So his son Jared, the 28-year-old Observer owner, has to carry the ambition for the both of them.  —  Jared Kushner exited the subway on Canal Street to find his world blown up.

Marcy Wheeler Says “Blowjob” On MSNBC  —  And oh yeah Dick Cheney was ordering a whole bunch of illegal s**t.  —  Howard Kurtz takes to the fainting couch.

An Orgasm A Day Keeps The Doctor Away.  Is This Really NHS?  —  Sometimes the real news seems so good that you wonder whether The Onion is mere surplussage.  Such is the state of affairs today, as leading British papers the Times of London , the Daily Mail, and the Telegraph notify us of a new leaflet …

Palin's PAC Raises $700,000+ … Update, 4:10 p.m.: Palin has collected at least $200,000 more for Sarah PAC since the reporting period closed at the end of last month, according to a source familiar with the numbers.  Palin's resignation — announced on July 3 — triggered a flood of donations to the PAC, the source added.

Boiling the Frog  —  Is America on its way to becoming a boiled frog?  —  I'm referring, of course, to the proverbial frog that, placed in a pot of cold water that is gradually heated, never realizes the danger it's in and is boiled alive.  Real frogs will, in fact, jump out of the pot — but never mind.

Alabama Physician Chosen as Surgeon General  —  President Barack Obama has selected Dr. Regina Benjamin, an Alabama family physician, as the U.S. surgeon general, two administration officials said on Monday.  —  Mr. Obama will announce his selection officially at a Rose Garden ceremony at 11:40 a.m.

Shadow Banking: What It Is, How it Broke, and How to Fix It  —  We hear a lot of chatter about the shadow banking system and its crucial role in the financial crisis.  But rarely do we find time to step back and ask the basic questions: What is shadow banking, where did it come from …

Austin's clean energy program costing more, selling less  —  Electric utility chief says separate charge for renewable power may need to be rolled into all users' bills.  —  For the past decade, Austin's ambition to become the world's clean-energy capital has been best exemplified by one effort …

49% Oppose Health Care Reform Plan, 46% Favor It  —  Forty-nine percent (49%) of U.S. voters now at least somewhat oppose the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, while 46% at least somewhat favor it, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Bill Seeks to End Antibiotic Use to Spur Animal Growth  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Monday that it would seek to ban many routine uses of antibiotics in farm animals in hopes of reducing the spread of dangerous bacteria in humans.  —  In written testimony …

Murdoch talks to WSJ staff  —  Rupert Murdoch dropped in on Wall Street Journal staffers this afternoon for a pep talk, roughly a month since the paper's reporters and editors moved uptown to the News Corp. headquarters.  —  There, Murdoch talked about how the Journal's circulation …

The events preceding Goldman Sachs' new “blowout profits”  —  Remember all of this — the $700 billion bank bailout, the AIG scandal, dark and scary threats of imminent global meltdown if there wasn't full-scale capitulation by the citizenry to the immense transfer of public wealth to the private investment banking sector?

Buchanan: Todd Palin should drown Levi Johnston.  —  Earlier today, conservative pundit Pat Buchanan suggested that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband should murder his daughter's ex-fiance, Levi Johnston, for saying Palin's decision to resign came down to “money.”  While appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Buchanan said:

The Consequences of Big Government  —  The question that President Obama ought to be asking — that we all should be asking — is this: How big a government do we want?  Without anyone much noticing, our national government is on the verge of a permanent expansion that would endure long …

Jay-Z vs the Game: Lessons for the American Primacy Debate  —  Late last week, the Los Angeles rapper the Game launched a blistering attack against the legendary New York [blogger] rapper :>) Jay-Z. At a series of European shows, the Game led crowds in cheers of “F*** Jay-Z” and “Old Ass N*****” …

Chris Matthews: “I'm Getting One Of Those Thrills” About Sotomayor (VIDEO)  —  Chris Matthews feels similarly about Sonia Sotomayor during her confirmation hearings as he did about Barack Obama during his Presidential campaign.  Specifically, the thrill is back.

Obama Faces Hurdles in Closing Guantánamo  —  WASHINGTON — With six months left before a White House deadline, the Obama administration is struggling with legal, political and logistical problems that are casting a cloud over President Obama's pledge to close the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by January.

Saudi family sues genie, alleges harassment  —  (CNN) — A family in Saudi Arabia has taken a genie to court, alleging theft and harassment, according to local media.  —  The lawsuit filed in Shariah court accuses the genie of leaving them threatening voicemails, stealing their cell phones …

Reed aims to rejuvenate Christian conservatives  —  One of the most controversial and successful figures of late 20th century politics wants to expand his brand to the 21st.  —  Ralph Reed believes conservative voters of faith need a Christian Coalition 2.0.