Carney denies people misled on keeping healthcare coverage  —  White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday denied President Obama had misled the public when he said that consumers could keep their health insurance plans after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Reid's Office Responds To Coburn's ‘A—hole’ Comment  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) office responded on Tuesday to Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-OK) comment on Monday in which he called Reid an “absolute a—hole.”  —  “Nothing says ‘comity’ like childish playground name-calling …

U.S. says France, Spain aided NSA spying.  —  U.S. officials say the phone records collected by the Europeans—in war zones and other areas outside their borders—were shared with the NSA as part of efforts to protect allied troops and civilians.

Top Dem Admits: ‘We Knew’  —  House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer conceded to reporters today that Democrats knew people would not be able to keep their current health care plans under Obamacare and expressed qualified contrition for President Obama's repeated vows to the contrary.

42% Identify with Obama Politically, 42% with the Tea Party  —  Voters are evenly divided when asked whether they agree more politically with President Obama or with the average member of the Tea Party.  But an enormous partisan gap colors virtually all opinions of the Tea Party.

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER FAMA TO CNBC'S SANTELLI: 'There's So Much Confusion In What You Said It's Difficult To Answer'  —  Nobel prize winner Eugene Fama was on CNBC earlier today to discuss the Federal Reserve and its extraordinary monetary policy.  —  Pragmatic Capitalism's Cullen Roche flagged …

Why Won't The GOP Let Us Have a Normal Debate?  Why!?  —  Greg Sargent thinks it's unseemly and ill-mannered for Republicans to focus on the fact that a great many people are losing their health insurance because of ObamaCare.  He does make a few very reluctant concessions.  For instance:

Rand Paul Plagiarized Speech From Wikipedia, Rachel Maddow Says  —  Did Rand Paul plagiarize his speech from Wikipedia?  It sure seems that way, as Rachel Maddow pointed out on Monday.  —  In a speech given in support of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli, Paul referenced the 90s science fiction movie Gattaca.

Democratic Congressman Blows Up At GOP During Obamacare Hearing: ‘Are You Really Serious?’  —  Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) slammed Republicans for failing to support the Affordable Care Act once it became law, challenging them to go back to their districts and tell their constituents that they'll be taking away their coverage.

How the Alger Hiss Case Explains the Tea Party  —  Many Americans have forgotten, or never learned about, the Alger Hiss case.  One of the most dramatic trials of the 20th century, it helps explain not only the rise of McCarthyism in the early 1950s and the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan …

Shortened Battery Life Found in Some New iPhones  —  The Apple iPhone 5S is supposed to have significantly longer battery life than its predecessors.  But for a small number of the new models, a manufacturing defect has caused the battery to drain quickly, according to the company.

O'Connor Performs Same-Sex Wedding at High Court  —  Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has officiated at the wedding of a gay couple at the Supreme Court, at least the second such ceremony at the court since its June decision that expanded federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

Tom DeLay Says He Is On A Mission From God  —  Former U.S. House Majority Leader Republican Tom DeLay told a tea party group that God has told him to lead a constitutional revival.  What that means for his political future remains to be seen.  —  Speaking to the Texas Patriots at an event …

U.S. Death Penalty Support Lowest in More Than 40 Years  —  Sixty percent of Americans favor death penalty for convicted murderers  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Sixty percent of Americans say they favor the death penalty for convicted murderers, the lowest level of support Gallup has measured since November 1972, when 57% were in favor.

First on CNN: Obama administration warned about health care website  —  Washington (CNN) — The Obama administration was given stark warnings just one month before launch that the federal healthcare site was not ready to go live, according to a confidential report obtained by CNN.

Democrats Introduce Bill to End Debt Limit Brinkmanship  —  Three Democratic senators, led by Charles E. Schumer of New York, introduced legislation Tuesday to permanently install a new procedure on the debt limit that would all-but-eliminate the threat of default.

What is the most likely path forward for the ACA exchanges?  —  I had lunch yesterday with a friend and I was asked that question (and I asked it in turn).  My answer, with some ex post editing, was this:  —  1. The chance of “no smooth resolution” for the health care exchanges crisis is now 60-40.

Peterson: ‘Absolutely opposed’ to farm bill in a broad budget deal  —  The top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee is pushing back hard against the notion of wrapping farm policy into the broad budget conference set to launch this week.  —  A bipartisan group will begin negotiations Wednesday …

Cheney Insists Iraq War Was Worth It Because Of WMD  —  Former Vice President Dick Cheney said on Monday that what the United States gained as a result of the war in Iraq was that Iraq now does not have weapons of mass destruction.  —  While professing that he's not trying to blame Cheney …