Tea Party's War on America  —  You know what they say: Never negotiate with terrorists.  It only encourages them.  —  These last few months, much of the country has watched in horror as the Tea Party Republicans have waged jihad on the American people.  Their intransigent demands …

Giffords's Return Marks Moment of Unity in Divided House  —  The clock was running down, and the debt ceiling compromise did not yet have enough ayes to pass.  Then, slowly, applause started trickling through the House chamber.  The clapping grew over the next half minute, until finally …

Boehner: I got 98 percent of what I wanted  —  CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley sat down with Speaker of the House John Boehner in his office at the Capitol on Monday.  —  With a brutal partisan fight over the debt ceiling drawing to an apparent close, Boehner said he understands …

We The Stupid  —  I stand here in abject stupefaction.  The so-called “right” or “Tea Party” in this republic is being so thoroughly rolled and defeated that I am struggling to come up with an adequate violent submission metaphor that does not involve prison rape . . . and they honesty think that they're “winning.”

The collapse of America's middle class  —  People seem to act irrationally when they have nothing to lose.  Often we observe in wars that the losing side expends more blood and treasure after its position becomes hopeless.  —  The American South sustained most of its casualties in the Civil War …

Most of Newt Gingrich's Twitter Followers Are Fake  —  Yesterday Newt Gingrich laid out a new argument for why he should be the GOP presidential nominee: He's got the most Twitter followers.  But according to a former Gingrich staffer, he bought them.  —  Gingrich complained yesterday …

Consumer Spending in U.S. Unexpectedly Fell in June  —  Consumer spending in the U.S. unexpectedly dropped in June for the first time in almost two years as a slump in hiring caused households to retrench.  —  Purchases decreased 0.2 percent, after a 0.1 percent gain the prior month …

Union chief warns of job losses from debt-ceiling deal  —  The agreement to lift the debt ceiling will lead to job losses, according to the president of the nation's main public workers union.  —  Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees …

Egyptians Turn Against Liberal Protesters  —  CAIRO—Mobs of ordinary Egyptians joined with soldiers to drive pro-democracy protesters from their encampment in Tahrir Square here Monday, showing how far the uprising's early heroes have fallen in the eyes of the public.

Who gains from debt deal?  The Pentagon, for one  —  WASHINGTON — The last-minute deal that Congress is considering to raise the federal debt limit probably will mean trillions of dollars in government spending reductions for most agencies.  But one department stands to gain: the Pentagon.

Amidst Debt Fight, Discontent With Congress  —  Time for recess: The debt battle that turned Congress upside-down nears end.  —  Amidst a tumultuous fight over raising the debt ceiling, Americans are deeply dissatisfied with Washington and eager to elect fresh faces to Congress …

Debt Ceiling Deal: The Democrats Take a Dive  —  So the debt deal has finally been reached.  As expected, the agreement arrives in a form that right-thinking people everywhere can feel terrible about with great confidence.  —  The general consensus is that for the second time in three years …

Dems eat Satan sandwich, GOP looks to next course  —  There's nothing like a vote on federal spending cuts to make one of the most liberal lawmakers on Capitol Hill sound like a Tea Partier.  —  “We're going to read this document,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said Monday …

Fine!  Call My Bluff!  —  Obama maximizes his losses by going all in on a weak hand.  —  Remember a few weeks ago when President Obama reportedly said to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor: “Eric, don't call my bluff”?  Lots of commentators said that this was a “tell”—that by referring to …

Mitch McConnell Vows To Hold Debt Ceiling Hostage In The Future: 'We'll Be Doing It All Over'  —  While a deal has been struck to raise the debt ceiling for now, many progressives have worried that the damaged has been already been done in that Republicans learned that …

Washington's Next Debt Showdown  —  Few in Congress much like the debt deal, and fighting among Reid, Boehner, and party members begins anew in the fall over more cuts, new taxes, and entitlements.  By Jill Lawrence. … Congress is in a good mood this week, having finally emerged …

Matt Damon weighs in on the debt ceiling  —  Last week, Ben Affleck briefly became part of the conversation about the debt ceiling.  And now his longtime buddy and fellow actor Matt Damon has weighed in on the debate.  —  “I'm so disgusted man. ...  I don't know what you do in the face of that kind of intransigence.

Whiteboard Archives  —  I'VE BEEN WORKING ON A DEBT DEAL: President Obama shifts his focus to labor Tuesday morning as he meets privately in the East Room with the executive committee of the AFL-CIO.  In guidance to reporters, the White House said Obama will “discuss issues important to working families …

The Winner of the Power Line Prize Is...  “The Spending Is Nuts,” by Justin Folk:  —  “Squirrels,” as we call it informally, is a beautiful piece of work.  (View it on YouTube in HD here.)  We asked Justin to share his thoughts on the contest and his video:

Pols all ‘look like idiots’ during debt crisis, but President Obama takes biggest hit of them all  —  WASHINGTON - There are no real winners in the debt-crisis debacle, and in such moments the leader of the country absorbs a larger hit than most.  —  The tawdry spectacle of governmental paralysis …

GOP Senate candidates vote against debt deal  —  A quartet of House Republicans eyeing Senate runs were amongst the 66 Republicans who voted against the bipartisan compromise to increase the debt limit.  GOP Reps. Todd Akin (Mo.), Jason Chaffetz (Utah), Denny Rehberg (Mont.) and Jeff Flake …

Tim Geithner uncertain about downgrade  —  Though the Senate is poised on Tuesday to give final passage to the bill to raise the debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner can't say for sure that the U.S. government will keep its AAA credit rating.  —  “I don't know.  It's hard to tell.

Central Falls files for bankruptcy; contracts voided  —  CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — The state-appointed receiver overseeing cash-strapped Central Falls filed for bankruptcy Monday morning on the city's behalf in an effort to help it get back on its financial feet.  —  Receiver Robert G. Flanders announced the step at City Hall Monday.