Gates Says ‘Yes’ To Beer With Crowley  —  In a statement to The Root, the Harvard professor says he would meet with the cop who arrested him, as President Obama has suggested.  —  TheRootStaff  —  President Obama tried to calm the racial furor surrounding the arrest of black Harvard scholar …

House healthcare talks break down in anger  —  House healthcare negotiations dissolved in acrimony on Friday, with Blue Dog Democrats saying they were “lied” to by their Democratic leaders.  —  The seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee stormed out of a Friday meeting …

Jon Klein on Birthers: “It Seems This Story is Dead”  —  TVNewser has learned CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein sent an email to a handful of “Lou Dobbs Tonight” staffers last night regarding the coverage of the so-called birthers and the validity of Pres. Obama's birth in the U.S.

Bush Weighed Using Military in U.S. Arrests  —  WASHINGTON — Top Bush administration officials in 2002 debated testing the Constitution by sending American troops into the suburbs of Buffalo to arrest a group of men suspected of plotting with Al Qaeda, according to former administration officials.

Perry raises possibility of states' rights showdown with White House over healthcare  —  AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry, raising the specter of a showdown with the Obama administration, suggested Thursday that he would consider invoking states' rights protections under the 10th Amendment to resist …

Has Global Warming Stopped?  —  Ezra Klein, Kevin Drum, and Ryan Avent all have posts up that attack George Will's statement that “If you're 29, there has been no global warming for your entire adult life.”  Kevin Drum describes this as “idiotic,” Ryan as “moronic,” and Ezra responds, of course, with a chart.

Ousted Honduran leader in brief return  —  The ousted president of Honduras has briefly crossed the country's border with Nicaragua, in a symbolic move the US has described as “reckless”.  —  Manuel Zelaya has been in exile for nearly a month after he was forced from his position by a coup, and had previously tried to return by plane.

Fat Cat Limbaugh: Only Those Who Can Afford The Ritz Should Have Excellent Health Insurance  —  Rush Limbaugh was a guest for half of last night's On The Record (7/23/09) where he offered some breathtaking hatemongering about President Obama, the media, universal health care and more.

...surrender, but don't give yourself away.  — “Surrender”, by Cheap Trick  —  Heh: … “It wasn't Hirohito” says Gateway Pundit: … ...which is correct, but only approaches the punchline:  —  Admiral William F. Halsey and Vice Admiral John S. McCain on board USS Missouri (BB-63) …

Shortages of Capable Afghan Forces in South Complicates U.S. Mission  —  GARMSIR, Afghanistan — “Six, you've got six,” Marine 1st Lt. Justin Grieco told his military police training team, counting the handful of Afghan police officers present for a patrol in this volatile region of southern Afghanistan.

We Blew Away MoveOn!  —  With about 36 hours to organize and no paid staff (unlike the other side), we dominated in front of Sen. Cornyn's office today (July 23rd); about 200 conservatives opposing maybe 20 MoveOn people; it was fantastic!  Everyone was polite; we always are.

Limbaugh: Obama has a ‘chip on his shoulder’ because he's ‘black.’  —  In an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last night, right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh said President Obama was more “passionate” during Wednesday night's news conference about the arrest of his friend …