Blue-State Blues  —  We know because he said so, in the first of many famous speeches, that Barack Obama doesn't see Red America or Blue America — he only sees the United States of America.  But as the president contemplates his faltering poll numbers and his stalling health-care push …

Durbin Responds To Lobbyist-Run Efforts To Harass Town Halls: We 'Won't Fall For A Sucker-Punch Like This'  —  ThinkProgress reported today on the growing number of angry right-wing activists viciously harassing Democratic, as well as moderate Republican, members of Congress on health care reform.

New Anti-Obama ‘Joker’ Poster  —  A new poster depicting President Obama as a version of Heath Ledger's Joker character in The Dark Knight has appeared in Los Angeles, according to rightwing sources.  Blog posters to such online sites as American Thinker and Tammy Bruce are predictably in the throes of political orgasm.

Is This the Source of the Forged ‘Kenyan Birth Certificate?’  —  [Update: Credit where it's due—my source tipped me off to this in the Politijab web forums, which have become a good site for “birther” debunking.]  —  One of my friends in the small community of Obama “birther” …

The scope — and dangers — of GE's control of NBC and MSNBC  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  I want to return to the subject of GE's silencing of Keith Olbermann both because there are new facts I've obtained that shed light on what happened here and because this is one of …

Are Democrats In For An August Slaughter?  —  Democrats know the rulebook.  The tactics being used against them by Republican and conservative groups were perfected by the party when it set out to defeat President Bush's Social Security privatization proposals.

Into the lion's den: My encounter with The View; Vid link added  —  Just finished up on The View, where I sparred with the ladies about Culture of Corruption.  —  You can watch a bit of it at RCP and I'm sure Hot Air will have highlights up soon.  —  Best part: Every single member of the audience got a copy of the book!

In defense of Michelle Malkin  —  No, really.  She's been getting a lot of grief from progressive bloggers for saying that extended unemployment benefits cause higher unemployment, and attributing that view to Larry Katz, who has gone to some pains to say that he believes no such thing.

Obama Brief on State Secrets Rankles the Left  —  A Supreme Court filing from the Obama administration last month has set off alarm bells on the left.  —  The filing was a friend-of-the-court brief, and it mostly dealt with an excruciatingly technical question about the attorney-client privilege.

White House Cybersecurity Chief Quits  —  WASHINGTON — The White House's acting cybersecurity czar announced her resignation Monday, in a setback to the Obama administration's efforts to better protect the computer networks critical to national security and the global economy.

McCain To Vote “No” On Sotomayor  —  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced today that he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor, Pres. Obama's nominee to become the first Hispanic SCOTUS justice.  —  McCain, in a Senate floor speech: … McCain voted against Sotomayor's nomination to the 2nd Circuit Court …

Both Parties Have Their Fanatics  —  Fully 35 percent of Democrats believe George W. Bush had advance knowledge of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Fully 28 percent of Republicans believe Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States.  —  Meet the fanatical third.

Sarah Palin, meet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  —  You two right-wing populists have a surprising amount in common  —  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech in Mashhad, Iran, on Friday; Gov. Sarah Palin gives her resignation speech in Fairbanks, Alaska, on July 26.  —  Is Sarah Palin America's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

Geithner Vents as Overhaul Stumbles  —  WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner blasted top U.S. financial regulators in an expletive-laced critique last Friday as frustration grows over the Obama administration's faltering plan to overhaul U.S. financial regulation, according to people familiar with the meeting.

Tax trial balloon pops  —  The Obama administration on Monday quickly shot down a trial balloon it floated over the weekend that opened the possibility of new taxes on the middle class after the idea came under heavy fire from labor unions, liberal leaders and Republicans.

GOP Polling Charts Galore  —  For anyone who enjoys a) charts and b) speculating about who will win the Republican presidential primary in 2012, Pollster.com has just greatly improved your life: the site is now tracking favorability ratings for Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, as well as Sarah Palin.

Protesters Trash Health Care Reform  —  Democrats Met With Anger over Prospect of Higher Taxes, Government-Run “Obama-Care” on Eve of August Recess  —  (CBS) The debate over health care reform has been raging in Washington for weeks.  But outside the nation's capital, this healthy discourse has grown loud with vocal protests.

CROWD EXPLODES when Arlen Specter says “do it fast.”  This kind of thing just keeps happening....  CROWD EXPLODES when Arlen Specter says “do it fast.”  —  This kind of thing just keeps happening.  And it's happening all over.  —  Plus, planning to eliminate private insurance?

Ghost Letters: Opponents Of Clean Energy Reform Send Fake Letters To Sen. Conrad  —  Last week, ThinkProgress reported that a DC-based lobbying firm was caught forging letters to Rep. Tom Periello (D-VA) in opposition to the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill.  The company, Bonner & Associates …

Murphy hears it from both sides of issue  —  At two public events on Saturday, the hot topic was health care reform.  —  The plan was for Congressman Patrick Murphy to discuss health care reform and other hot-button topics with his constituents on a one-on-one basis.  —  The plan didn't last long.

Three policewomen spend full day dressed in Muslim burkhas in controversial ‘In Your Shoes’ exercise  —  A police exercise which saw female officers spending a day dressed in full Muslim dress has been blasted ‘a complete waste of time’.  —  Two sergeants and a community support officer dressed …