The wrong John Wayne  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann kicked off her presidential campaign on Monday in Waterloo, Iowa, and in one interview surrounding the official event she promised to mimic the spirit of Waterloo's own John Wayne.  —  The only problem, as one eagle-eyed reader notes …

Bush rates are kept safe in debt-limit talks  —  The White House, seeking an agreement to raise the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by Aug. 2, on Monday said it would not insist that any deal include an end to former President George W. Bush's controversial tax rates on the wealthy.

Blagojevich guilty on 17 counts  —  A federal jury today convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich on 17 of 20 counts, finding he brazenly abused the powers of his office in a series of attempted shakedowns captured on undercover government recordings.  —  Blagojevich showed no reaction as the jury announced their decisions.

Two probes opened into Bradley claim  —  By Patrick Marley, Jason Stein and Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - Two agencies are investigating a claim by Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley that Justice David Prosser put her in a chokehold earlier this month.

Texas votes to defund Planned Parenthood  —  The Texas Legislature approved a bill Monday that would both compel the state to push the Obama administration to convert Texas's Medicaid program into a block grant and defund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.

I was wrong about same-sex marriage  —  Editor's note: David Frum writes a weekly column for CNN.com.  A special assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002, he is the author of six books, including “Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again,” and is the editor of FrumForum.

Palin Not Reaching Out to Key Iowans Ahead of Visit  —  WATERLOO, Iowa — Sarah Palin appears to be designing her impending visit to Iowa to be as low-key as possible.  —  The former Alaska governor is slated to arrive in the small Iowa town of Pella on Tuesday to attend the premiere of …

Two top Herman Cain staffers resign  —  Washington (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's New Hampshire state director, his only staffer in the state, as well as a Cain campaign regional director have both resigned.  —  Matt Murphy is the former state director and Jim Zeiler is the former regional director.

Pentagon Confirms New DADT Discharges  —  The Pentagon confirmed Monday that more service members have been discharged under “don't ask, don't tell” pending certification of the policy's repeal, with one individual's discharge approved as recently as Thursday.

Bachmann: Obama ‘is afraid of my candidacy’  —  President Obama “fears” Republican Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign, the Minnesota congresswoman said Monday night.  —  Bachmann, the newly-minted candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, pointed to the president's reelection office's attack …

Hatch showdown?  Tea party activists knock on GOP's door, literally  —  Washington (CNN) - Will it spark an altercation between tea party activists and establishment Republicans?  —  On Monday, leaders and supporters of FreedomWorks - a major tea party sponsor - will make an unscheduled visit …

Women Withhold Sex Until Road Is Fixed  —  Erin Gloria Ryan —Have you ever used sex as a tool to get your boyfriend or partner to bend to your will?  Have you ever performed a sex act as a reward for a desired behavior or series of behaviors?  How about withheld it in response to bad behavior …

Santorum Laments Pro-Democracy Movement In Egypt, Says Obama Threw Mubarak ‘Under The Bus’  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from Ames, Iowa.  —  In his bid for the White House, Rick Santorum is trying to shed the perception that he is mainly a religious right candidate.

Hillary: State Dept. ‘Instrumental in Sealing Deal’ For Lady Gaga's Gay Pride Gig in Rome  —  Clinton specifically pointed to a letter that David Thorne, the U.S. ambassador to Italy, sent to Lady Gaga urging her to participate in the event.  —  “And then there is the work that our embassy team in Rome has been doing,” Clinton said.

Rep. Woolsey officially announces retirement  —  Rep. Lynn Woolsey, one of the most liberal members of Congress, is retiring next year.  —  Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) confirmed Monday evening that she's retiring next year.  —  Speaking to reporters at her California home, Woolsey, 73, cited her age as one of the reasons.

N Korean children begging, army starving  —  Footage shot inside North Korea and obtained by the ABC has revealed the extent of chronic food shortages and malnutrition inside the secretive state.  —  The video is some of the most revealing footage ever smuggled out of the impoverished North Korean state.

Pinch Happened  —  It's been a bad month for the New York Times.  The feeding frenzy it tried to stir up over Sarah Palin's e-mails left the sharks unfed.  And the “investigative” story that was supposed to prove Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be an unethical scoundrel fell flat …