MSNBC's Martin Bashir: Mitch McConnell 'Suffering Some Kind of Mild Dementia'

(By Alex Fitzsimmons, NewsBusters.org) - MSNBC's Martin Bashir, who once argued Sarah Palin's bus tour was in "breach of federal law," attacked Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday, wondering if the 69-year-old Republican is "suffering some kind of mild dementia or long-term memory loss?"

Excoriating McConnell for rejecting tax increases as part of a potential budget deal, the former ABC "Nightline" anchor regurgitated a litany of liberal talking points about the Bush years on his eponymous program:

'Fact Checker' Calls Obama Presser ‘Laughable’ and ‘Misleading

The missing facts in President Obama’s news conference

(By Glenn Kessler, Washington Post) - A feisty President Obama met with reporters Wednesday — a sure sign that the dispute over the debt limit has reached a critical stage.

The president, clearly intending to increase pressure on the GOP, lambasted Republicans for, in his words, refusing to get rid of “tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires” before cutting aid to the less well-off. He also addressed questions on Libya.

Let’s parse some of his answers and explain what he means — and how factual he was.

FFX Subsidized Housing Tenants Live Large On Your Dime

FAIRFAX, VA (By Mark Weaver, WMAL.com) - Resort-style swimming pools with fountains and heated spas, billiards rooms, granite counter tops, ceramic tile, indoor basketball courts, stainless steel appliances -- many Fairfax County taxpayers cannot afford such luxuries. But they are paying for these amenities for use by low-income residents who live in subsidized housing in affluent neighborhoods.

"They're a part of our rental program where we subsidize the rents for the individuals in the units, and we end up having to pick up the condo fees," supervisor Pat Herrity told 630 WMAL News.

Herrity does not advocate putting low-income residents in "ghetto-style" housing but he takes issue with taxpayers who cannot afford such luxuries being forced to pick up the tab for people who qualify for subsidized housing.

Gov Rick Perry (R-TX) Adviser: Secessionism Criticism Is Baseless

(By Erin McPike, Real Clear Politics) - Critics of Rick Perry already have begun to drop into the political conversation two hurdles facing him should he launch a presidential bid this summer, but they don't pass muster with the Texas governor's chief political adviser, David Carney.

Ask a political strategist inside the Beltway to assess Perry's prospects for landing the GOP nomination -- or the presidency -- and a common response is: "He called for Texas to secede from the union, so he'll never be president," even though that's not quite true. The second thing you hear is: "I'm not sure America is ready for another Texas governor after George W. Bush."

Neither assertion may be paramount in the minds of voters, but whisper campaigns that begin in Washington have a way of casting a pall on candidacies before they get off the starting blocks. Just ask Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, whose unique marital history colored the zeitgeist of Washington this spring and ultimately stood between him and a run for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

'To Catch a Predator's' Chris Hansen Caught on Video Cheating on His Wife

(By Fiona Roberts, UK Mail Online) - He's made his name with a controversial show that catches would-be internet sex perverts in televised stings.

But now Chris Hansen has found himself on the receiving end of his own hidden camera tactics, after the married NBC anchor was secretly filmed on an illicit date with a blonde television reporter 20 years his junior.

Hansen, 51, has allegedly been having an affair with Kristyn Caddell, a 30-year-old Florida journalist, for the last four months.

Liberal Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL): Maybe Illegal Alien Will Become President Someday

(CNSNews.com) - Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said in a congressional hearing Tuesday that a young person who is an illegal alien in the United States today may someday become president.

“When I look around this room, I see America's future, our doctors, our teachers, our nurses, our engineers, our scientists, our soldiers, our congressmen, our senators, and maybe our president,” Durbin said immediately after having asked all young persons in the room to stand if they were currently undocumented aliens who would be eligible to become citizens if the DREAM Act were passed.

As a videotape of the hearing shows, a large portion of the audience in the room rose at Durbin's request. Durbin also said in his introductory remarks that there were "hundreds" of young people in the room eligible to become beneficiaries of the DREAM Act.



Related Material...

• (By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Does Durbin need a refresher course on the Constitution?

Gwyn asks Pilot Mtn (NC) board to remove plaque

PILOT MOUNTAIN (By Mondee Tilley, The Pilot) — One Pilot Mountain area resident has mounted an effort to have the name of a former police officer taken off the Pilot Mountain Police Department.

Sandra Gwyn spoke to Pilot Mountain commissioners Monday night about the issue that she has plagued her family for years. She asked commissioners to remove the plaque honoring James Thomas Jr., that was put up on the police department in 2009, who was honored with the plaque as an officer killed in the line of duty.

She said that Thomas was not a hero and should not be honored because he attempted to beat her brother, Donnie Heath, to death on June 2, 1966. Gwyn said her brothers, Donnie and Jimmie Heath, had gone to a dance where Pilot Knob Park is now and were arrested and taken to jail by Thomas. She said Thomas put Jimmie Heath, who was 17, in a cell and started to hit him, but then Donnie, who was 21 at the time, yelled for Thomas to come fight with someone his own size. She claims that Thomas then went to the cell where Donnie Heat was being held and began to beat him. She said her brother begged for his life and finally managed to get the gun away from Thomas then shot him in the chest, killing him instantly.

Stokes County (NC) hospital is now being leased Pioneer Health Services, Inc. will take over

(By Leslie Bray, The Stokes News) - The issue of what will happen to Stokes Reynolds Memorial Hospital has been decided at last. The hospital will not have to be closed but will be leased to Pioneer Health Services of Stokes County, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pioneer Health Services, Inc.

The vote by the Stokes County Board of Commissioners on Monday evening was not unanimous, however. Commissioner Jimmy Walker voted no to the proposed lease resolution, but the other commissioners carried it 4-1 to approval.

During the June 27 meeting, the commissioners voted unanimously to terminate the county’s contract with HMC, the current managers of SRMH, as of June 30. HMC, who took over once Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center turned the hospital back over to the county more than a year ago, had already been given their 90-day due notice of termination per their contract.

U.S. Designates Israel as Country That Tends ‘To Promote, Produce, or Protect’ Terrorists; Also Calls Israel Anti-Terror Partner

(CNSNews.com) - In an implicit admission that Israel is so threatened by terrorism that it is not only surrounded by countries and territories that produce terrorists but also unwillingly harbors terrorists within its own territory in a way that most other nations in the world do not, the Obama administration is currently listing Israel among 36 “specially designated countries” it believes “have shown a tendency to promote, produce, or protect terrorist organizations or their members.”

Also included on the list - separately from Israel - are the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza, as well as Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, the four nations bordering Israel.

All but five of the nations included on the administration’s “specially designated country” list have majority Muslim populations.

Oops! Obama messes up his daughter’s age

President twice refers to Malia as 13 at press conference — but she’s 12

WASHINGTON (TODAY.com) — They grow up so fast. But not that fast, Mr. President.

In a news conference Wednesday, President Barack Obama twice referred to his oldest daughter, Malia, as being 13 years old.

Not quite. She's 12.

Perhaps the president was already thinking ahead to Malia's approaching birthday: She turns 13 on July 4.

Obama Blasts Private Jet Tax Breaks Created by His Own Stimulus

(By Lachlan Markay, The Foundry) - The chief economic culprit of President Obama’s Wednesday press conference was undoubtedly “corporate jets.” He mentioned them on at least six occasions, each time offering their owners as an example of a group that should be paying more in taxes.

“I think it’s only fair to ask an oil company or a corporate jet owner that has done so well,” the president stated at one point, “to give up that tax break that no other business enjoys.”

But the corporate jet tax break to which Obama was referring – called “accelerated depreciation,” and a popular Democratic foil of late – was created by his own stimulus package.

Related Material...

• (By Allahpundit, Hot Air) - New Obama deficit talking point: The GOP loves corporate jets or something

Mark Halperin apologizes for Obama gaffe

(By TIM MAK, POLITICO.com) - Mark Halperin, editor-at-large for Time, called President Obama “a dick” on Thursday on a popular MSNBC morning show and then quickly apologized.

“I thought he was a dick yesterday,” Halperin, who also is a senior political analyst for MSNBC, said on Morning Joe, referring to the President’s conduct during his press conference.

Host Joe Scarborough hoped to prevent the comment from being broadcast, saying, “Delay that. Delay that. What are you doing? I can’t believe… don’t do that. Did we delay that?”

Related Material...

• (By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Halperin: Obama was a …

Report: Merging NC community colleges would save

RALEIGH, NC (By EMERY P. DALESIO, Associated Press) - North Carolina's community colleges could save about $5 million a year by folding administration and back-office work at the smallest campuses into larger neighbors, a legislative efficiency report released Tuesday said.

But campus leaders are balking at the proposal, saying $5 million a year in savings is small compared to the disruptions the mergers would cause.

"I am totally opposed to the consolidation and merger idea," said Mary Kirk, president of Montgomery Community College and of the North Carolina Association of Community College Presidents. "If the recommendation to consolidate colleges is implemented, it would devastate our rural communities. It is all they have. Our rural citizens would no longer have access to the same level of affordable education and training."

Caught on Video: Russian President Loses Control of SUV & Nearly Hits Crowd

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Russian President Dimitri Medvedev may want to think twice the next time he decides to drive himself to a public appearance.

The Russian leader had a quite a scare on Saturday in the town of Kazan when he lost control of his car while exiting. The car kept going and headed straight for a crowd of cheering, and horrified, supporters. And it was all caught on video (fast forward to about 45 seconds below):

Rush Limbaugh: Obama Is A ‘Burglar’ And ‘All Liberals Are Thieves’

(By Jon Bershad, Mediaite) - Rush Limbaugh was not a fan of President Obama’s press conference. I mean he was 'really' not a fan. Taking a tip from James Pethokoukis’ article at Reuters which posits that “the last thing the economy needs is a tax hike,” Limbaugh went after Obama and liberals at large for irreparably ruining the country “for decades.”

Rep. Ron Paul: America ‘Should Declare Bankruptcy’

(By Frances Martel, Mediaite) - America’s national debt is paramount among the concerns of American voters heading into 2012, and while a huge problem, Rep. Ron Paul debuted a quick fix for reducing the debt by at least $1.6 trillion in one shot. Chatting with Iowa radio host Jan Mickelson yesterday, Rep. Paul recommended the U.S. “declare bankruptcy” and reduce the national debt by dismantling the Federal Reserve, to which we owe upwards of a trillion dollars.

Durbin Concedes Ten Commandments is Perfect Law - While Pushing Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

(CNSNews.com) – In response to Republican criticism of the DREAM Act, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) invoked Moses and the Ten Commandments: "To my knowledge, the only perfect law ever written was on stone tablets and carried down a mountain by Senator Moses," he said.

Durbin made the remark on Tuesday at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. During the hearing, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the DREAM Act, reintroduced last month, was flawed because it would give the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to waive provisions of the law on a case-by-case basis.

“Under this version of the Dream Act, a 35-year-old illegal immigrant who’s been convicted of two misdemeanors would be eligible for a green card,” Cornyn said. “And let’s remind ourselves that many misdemeanors are not minor offenses. In many states they include driving under the influence of alcohol, drug possession, burglary, theft, assault and many other serious crimes.”

Question for Napolitano: Should Drunk Driving Disqualify Illegals for Amnesty?

(CNSNews.com) – Asked on Tuesday by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) whether the Obama administration would consider amendments to the DREAM Act making illegal aliens ineligible for an amnesty if they were convicted of certain misdemeanors such as drunken driving, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would not say.

“Let me ask, do you support the bill are currently written?” Cornyn asked Napolitano.

“I do,” Napolitano said.

“And you speak on behalf of the administration, correct?” Cornyn asked.

“I do,” Napolitano said.

Michelle Malkin: AmeriCorps' Favorite Scandal-Plagued Mayor

(By Michelle Malkin, CNSNews.com) - A prominent Democratic politician who was banned from receiving federal aid three years ago over fraud charges is once again raking in government funds from the very same program he abused. It pays to be a FOTO — Friend of the Obamas.

Our publicly subsidized con artist is Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson. He donated the maximum individual amount to Obama for America, campaigned across the country for Obama in 2008, and bragged to California media during his mayoral run about his friendship and access to both Barack and Michelle Obama.

The Obama administration's Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) recently bestowed Johnson's city with an AmeriCorps grant worth more than $650,000. The money will flow into Sacramento's "Get Fit Now! Initiative," which will hire 124 AmeriCorps members "to teach fitness and nutrition education to children and offer adult fitness classes for their parents. They will also set up school-based gardens where children will learn how to grow fresh vegetables."

Joe Lieberman: Medicare Will Go Broke and ‘Take Our Government Down With It’

(CNSNews.com) – When unveiling a proposal to reform Medicare alongside Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) warned that the entitlement program will eventually “go broke” and lead to a “fiscal disaster” for the United States.

“Each Medicare enrollee will on the average take almost three times more out in Medicare benefits than they contribute in payroll taxes and premiums,” Lieberman said during a press conference at the Capitol on Tuesday.

“That’s why we say that the status quo of Medicare is unsustainable. And what we mean is that if we do nothing, Medicare will go broke and take our government down with it.”

CNN Presses Michele Bachmann: Did You Intend to Make False Statements?

(By Matt Hadro, NewsBusters.org) - On Tuesday's American Morning, co-host Kiran Chetry reported that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is "prone to misstatements" and posed this question to her: "Did you mean to make false statements intentionally or were you just misspeaking?"

"PolitiFact.com, which is a Pulitzer Price winning fact-checking web site examined 26 statements that you made and they found only one to be fully true and 18 to be false," Chetry told Bachmann. "Several of them relating to your criticism of President Obama. Did you mean to make false statements intentionally or were you just misspeaking?"

Charles Krauthammer on Media Matters: ‘Be nasty as you want — don’t ask for a government subsidy’

(By Jeff Poor, The Daily Caller) - Over the past few months, the antics of liberal advocacy group Media Matters have been chronicled and in some cases have received accolades from the media.

One such report was a March 22 story by 'The Washington Post' on the organization’s boot camp for wonks. But does Media Matters’ political involvement violate the terms for its tax-exempt status?

Baier posed the question to the panel on Tuesday’s “Special Report” on the Fox News Channel. Media Matters has been engaged in a war on Baier’s network. And according to Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, it’s clear that the organization isn’t a “charitable or educational organization” as it is described, but rather a political group.

'Fat Ass Burger' Located Across from Weight Watchers

(FOX 10 Phoenix) - Not only is it a burger place with a colorful name -- the folks who meet across the street make the name seem very ironic.

Fat Ass Burger is located at 16th Street and Thomas. Despite its name, the owners of this restaurant are not suggesting that their burgers will go right to your butt.

Just right to your mouth, because they're delicious.

How do the neighbors across the street feel about the joint? Turns out the Weight Watchers folks have a sense of humor about it.

'Fat Ass Burger' Located Across from Weight Watchers: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

Lee County Extends Superintendent’s Six-Figure Contract

Controversial figure Moss has tenure well past next school board election

RALEIGH (By David N. Bass, Carolina Journal Online) — Jeffrey Moss receives an annual salary of $162,412 in a district with 9,654 students. The superintendents of Wake (143,289 students) and Mecklenburg (133,600 students) counties earn about $100,000 more per year.

Prison wouldn't mean end of hairdo for Rod Blagojevich

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (By Kurt Erickson, Lee Newspapers) - Rod Blagojevich may have to give up his freedom, but it appears he won't have to give up his swooping trademark hairdo.

Although it could be months, if not years, before the convicted former governor sets foot inside a federal prison, his famed helmet of hair would not be in jeopardy once he's behind bars — unless he forgets to wash it.

"There will be no restriction of hair length as long as it is neat and clean," according to an inmate manual for the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Teen Survives 20-Feet, Head-First Fall Off Escalator During Drunk Hijinx

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Shane O’Malley, an 18-year-old from Cambridge, MA, is lucky to be alive today. That’s because he survived a 20-feet fall from an escalator during a recent drunk hijinx. And he doesn’t even remember it.

Here’s the shocking video:

Obama pushing behind scenes to win over big-dollar donors

(By Peter Wallsten, The Washington Post) - President Obama and top White House aides are waging a behind-the-scenes push to win over skeptical big-dollar donors — whose early money is needed to help fund a dramatic summertime expansion of his battleground-state machinery.

Campaign officials are working to broaden Obama’s network of “bundlers,” the well-connected rainmakers tasked with soliciting big checks from wealthy donors, while seeking to preserve the aura of a grass-roots movement by luring back the kind of small Internet donations that helped shatter fundraising records four years ago.

To do so, Obama and his aides are leveraging every asset available to a sitting president — from access to top West Wing officials to a possible food tasting with the White House chef.

Ann Coulter: GOP Should Hide Their Candidates So Media Can’t ‘Ridicule And Demonize’ Them

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - Ann Coulter appeared on Fox Business Network’s 'America’s Nightly Scoreboard' with some advice for Republican primary voters. Coulter told them they “need to concentrate on Governors” in the race, because even though she likes Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain a lot, she doesn’t think either have the necessary credentials or experience to go all the way.

Coulter also spent some describing how environmental groups are “fanatics” and wondered “couldn’t we save a lot of money getting rid of the EPA?” Yet her harshest remarks were saved for the mainstream media, as she sensed their claws are already coming out for the Republican frontrunners:

“I would prefer for Republicans to hide who they are running for President and only announce it like a month before the election, so you don’t have time for the entire mainstream media to belittle, attack, ridicule and demonize whomever our candidate is.”

Liberal Dem Leader Clyburn: GOP Budget Plan 'Immoral' and 'Un-American'

Al Sharpton’s Heated Reaction When Challenged by Reporter

(Breitbart.tv) - All KUSI reporter Tom Jordan wanted to know was why Rev. Al Sharpton equated government union pension reforms to "unthinkable" civil rights violations. Apparently, Rev. Sharpton is not used to reporters asking him to back up his outrageous charges.

Report: Obama Breaks the Law, Films Campaign Ad in White House

(Fox Nation) - Obama 2012 campaign: President Obama himself makes an unexpected announcement about the upcoming "Dinner with Barack" contest.

To participate in the contest you need to donate at least $5 to the campaign and your name will be raffled off to enjoy a dinner with the President, airfare and accommodations included. In a new web video, Obama announced Vice President Joe Biden will also be attending the dinner.



There is one problem, however. This campaign ad was most likely recorded in the White House, which would violate FEC campaign finance laws.

Former NCSU Star Lorenzo Charles Killed in Bus Crash

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — It's one of the most lasting images from the NCAA basketball tournament.

A buzzer-beating two-handed dunk by muscular forward Lorenzo Charles gives heavy underdog North Carolina State a stunning national championship game win in 1983 versus powerhouse Houston -- known as Phi Slamma Jamma. Wolfpack coach Jim Valvano spills onto the court, scrambling for someone to hug.

Charles, 47, the hero from that memorable game, was killed Monday when an empty bus he was driving for Elite Coach crashed along Interstate 40 in Raleigh, said general manager Brad Jackson.

Rush Limbaugh Defends Herman Cain: He Represents Everything the Media Says ‘Does Not Exist’

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - On radio Monday, Rush Limbaugh came to the defense of 2012 GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain after he was mocked recently by comedian Jon Stewart. The Comedy Central host used a degrading voice to mock Cain‘s lighthearted proposal that bills shouldn’t be longer than three pages, even going as far as to say Cain doesn’t like to read.

According to Rush, Cain represents everything the media says “does not exist.” Not only is he black conservative, but he’s articulate and smart. And while the media and the left wanted to praise the way Obama talks, Rush said, they’d rather make fun of Cain:

“You identify yourself as a black conservative and you may as well be admitting that you’re a whore, or a prostitute, an Uncle Tom, you’ve been bought off, whatever, you’re not real. It’s not possible for a black person to be conservative. The way the media and the left look a this country, a black person who is conservative is a black person who would agree with the whole notion of slavery and would want to be a slave owner. That’s how bad it is. That is how devoid and distanced from reality that they are.”

Veterans Memorial in King a hotbed of controversy again - Original Christian flag protestor will now fly no flag for four weeks

(By Leslie Bray, The Stokes News) - After a few months of relative quiet at the Veterans Memorial in King, there is suddenly turmoil again involving the Christian flag. The man who originally protested the flying of that flag at the monument has been making decisions that are troubling the waters once again.

Steven Hewett, the once-anonymous “Steve,” took part in the Dec. 22 lottery in King to decide which flags would fly on the 11th flagpole throughout the year. He entered the names of himself and relatives who were veterans in the drawing for the limited public forum (LPF) flag display; his name was drawn, as well as three of his relatives.

At that time, Hewett submitted his desire to fly the Christian flag each of those four weeks. According to the ordinance passed by the City of King, he specified that flag as the one which represented the faith traditions that had inspired these veterans who were being honored. The policy states that an image of the flag must be turned in with the request form, so Hewett turned in a picture of the Christian flag with all four requests.

He changed his mind this past week.

The wrong John Wayne

(By Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times) - 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: Waterloo's John Wayne was not the beloved movie star, but rather John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer.

Mrs. Bachmann grew up in Waterloo, and used the town as the backdrop for her campaign announcement, where she told Fox News: "Well what I want them to know is just like, John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa. That's the kind of spirit that I have, too." (Someone has already posted the clip to YouTube under the name BachmannLovesGacy)

Glen Campbell Has Alzheimer's Disease

(By Champ Clark, PEOPLE.com) - In his new song, "A Better Place," Glen Campbell sings, "I need the ones I love Lord/More and more each day."

The lyric is more personal than the world knows: In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Campbell, 75, and his wife, Kim, reveal that the singer has Alzheimer's disease.

The couple have decided to go public with Glen’s diagnosis because he's hoping to say farewell with a final slate of live performances this fall – and they want his fans to be aware of the musician's condition.

Billionaire George Soros Trying To Stack the Courts, Critics Say

(By Maxim Lott, FoxNews.com) - Billionaire George Soros spends tens of millions each year supporting a range of liberal social and political causes, from drug legalization to immigration reform to gay marriage to abolishing the death penalty.

But a less well-known Soros priority -- replacing elections for judges with selection-by-committee -- now has critics accusing him of trying to stack the courts.

Most non-federal judges around the country are selected by voters in elections. But some states use a process called “merit selection” in which a committee – often made up of lawyers – appoints judges to the bench instead.

Brady Bunch mom got crabs in affair with NY mayor

(Reuters) - This would have made an interesting episode of "The Brady Bunch."

Florence Henderson, the actress who played perky mom Carol Brady in the beloved family sitcom, says she once got crabs after a one-night-stand with career politician John Lindsay, who was the mayor of New York City at the time.

Henderson, now 77, recounts in her upcoming memoir that she was cheating on her husband during the 1960s, and gave in to her better judgment when her married and unattractive friend put the moves on her over drinks at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

"I was lonely. I knew it wasn't the right thing to do. So, what did I do? I did it," she writes in "Life is Not a Stage," set for publication in September.

Henderson went home later that night, and awoke to a grisly surprise the next day as she saw "little black things" crawling over her bed and body.

An urgent call to a doctor took care of the problem, known medically as pubic lice, and Lindsay sent her flowers and a note of apology.

"Guess I learned the hard way that crabs do not discriminate but cross over all socioeconomic strata," Henderson writes. "He must have had quite the active life. What a way to put the kibosh on a relationship."

Lindsay, who died in 2000, was mayor of New York from 1966 to 1973. Before that, he was a U.S. congressman. He launched a brief bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. His wife of 51 years died in 2004.

Liberal Rep Betty McCollum (D-MN) targets spending by targeting NASCAR

(By Caroline May, The Daily Caller) - Democratic Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, who has spent months trying to eliminate military sponsorship of NASCAR, is expected to introduce an amendment to next year’s Pentagon appropriations bill that would reduce money going to advertising for motor sports, fishing, wrestling and ultimate-fighting events.

While the congresswoman is intent on eliminating military money in NASCAR, the sport is widely noted as being one of the most ardent supporters of the troops and considered a good place to engage potential recruits.

According to a late 2010 Simmons National Consumer Survey, NASCAR fans are more than 1.5 times more likely to serve or have served in the armed forces as non-fans. Indeed, more than one in four service members are NASCAR fans. Military members are more likely than those who are not and have not been military service members to be fans.

George Will: Jon Huntsman Is For Voters ‘Who Don’t Really Like Republicans’

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - On 'This Week', during a discussion of presidential politics, the candidacy of Jon Huntsman was briefly mentioned and conservative commentator George Will did not seem too impressed. Despite Chrystia Freeland hyping Huntsman as the “darling of elites” and as someone who “talks in complete sentences,” Will cautioned anyone against getting too excited.

Will described Huntsman as someone who was attempting to emulate Ronald Reagan, but apparently didn’t understand politics like him:

“In almost every cycle there’s a Republican who appeals to people who don’t really very much like Republicans . . . Mr. Huntsman’s announcement that he would take the high road had a whiff of moral arrogance about it and we will see. He said ‘I’m not going to run down my opponent.’ He stood where Ronald Reagan stood. And when Ronald Reagan stood there in 1980 he said this about his opponent, Jimmy Carter, ‘A litany of despair of broken promises of sacred trusts abandoned and forgotten.’ That’s politics.”

Dramatic Vid Shows Woman’s Fall After Jumping on Beer-Robbers’ Getaway Car

(By Billy Hallowell, The Blaze) - Robbers had no idea what they were in for when Monique Lawless (yes, that’s her real last name) spotted them stealing cases of beer from a Texas Wal-Mart. When the men exited the store with the goods, Lawless ran after them and jumped on their car to prevent them from escaping.

Lawless thought her actions would stop the men, but she was wrong. Dramatic video shows her falling off of the car as they quickly sped away. While the woman came away with minor injuries, she defends her strong stance against the robbers. But, she claims she probably wouldn’t jump on a car to thwart such a petty crime next time around.

Naked Emperor News/The Blaze: Nancy Pelosi Says She Wants to Amend America‘s ’Sacred Documents‘ for ’Ever-Expanding Freedom’ of Jobs…as Dems Line Up to Call for the Federal Government to Hire Unemployed

Exclusive: Naki’o: The First Dog With Four Prosthetic Paws

(Incredible Features) - Naki’o is the first dog to be fitted with a complete set of bionic legs that work naturally to allow him to run, jump and even swim. The prosthetics were designed and fitted in a pioneering procedure by Martin Kaufmann, founder of Orthopets.

Abandoned by a family fleeing their foreclosed home and their mother dead, Naki’o and his brothers and sisters barely survived the harsh Nebraskan winter. Weakened by malnourishment, the red heeler puppy stepped into an icy puddle in the basement and got his four paws stuck in freezing water.

At just five weeks old the litter was taken to an animal rescue center. Under the shelter’s care Naki’o's paws, lost to severe frostbite, healed to rounded stumps.

Private emails detail Obama admin involvement in cutting non-union worker pensions post-GM bailout

(By Matthew Boyle, The Daily Caller) - New emails obtained by 'The Daily Caller' contradict claims by the Obama administration that the Treasury Department would avoid “intervening in the day-to-day management” of General Motors post-auto bailout.

These messages reveal that Treasury officials were involved in decision-making that led to more than 20,000 non-union workers losing their pensions.

Republican Reps. Dan Burton and Mike Turner say that during the GM bailout, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner decided to cut pensions for salaried non-union employees at Delphi, a GM spinoff, to expedite GM’s emergence from bankruptcy.

Related Material...

• (By Jazz Shaw, Hot Air) - Did Obama slash non-union worker benefits at GM?

Naked Emperor News/The Blaze: Liberal Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D) Chants Anti-Israeli Slogans and Says She Is Very ‘Proud’ of the Anti-Israel Activist Who Tried to Stop Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress

Herman Cain: Jon Stewart Mocked Me ‘Because I’m Black’ But The ‘Joke’s On Him’

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain’s appeal to many is that he is not like your typical politician and instead more of a straight-talking man of the people, as he likes to say himself. Rarely does Cain shy away from a controversial issue, and now he too is commenting on the Jon Stewart and Chris Wallace showdown, which has particular significance, since he himself was a focal point of that debate.

VIDEO: Gov Chris Christie (R-NJ) Mocks Protesters

(Fox News Insider) - At a town hall meeting in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie taunted a group of protesters as they were removed from the event saying, “Well, for those of you who are standing, there are some seats now available!”

Triad Residents See Little Trouble PARTing With Transit Agency

Low ridership, strapped local governments could doom PART

GREENSBORO (By Sam A. Hieb, Carolina Journal Online) — Far be it for a conservative to feel sorry for a mass transit agency. Still, anyone with a heart who takes a look at the state of the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation has to feel a little sympathy.

PART is facing a funding crisis of epic proportions. As a result, its future is far from certain. At the very least, routes could be reduced greatly; at the very worst, the agency could shut down.

“Shut it down and let them react,” PART board member and Greensboro City Councilman Robbie Perkins said during the board’s June meeting. “The only way to get their attention is to hit them over the head.”

MSNBC's Chris Matthews Slams 'Evil' Rush Limbaugh for Spreading Climate Change 'Lies'

(By Scott Whitlock, NewsBusters.org) - A frothing Chris Matthews on Wednesday excoriated Rush Limbaugh as "evil" for spreading "lies" about global warming.

The Hardball host highlighted a new Rolling Stone article by Al Gore that chides Barack Obama for not doing enough on climate change.

Matthews, however, chose to attack Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh: "These people are evil in what they're doing. I'm not saying their souls are evil, but what they're doing is really, really wrong and it's not the President."

Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah? Huge TV interview planned in which convict 'will admit he killed Nicole in self-defense as she pulled a knife on him'

(By Paul Bentley, UK Mail Online) - O.J Simpson has confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he murdered his former wife, it has been reported.

The talk show host made headlines recently saying that one of her regrets was never having got the shamed former sportsman to confess to the killing.

And it appears her wish may well have come true with reports Simpson has already told one of her producers in an interview from jail that he knifed ex-wife Nicole in self-defense - a confession he will now repeat to the talk show queen during a spectacular televised sit down interview.

Related Material...

• (By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - OJ Simpson to admit to murders?

Texas Gov Rick Perry's Team Begins Scoping Out New Hampshire

(By Erin McPike, Real Clear Politics) - Add New Hampshire to the list of early states where Texas Gov. Rick Perry's associates are making calls about how they can acquire some visibility with Republican primary voters ahead of next year's presidential election.

By now, it's well-documented that Perry's people are putting out feelers in Iowa, the first caucus state. And on Wednesday, Kevin Smith of the socially conservative New Hampshire group, Cornerstone Action, announced that Perry will headline the group's annual fundraising dinner on Oct. 28. But it turns out there's even more work going on behind the scenes.

Fran Wendelboe, a former state GOP legislator turned Republican consultant, is also the president of the Belknap County 4-H Fair. She's the person political organizers need to call if they're thinking of having a candidate make an appearance there, or if they want to rent space for a political booth.

And on Tuesday, one of Perry strategist Dave Carney's lieutenants at the firm Norway Hill Associates phoned Wendelboe in search of details for setting up a booth for a possible campaign.

NC Gas Tax Increase Means More Pain at Pump

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — One tax that nearly everyone in North Carolina pays will fall next week. But another one is going up.

The state gasoline excise tax will automatically rise by 2.5 cents per gallon to a record 35 cents on July 1.

That tax is going up even as the Republican-led legislature let a temporary penny increase on the sales tax expire.

Republicans said they couldn't agree on a way to cap the gas tax and make up lost funds for road-building projects.

Democrats controlling the legislature earlier had capped the gas tax for three years ending in mid-2009. The state lost nearly a half-billion dollars it would have collected had the tax been allowed to increase.

Michelle Malkin: Jon Huntsman Is McCain on Wheels

(By Michelle Malkin, CNSnews.com) - Jon Huntsman wants you to know he rides a dirt bike. On real dirt! He's Salt of the Earth. Grease of the Garage. Dragster on the Dunes.

Huntsman's runnin' and gunnin' for president. But underneath the Steve McQueen costumery, this made-for-cable-TV Moderate Speed Racer is a creaky old John McCain on Wheels.

The former Utah Republican governor and Obama ambassador to China is the answer to an election-year problem that doesn't exist. The quadrennial "problem," in the minds of Beltway GOP strategists and liberal media chin-pullers, is that the Republican Party isn't moderate, civil, self-critical or inclusive enough.

Fox News' Juan Williams: Sean Hannity Would Have Been Fired For Doing Amos and Andy Voice Like Jon Stewart

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - As 'NewsBusters' previously reported, Jon Stewart earlier this month did a segment on "The Daily Show" wherein he impersonated Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain using an Amos and Andy voice.

On Tuesday's "Imus in the Morning," Fox News's Juan Williams said that if Sean Hannity had done that, "He'd be out there barking with the dogs after they threw him out":

MSNBC's Ed Schultz Badly Mispronounces ‘Schlafly’ in Segment Mocking Palin and Bachmann’s IQ

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - MSNBC’s Ed Schultz on Tuesday badly mispronounced the last name of Constitutional lawyer and conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly.

Rather deliciously, this occurred in a segment wherein the pompous, know-it-all host was once again mocking the intellectual capacity of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin:

Al Gore Pushes for Population Control

(By Stephen Gutowski, MRC TV) - At a climate change conference on June 20th Al Gore advocated population control in order to combat global warming.

Ann Coulter Wants Chris Christie: ‘Need A Big Man After That Beanpole In The White House’

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - Ann Coulter appeared on Fox Business Network’s 'The Willis Report' and wasn’t shy about expressing her admiration for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, gushing “I love him so much.” And even though she’s not that excited by the current Republican candidates for President she is comforted knowing that all of them are easily better than the Republican nominee last time, Senator John McCain.

Man flies US Airways in women's underwear

(San Francisco Chronicle) - Six days before a college football player was arrested at San Francisco International Airport in a dispute that began when a US Airways employee asked him to pull up his sagging pants, a man who was wearing little but women's undergarments was allowed to fly the airline, a US Airways spokeswoman conceded Tuesday.

A photo of the scantily clad man was provided to The Chronicle by Jill Tarlow, a passenger on the June 9 flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Phoenix. Tarlow said other passengers had complained to airline workers before the plane boarded, but that employees had ignored those complaints.

Postal Service, ‘Hanging by a Thread,’ Suspends Retirement Contributions

WASHINGTON (AP) - The financially troubled Postal Service is suspending its employer contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement System.

The agency said Wednesday it is acting to conserve cash as it continues to lose money. It was $8 billion in the red last year because of the combined effects of the recession and the switch of much mail business to the Internet. It faces the possibility of running short of money by the end of this fiscal year in September.

"This move underscores the need for Congress to make bold, quick and substantive reforms to the Postal Service. The USPS is hanging by a thread, along with 8 million private sector jobs that depend on the mail," said Art Sackler, coordinator for the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, a group representing the private sector mailing industry.

Man Proposes Flying Non-Christian Flags at King Vets Memorial

KING, NC (WGHP) — A man who proposed flying the Muslim flag at the King Veterans Memorial on Sept. 11 decided to move the date on Tuesday.

Steven Hewett, who won four of the 52 weeks of the limited public forum lottery in December, will now fly the Muslim flag on the week of Nov. 28 and leave the flagpole empty on the week of Sept. 5, which includes Sept. 11.

Hewett will also fly the Buddhist flag next week and the Jewish flag on the week of Nov. 21. Hewett originally proposed flying the Christian flag on all four weeks.

7-Year-Old Leads Police on Wild Joyride After Driving Car 20 Miles in His Pajamas

CASEVILLE, Mich. (AP) — A 7-year-old Michigan boy barefoot and in pajamas drove a car for 20 miles, sometimes hitting speeds of 50 mph, before finally slowing down and stopping with the help of authorities.

“He was crying and just kept saying he wanted to go to his dad’s,” Caseville Police Chief Jamie Learman said. “That was pretty much it. He just wanted to go to his dad’s.”

Woman Arrested For Recording Police From Her Front Yard

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Can you be arrested for recording police from your front yard? If the video you’re about to see is for real, then yes.

A woman in Rochester, NY was allegedly arrested last month when she decided to film a traffic stop that happened in front of her house. With camera in hand, she reportedly stood in her front yard and filmed the events. But after recording for a little while, eventually an officer started addressing her, telling her that he didn’t feel “safe” with her recording him and telling her to go into her house. She refused, saying she had the right to record from her front lawn. He disagreed. That eventually led to her arrest:

Bristol Palin Reveals True Feelings About the McCains, 'Dancing With the Stars,' Levi Johnston and More

(ABC News) - From Levi Johnston to Meghan McCain, Bristol Palin has been put off by a lot of people.

In her memoir due out Friday, "Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far," the 20-year-old daughter of former Alaska governor/potential presidential candidate Sarah Palin reveals her true feelings about the father of her son, the daughter of her mother's 2008 running mate, and much more.

Palin writes that the first time she met the 26-year-old daughter of Sen. John McCain, she "ignored us during the entire visit." This was just before Senator McCain introduced Sarah Palin as his running mate. Palin adds that she "had a sneaking suspicion I might need to watch my back."

"Every time we saw Meghan, she seemed to be constantly checking us out, comparing my family to hers and complaining," she writes. "Oh the complaining."

Palin Bus Tour Takes Extended Pit Stop

(By Scott Conroy, Real Clear Politics) - Less than a month after she appeared poised to shake up the Republican presidential campaign, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has once again receded from the 2012 limelight.

When Palin launched her "One Nation" bus tour on Memorial Day amid a swirl of media attention and excitement from her fervent fan base, many political observers who had once dismissed her were reminded of the jolt that her candidacy could provide to what has thus far been a relatively sleepy GOP nominating fight.

As Palin toured historical sites along the East Coast, she was clearly reveling in the tangible excitement she'd ginned up: She even eagerly answered questions -- from the denizens of the "lamestream" media -- ranging from matters of political process to an array of issues facing the nation.

In an apparent repudiation to those who dismissed her trip as a mere publicity stunt, Palin's openness with reporters about her intentions to visit Iowa and South Carolina -- in addition to her highly scrutinized stop in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire -- lent credence to her repeated assertions that she was indeed seriously considering a White House bid.

Though Palin and her staff never announced a timeline for the remaining legs of her trip, aides had drafted preliminary itineraries that would have taken her through the Midwest and Southeast at some point this month. But those travel blueprints are now in limbo, RCP has learned, as Palin and her family have reverted to the friendly confines of summertime Alaska, where the skies are currently alight for over 19 hours a day and the Bristol Bay salmon fishing season is nearing its peak.

Major Glitch Found in Obamacare: 3 Million ‘Middle Class’ People Could Get Nearly-Free Care

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed.

The change would affect early retirees: A married couple could have an annual income of about $64,000 and still get Medicaid, said officials who make long-range cost estimates for the Health and Human Services department.

Up to 3 million people could qualify for Medicaid in 2014 as a result of the anomaly. That’s because, in a major change from today, most of their Social Security benefits would no longer be counted as income for determining eligibility.

Medicare chief actuary Richard Foster says the situation keeps him up at night.

Jonathan Gurwitz: Rick Perry’s not just lucky, he takes advantage of political opportunities

(chron.com) - One way of looking at Rick Perry’s political career is to conclude that he is extraordinarily lucky.

He first ran for and won statewide office in 1990, just as Republicans were beginning their historic takeover of Texas state government. As lieutenant governor, he was able to move into the Governor’s Mansion when George W. Bush won the 2000 presidential election. Now the Lone Star State’s longest-serving governor, he has the potential to join a winnowing field of GOP presidential aspirants as a serious contender.

Another, better way of looking at Perry’s political success is to recognize that he has an uncanny ability to position himself to take advantage of political opportunities.

Perry, after all, entered the Texas House in 1984 as a Democrat. He won reelection as a Democrat in 1986 and 1988, the same year he served as state chairman of Al Gore’s presidential campaign.

Bachmann: Obama ‘Has Failed the African American Community’ and Hispanic Community

(CNSNews.com) - Pointing to double-digit unemployment rates among African Americans and Hispanics, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R.-Minn.) said on Friday that President Barack Obama “has failed” both these communities.

“This president has failed the Hispanic community. He has failed the African-American community,” said Bachmann. “He has failed us all when it comes to jobs.”

Bachmann, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination for 2012, made the remarks at the “Republican Leadership Conference” held in New Orleans over the weekend. Other Republican presidential contenders—including Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Herman Cain—also spoke at the event, as did Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is reportedly considering a run for president.

Edwards’ Life in Exile

In John Edwards’ hometown, residents are disgusted by the fallen former presidential candidate's cheating on Elizabeth Edwards. Michelle Cottle visits Chapel Hill, where people snicker about his nightlife and his visits to his wife and son’s graves as tour buses drive by.

(By Michelle Cottle, The Daily Beast) - Situated at the corner of Columbia and Franklin streets in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Spanky’s Restaurant and Bar isn’t known so much for its food as for the black-framed caricatures of prominent patrons that adorn its walls: sports stars, media personalities, politicians. In the top corner spot nearest the front window hangs a likeness of former Senator John Edwards, arguably the town’s most famous—now infamous—resident. The sly, flirty grin is unmistakable, and the extravagantly peaked eyebrows give Edwards’ image a faintly diabolical air. At a nearby table, a chunky middle-aged guy sporting a ball cap tucks into a late lunch and begins musing loudly to his companions about how someone needs to take down the disgraced senator’s picture. Pronto.

The gentleman is not alone in his disgust. When I ask the lanky, fresh-faced barkeep, recent UNC graduate Sam Ward, how often customers come in demanding to know when Edwards’ picture will be removed, he doesn’t hesitate. “Every day,” he sighs. Every. Single. Day. “I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” says Ward. “But it needs to. I hear they’re thinking of putting up a picture of Elizabeth Edwards in its place.”

The unmaking of a man is a process both sudden and gradual. Following the initial blast to Edwards’ reputation in mid-2008, when news of his marital misdeeds became Topic A, the former senator and erstwhile presidential candidate slipped into what may be best described as the long fade. His honor and influence in tatters, he was cut loose by many friends and political colleagues. (“There’s not a lot of people still speaking to him at this point,” observes someone close to the family.) Bit by bit, the projects he launched at the height of his promise have folded or aggressively distanced themselves from him. Around Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill, where he once loomed so large, Edwards has become at once a joke and an object of anger and derision. Following his June 3 arraignment on charges of violating federal campaign-finance laws, his profile has fallen lower still, as the defendant hunkers down inside his Chapel Hill estate with his children and his legal team. Having strived for a quarter-century to make his mark, Edwards now finds himself being scrubbed from the scene, piece by piece, fingerprint by fingerprint. Despite all the tabloid pieces and salacious rumors, the grainy photos and legal melodrama, he is steadily dissolving before our eyes.

Related Material...

• (WGHP) - John Edwards' Criminal Case Delayed Until July

Crime Man Robs Bank and Demands $1 Just to Get Free Health Care in Jail

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - “I prepared myself for this,” James Richard Verone told the Gaston Gazette from behind a thick, glass window at the Gaston County Jail last week. But the jail might as well be called Verone’s free ticket to health care. At least that‘s how he’s treating it, and why he decided to rob a bank to get there.

See, Verone lost his job with Coca-Cola a few years ago and eventually became a convenience story clerk. That led to some aches and pains, a limp, and major pain once his arthritis flared up. He also found a protrusion in his chest. He went to see if he qualified for disability, but he didn’t, only food stamps. He didn’t want to burden his family with taking care of him, so he decided to do the next best thing — get you, the taxpayer, to pay for him. How’s that done? By robbing a bank, getting sent to jail, and getting free food, shelter, and medical care.

So he did. But there’s a catch: when he showed up to pull of the heist, he only demanded $1.

NJ Gov Chris Christie (R): Children's school "none of your business"

(By Ben Smith, Politico) - Gov. Chris Christie, responding to a voter question about where his children go to school, retorts with a blunt "none of your business."

Payback: Obama Labor Board to Make Organizing Easier

Rules would speed up union elections

WASHINGTON (AP) - Labor regulators are set to propose sweeping new rules Tuesday that would dramatically speed up the time frame for union elections, a move that could make it easier for struggling unions to organize new members, and cut the time businesses have to mount anti-union campaigns.

A copy of the planned rules, to be announced by the National Labor Relations Board, was obtained by The Associated Press. The proposal is expected to irritate Republicans and business groups who have complained about the board's pro-labor actions.

Most labor elections currently take place within 45-60 days after a union gathers enough signatures to file a petition, a time many companies use to discourage workers from unionizing. The new plan could cut that time by days or even weeks—depending on the case—by simplifying procedures, deferring litigation and setting shorter deadlines for hearings and filings.

But it does not impose a specific deadline for elections, as many labor leaders had hoped for. Canada, for example, requires such elections to take place in as little as 5 to 10 days.

The plan would "better insure that employees' votes may be recorded accurately, efficiently and speedily," said the board's majority, led 3-1 by Democrats.

CNN's Fareed Zakaria: Today's Conservative Movement Like 'the Old Marxists,' Too Much Rooted In Abstract Ideas

(Hyscience) - Obama advisor and CNN host/commentator Fareed Zakaria regurgitated his conservative-bashing 'Time magazine' piece on his Sunday show Fareed Zakaria GPS by comparing conservatives to the Marxists of the 19th century.

As 'NewsBusters' reports, Zakaria opened up his program with the same barrage against conservatives that he launched in Time on Friday, namely that today's conservatism is woefully divorced from reality like the Marxists of the 19th century, and that "conservatives now resemble the old Marxists who refuse to look at actual experience." Instead, he argues, they are hopelessly enamored with "policies that are simply recitations of some free market theory taken out of some book based on no actually-existing national economy":

Howard Dean Recites New Van Jones Battle Cry: GOP ‘Killing the American Dream

(By Tiffany Gabbay, The Blaze) - According to Howard Dean, Republican “do-nothing hatemongers“ are in the business of ”killing the American dream.” Funny, because Van Jones just launched a MoveOn.org ad in which he, using the same verbiage, claims Glenn Beck is the one killing it.

'Townhall' provides the clip of Howard Dean’s rant:

Twenty-five years later, Len Bias' death remains a seminal sports moment

Len Bias, a highly touted 22-year-old out of Maryland, was poised to become the next big thing in the NBA. (Focus on Sports)

(By Jack McCallum, SI.com) - About 9:30 on the morning of June 19, 1986, I got a call at home from John Papanek, an editor at 'Sports Illustrated'. It was a Thursday, the beginning of SI's workweek.

"So, what about Len Bias?" he asked.

I had just completed my first year on the NBA beat, so I started right in on my basketball knowledge.

"Perfect draft pick for the Celtics," I began. "He's too big and strong for most of the small forwards who'll guard him, and too quick for most of the power forwards ..."

"Jack," John interrupted me. "Bias is dead."

Man urinates in water, city flushes 8M gallons

PORTLAND, Ore. (Yahoo News) – Call it the big flush.

Because a 21-year-old man was caught on a security camera urinating into a city reservoir, Oregon's biggest city is sending 8 million gallons of treated drinking water down the drain.

Portland officials defended the decision Monday, saying they didn't want to send city residents water laced, however infinitesimally, with urine.

Your tax dollars to … another ad campaign to tout Obamacare

(By Tina Korbe, Hot Air) - Remember those taxpayer-funded commercials with kindly Andy Griffith — the ones that promoted the ways the so-unaptly-titled Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act supposedly strengthens Medicare? They weren’t the last campaign of their kind. The L.A. Times reports:

The Obama administration is kicking off a nationwide ad campaign urging seniors to take advantage of free preventive services such as cancer screenings made possible in Medicare by the new healthcare law.

The campaign — featuring television and radio ads in English and Spanish … — comes on the heels of a new report showing that less than one in six Medicare beneficiaries have taken advantage of the new benefit since President Obama signed the law last year.

Ann Coulter Rooting for NJ Gov Chris Christie to Join GOP Race

Coulter discusses other GOP candidates and perspective GOP candidates. (ABC News)

MSNBC‘s ’Morning Joe‘ Mocks Rick Perry’s Weekend Speech: ‘Felt Like an Alien’

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - It seems the crew over at MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” just can’t wrap its head around a Rick Perry presidential run. On this morning’s show, Mika Brzezinksi said she “felt like an alien” while watching people applaud the TX Gov’s weekend speech at the Republican Leadership Conference, while Joe Scarborough compared it to comedian Will Ferrell’s Broadway show mocking George W. Bush.

“I think I saw this guy on Broadway,” Scarborough quipped after watching the clip of Perry, referring to Ferrell’s show “You’re Welcome, America.” Later he added, “I don’t get it.”

For her part, Brzezinski continually lowered her head in seeming disgust, at one point noting “it’s just a separate world.” That was in part due to Mark Halperin’s conclusion that Perry could make some waves if he entered.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Detroit Neighborhood: Liberal Rep John Conyers (D-MI) House is an Eyesore

Detroit Neighborhood: John Conyers House is an Eyesore: MyFoxDETROIT.com

(WJBK) - If Detroit has an image of a crumbling city, it doesn't help to have one of its representatives in the U.S. Congress let his home look unkempt. Charlie LeDuff pays a visit to John Conyers house.

U.K. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Leaves Friends $160G for Las Vegas Party

YORK, England (FoxNews.com) – A British soldier killed by a Taliban bomb in Afghanistan left $161,500 in his will -- so his friends could go on vacation to Las Vegas, The Sun reported Monday.

Royal Marine David Hart, who had taken out a $403,800 life insurance policy before he was deployed to Afghanistan, stipulated in a letter that in the event of his death, his friends and their partners should travel to Sin City for a massive party in his memory.

"In his letter David said he had had a great life and had no regrets about anything. He always said he would do something like this if something bad happened," friend Andy Hare said. "He said, 'Go and have a good time and spend all this money.'"

Howard Dean: 'The Future Does Not Belong to White Christians!”

Pilot Killed During Accident at Poland Air Show

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A small plane lost control and plunged into a river Saturday as it performed stunts at an air show in Poland. The pilot, the only person on board, was killed.

The accident occurred in Plock, in central Poland, as people gathered by the Vistula River for a picnic and the air show.

The news station TVN24 broadcast images of the small plane doing aerobatics when it began spewing out plumes of dark smoke and then plunged into the water.

Texas Governor Sounds Like A Candidate in Speech to Republican Gathering

(CNSNews.com) – A standing ovation and cries of “Run, Rick, Run” greeted Texas Gov. Rick Perry following his campaign-like speech to a gathering of conservatives in New Orleans on Saturday.

Addressing the Republican Leadership Conference, Perry wasted no time in criticizing the Obama administration for believing that government is the answer to every need and is most qualified to make essential decisions for individual Americans.

“That mix of arrogance and audacity that guides the Obama administration is an affront to every freedom loving American and a threat to every private sector job in this country.”

Don't Know Much About History

The popular historian David McCullough says textbooks have become 'so politically correct as to be comic.' Meanwhile, the likes of Thomas Edison get little attention.

Boston (By BRIAN BOLDUC, WSJ.com) - 'We're raising young people who are, by and large, historically illiterate," David McCullough tells me on a recent afternoon in a quiet meeting room at the Boston Public Library. Having lectured at more than 100 colleges and universities over the past 25 years, he says, "I know how much these young people—even at the most esteemed institutions of higher learning—don't know." Slowly, he shakes his head in dismay. "It's shocking."

He's right. This week, the Department of Education released the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress, which found that only 12% of high-school seniors have a firm grasp of our nation's history. And consider: Just 2% of those students understand the significance of Brown v. Board of Education.

Mr. McCullough began worrying about the history gap some 20 years ago, when a college sophomore approached him after an appearance at "a very good university in the Midwest." She thanked him for coming and admitted, "Until I heard your talk this morning, I never realized the original 13 colonies were all on the East Coast." Remembering the incident, Mr. McCullough's snow-white eyebrows curl in pain. "I thought, 'What have we been doing so wrong that this obviously bright young woman could get this far and not know that?'"

Charles Krauthammer Corrects Newsweek's Evan Thomas on Budget: 'Republicans Have Stepped Up' - 'Democrats Aren't Offering Anything'

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - Newsweek's Evan Thomas on Friday tried to float the typical media meme that neither Party is doing anything to solve our nation's budget crisis.

Unfortunately for him, fellow "Inside Washington" panelist Charles Krauthammer accurately noted that the Republicans have offered a proposal to cut $6.6 trillion in the next ten years, "but the Democrats have done nothing except to demagogue the plan and to destroy it":

NBC Apologizes For Editing Out 'Portion' Of Pledge - But Doesn't Mention Omitted Words Were 'Under God'

(By Mark Finkelstein, NewsBusters.org) - As Noel Sheppard reported earlier, in the show-opening feature of its coverage of the final round of the US Open golf championship today, NBC--twice--edited out the words "under God" from its clip of school children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Clearly many Americans were offended and let NBC know about it. Because later in the broadcast, host Dan Hicks issued an apology on behalf of the network. But NBC simply compounded one omission with another. The apology spoke of "a portion of the Pledge" being edited out--but never mentioned that the omitted words were "under God."

In its feature segment opening its coverage of the final round of the US Open golf championship, NBC omitted the words "under God" from video of schoolchildren reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. NBC apologized later in the broadcast for omitting "a portion" of the Pledge, but didn't mention that the omitted words were "under God."

PBS's Mark Shields: Today's Low Taxes Are 'Fundamentally Un-American'

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - Syndicated columnist Mark Shields said Friday that today's low income tax rates are "fundamentally un-American."

Such happened on PBS's "Inside Washington":

Unemployed Mom Selling Handwritten Note from President Obama

Hobart, Ind. (By Darlene Hill, FOX Chicago News) -Destiny Mathis wrote to President Barack Obama last year to encourage him to hang in there, even in the face of tough criticism over the economy.

To her shock, he sent her back a handwritten response:

Destiny,

Thank you for your moving letter and your support. You have such a positive spirit. Please know things will get better for you and your family. You inspire me and I'm rooting for you.

God Bless,

Barack Obama

And now the Hobart, Ind. single mother of three is trying to sell that precious note -- because she is unemployed, out of money, and at the end of her rope. She graduated at the top of her class in 2005. But she can't find work as a surgical technologist, the bills are stacking up, and she and her children could get evicted by the end of the month.

Aside from her flat-screen TV, the letter is the only thing of value she owns. So it's on sale on momentsintime.com for $11,000.

"Us staying together as a family means a lot more than a letter," she said.

Unemployed Mom Selling Handwritten Note from President Obama: MyFoxCHICAGO.com

Clarence Clemons dies of complications from stroke

Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen, frozen in time as one of the greatest partnerships in the history of rock 'n' roll.

He was the spirit of the E Street Band, and the oaken staff that Bruce Springsteen leaned on.

(By Tris McCall, The Star-Ledger) - Clarence Clemons — the Big Man with the big horn — died yesterday of complications from a stroke he suffered last weekend. He was 69.

“Clarence lived a wonderful life,” Bruce Springsteen said in a statement last night. “He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage.”

News of Clemons’ death was first reported last night on nj.com, The Star-Ledger’s real-time news website.

MELTDOWN: Alan Colmes Freaks Out After Weiner Resignation Announced

(By Jim Hoft, The Gateway Pundit) - Alan Colmes freaked out [yesterday] after it was announced that penis-tweeting liar Rep. Anthony Weiner would resign. The far left Weiner apologist didn’t take it so well after hearing the news. Breathe, Alan. Breathe.

Of course, Colmes defended liar Weiner… Even after he was reminded that Weiner called 5 news organizations to his office and lied through his teeth about the bogus “hacking” incident.

Union Leader Dubs Governor ‘Adolph Christie’

(By Brian Bolduc, The Corner) - [Yesterday], at a rally in Trenton, NJ, a union leader compared Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Democratic state legislators to Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. The picketers were protesting a deal currently under review by the state legislature to make public employees contribute more to their health insurance and pensions.

“Welcome to Nazi Germany!” Chris Shelton, vice president of Communication Workers of America District 1, told the crowd. “We have Adolf Christie and his two generals [Democratic state legislative leaders] trying to make New Jersey Nazi Germany. Are we going to let them?”

The crowd groaned its disapproval.

“In Nazi Germany, the first thing they did — the first thing that the Nazis and Adolph Hitler did — was go after the unions,” Shelton warned. “And that’s what Christie and his two generals are trying to do in New Jersey.”

Shelton later concluded: “It’s going to take World War III to get rid of Adolph Christie.”

Kids Lemonade Stand At U.S. Open Fined $500 And Shut Down By Montgomery County, MD

BETHESDA, MD (WUSA) - You can make a fortune selling parking spots outside the US Open, but don't even dream of setting up a lemonade stand.

A county inspector ordered the Marriott and Augustine kids to shut down the stand they set up on Persimmon Tree Rd., right next to Congressional. And after they allegedly ignored a couple of warnings, the inspector fined their parents $500.

"This gentleman from the county is now telling us because we don't have a vendors license, the kids won't be allowed to sell their lemonade," Carrie Marriott told us, her voice trembling.

Liberal Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX): We Need 'Analysis of How Christian Militants … Might Bring Down The Country’

(CNSNews.com) – At a congressional hearing on Muslim radicalization in U.S. prisons, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said that investigators needed to analyze Christian militants in America because they too might try to “bring down the country.”

TX State Sen. Interrupts Immigrant’s Testimony: ‘Why Aren’t You Speaking in English?’

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - If you are giving testimony in front of Texas State Senator Chris Harris, he’d prefer you speak English.

During a Senate hearing on Monday, Antolin Aguirre of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition was testifying against Senate Bill 9, a law that would crack down on illegal immigrants in Texas. But instead of giving testimony in English, he decided to give it in Spanish and speak through an interpreter.