Defining Prosperity Down  —  I'm starting to have a sick feeling about prospects for American workers — but not, or not entirely, for the reasons you might think.  —  Yes, growth is slowing, and the odds are that unemployment will rise, not fall, in the months ahead.  That's bad.

Fox News to move to Thomas' front-row briefing room seat  —  The White House Correspondents Association voted unanimously Sunday afternoon to move Fox News to the front row of the White House briefing room.  —  The seating change was prompted by the resignation of veteran UPI reporter Helen Thomas.

Obama to Reaffirm Iraq Pullout Amid Afghanistan Debate  —  WASHINGTON — Nearly eight years after he denounced what he called a “dumb war” in Iraq and nearly two years after he won the White House promising to end it, President Obama on Monday plans to mark the formal end of the combat mission there.

Two reasons not to care about the Clinton wedding  —  I've been on vacation and out of the country for a week, reading both the U.S. coverage of Chelsea Clinton's wedding and its foreign amplification - “American princess to wed” - with total bewilderment.  —  The tone of much of the coverage …

Alan Greenspan: Extending Bush Tax Cuts Without Paying For Them Could Be ‘Disastrous’  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said that the push by congressional Republicans to extend the Bush tax cuts without offsetting the costs elsewhere could end up being “disastrous” for the economy.

It's getting to be embarrassing to be a conservative  —  These days it's getting increasingly embarrassing to publicly identify oneself as a conservative.  It was bad enough when George Bush 43, the K Street Gang, and the neo-cons were running up spending, fighting an unnecessary war of choice in Iraq …

KYL KEEPS FIBBING ABOUT CRIME IN ARIZONA.... There's been a fair amount of attention surrounding Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl's (R-Ariz.) comments yesterday about ending birthright citizenship, as guaranteed by the 14th amendment.  And it's true — the fact that a once-obscure right-wing dream …

Dan Rather Says GOP Takes Back House in November, Matthews Painfully Agrees  —  Dan Rather this weekend said the odds are that the Republicans will take back the House in the upcoming midterm elections.  —  Maybe more surprisingly, Chris Matthews, with a look on his face like someone had given …

Ethics cases raise racial questions  —  The politically charged decisions by veteran Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel of New York and Maxine Waters of California to force public trials by the House ethics committee are raising questions about race and whether black lawmakers face more scrutiny …

Rockets hit Israeli resort of Eilat and Jordan's Aqaba  —  Israeli police say at least five rockets were fired at the tourist resort of Eilat  —  Police in Israel say at least five rockets have been fired at the southern Israeli tourist resort of Eilat from the Sinai desert in Egypt.

Rep. Ryan pushes budget reform, and his party winces  —  Viewing him as a rising star in the party, Republicans in Congress often talk up Rep. Paul Ryan as a potential governor, senator or House leader.  The lanky, youthful-looking congressman from Wisconsin has begged off …

White House report claims $8B in Medicare savings  —  WASHINGTON — The new health overhaul law will start producing savings for Medicare right away, and over time add 12 years of solvency to the program's giant trust fund for inpatient care, the Obama administration says in a report to be released Monday.

RNC cancels Breitbart fundraiser  —  Washington (CNN) - The Republican National Committee has cancelled a fundraiser with conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart, who is under fire for promoting an edited video that falsely portrays former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod …

In Iraq, an impasse as U.S. troops draw down  —  Negotiations for an elected government remain deadlocked; many fear instability with the American combat role set to end Sept. 1.  Conflicting casualty figures for July underscore the uncertainty.  —  Iraqi police stand guard over suspects in Shiite Muslim attacks in Fallouja.

QUOTE OF THE DAY.... One of the uglier strains of modern conservative thought is pervasive anti-intellectualism.  As Faiz Shakir noted today, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) offered a rather classic example on “Fox News Sunday.”  —  Host Chris Wallace noted that “a number of top economists” …