TOP STORIES:

Poll: Health care views take sympathetic tilt; Page USA TODAY

Americans aren’t going to buy health care spin, Mr. President; Rep. John Boehner USA TODAY

A Price to Pay for the Town Hall Rage; Broder WASHINGTON POST

Plan B for business groups; Frates POLITICO

Obama and the Permanent Campaign; Rove WALL STREET JOURNAL

Words count: Obama downplays war; Javers, Abrahamson POLITICO

Climate bill could cost 2 million jobs; Snyder THE HILL

U.S. Logs Monthly Budget Gap; Bater WALL STREET JOURNAL

Fed Views Recession as Near an End; Andrews NEW YORK TIMES

 

HOUSE:

More Evidence of a Scandal; Editorial NEW YORK TIMES

Rep.: Angry town halls are not new; O’Connor POLITICO

Rove testimony contradicts Wilson’s; Bresnahan, Gerstein POLITICO

Analysis: In attorneys probe, one burning question; Apuzzo ASSOCIATED PRESS

House Rules Chairwoman Takes Aim at Health Insurers; Dennis ROLL CALL

RSC Chairman Decries Choice of Robinson for Medal of Freedom; Bendery ROLL CALL

Pelosi, Frank urge clampdown on executive pay; Brush THE HILL

Rep. Cao to sit down with Obama on healthcare; Hooper THE HILL

Rep. Green to require photo ID at town halls; Soraghan THE HILL

‘Ready! Fire! Aim!’ no way to govern; Rep. Peter Hoekstra WASHINGTON TIMES

 

HOUSE ELECTIONS:

NRCC Targets Kagen in New TV Ad; Whittington ROLL CALL

Parties Make Tactical Choices in N.Y. 23 Special; Rothenberg ROLL CALL

Wealthy Oilman Joins Kansas 4th District Fray; Kapochunas CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY

 

SENATE:

Raucous Crowd Greets Cardin at Health-Care Town Hall in Hagerstown; Davis WASHINGTON POST

Mexico’s Drug War; Editorial WASHINGTON POST

At town halls, Grassley retreats; Lerer POLITICO

Steele laughs at Specter; Barr POLITICO

US senator set for historic meet with Myanmar ruler; AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Jam-packed crowds press Grassley on health care; Glover ASSOCIATED PRESS

Georgia senator finds himself at center of health care debate; Abdullah MCCLATCHY NEWS

Grassley Downplays Legitimacy of Health Care Negotiations; Drucker ROLL CALL

Reid Fires Back Over Spoof Robocalls; Stanton ROLL CALL

Sen. Cardin hears an earful on healthcare; Rushing THE HILL

Anti-healthcare calls use Reid’s number; Wilson THE HILL

 

SENATE ELECTIONS:

At Town Hall, A Turning Point?; Cillizza WASHINGTON POST

NRSC Still Has Key Recruiting Holes to Fill; McArdle ROLL CALL

Giannoulias Consolidating Support in Illinois; Toeplitz ROLL CALL

Ayotte touts conservative cred; NRSC gives her space; Wilson THE HILL

Huckabee adviser to run for Senate in Arkansas; Blake THE HILL

Eye on the Senate: Specter Leads Sestak By 13; CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY

Lowden More Likely to Run for Nevada Senate; Cadei CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY

 

POLITICS/CAMPAIGNS:

Cheney Uncloaks His Frustration With Bush; Gellman WASHINGTON POST

McDonnell Proposes Drug Courts, Lifetime Sex Offender Tracking; Kumar WASHINGTON POST

Judge rules in Palin e-mail case; D’Oro ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

ADMINISTRATION:

Two Sides of Nigeria Addressed by Clinton; Gettleman NEW YORK TIMES

Clinton’s Flash of Pique in Congo; Gettleman NEW YORK TIMES

Envoy Sees New Role at U.N.; Zraick NEW YORK TIMES

Obama Gives Medal of Freedom to 16 Luminaries; Stolberg NEW YORK TIMES

Presidential Vacations Carry Heavy Baggage; Eggen WASHINGTON POST

Food Firms Warn of Sugar Shortage; Kilman, Cui, Brat WALL STREET JOURNAL

Expanding the Charter Option; Chaker WALL STREET JOURNAL

Poll: Higher marks for Bill Clinton; Falcone POLITICO

Obama’s surgeon general nominee advises Burger King; McElhatton WASHINGTON TIMES

 

SCOTUS:

Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrated at White House; Loven ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

BAILOUT/ECONOMY:

W.T.O. Rules Against China’s Limits on Imports; Bradsher NEW YORK TIMES

U.S. Trade Deficit Widened as Imports Rose in June; Healy NEW YORK TIMES

Huge Bonus Hangs Over Pay Review; Labaton, Dash NEW YORK TIMES

Fed Starts Rollback Of Rescue Efforts; Irwin WASHINGTON POST

Working to Please the Pay Czar; Davis, Solomon, Fitzpatrick WALL STREET JOURNAL

Fed Set to Trim Major Lifeline; Reddy WALL STREET JOURNAL

Medicine is Working, but U.S. Economy Isn’t Healthy Yet; Wessel WALL STREET JOURNAL

U.S. Employers Grow More Optimistic; Needleman WALL STREET JOURNAL

Ford Boosts Output to Meet ‘Clunkers’ Demand; Bennett WALL STREET JOURNAL

No Exit; Editorial WALL STREET JOURNAL

Federal spending tops $3 trillion; Dickson WASHINGTON TIMES

 

HEALTHCARE:

Obama Injects Himself Into Health Talks, Despite Risks; Kirkpatrick NEW YORK TIMES

Thousands Line Up for Promise of Free Health Care; Steinhauer NEW YORK TIMES

Bound by Blood, Torn by Policy and Angrier by the Minute; Rutenberg NEW YORK TIMES

Health Reform and Small Business; Editorial NEW YORK TIMES

Gunning for Health Care; Collins NEW YORK TIMES

10 Steps to Better Health Care; Gawande, Berwick, Fisher, McClellan NEW YORK TIMES

Health-Reform Rhetoric Gets Personal for Britons; Adam WASHINGTON POST

Progress Over Perfection; Paul Begala WASHINGTON POST

End-of-Life Provision Loses Favor; Adamy WALL STREET JOURNAL

Emanuel’s Brother Becomes a Target; Bendavid WALL STREET JOURNAL

Billy and the Beanstalk; Editorial WALL STREET JOURNAL

Calling all crazies: Obama needs you; Simon POLITICO

Palin says Obama brushes off reform concerns; ASSOCIATED PRESS

Just who are these health care protesters?; Werner ASSOCIATED PRESS

GOP Has Health Care Ideas but Prefers Attacks on Obama; Kondracke ROLL CALL

Insurers Try to Make Their Voices Heard in Health Debate; Ackley ROLL CALL

Former exec: Insurers fomenting town hall chaos; Soraghan THE HILL

Critics: Co-ops Are Disguised Public Plan; Dann CONGRESS DAILY

AARP wields its power in health care debate; Haberkorn WASHINGTON TIMES

Town hall face-offs erode health support; Lambro WASHINGTON TIMES

Rationing away medical care; Editorial WASHINGTON TIMES

Obamacare’s tax hikes; Editorial WASHINGTON TIMES

 

STIMULUS:

Stimulus Aid Planned for Two City Projects; Cardwell NEW YORK TIMES

Small-Business Stimulus Loans Slow to Trickle; Mandelbaum NEW YORK TIMES

Small Businesses Chase Big Stimulus Money; Knight WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Lessons of the ‘Stimulus’ Bill; McCrory WALL STREET JOURNAL

Some states get share of stimulus faster; Kelley, Heath USA TODAY

 

LABOR/EFCA:

No Coverage

 

ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT:

Bush Mining Rule to Stand; Dean NEW YORK TIMES

An ‘Increase’ in Big Storms May Just Be Better Detection; Dean NEW YORK TIMES

Auto Parts Makers Change Tack, Seek Fair Winds; Hedgpeth WASHINGTON POST

Cap-and-Trade’s Unlikely Critics: Its Creators; Hilsenrath WALL STREET JOURNAL

Food Firms Fret Over Potential Impact of Climate Bill; Etter WALL STREET JOURNAL

SPIN METER: $3 billion buys not-so-green vehicles; Blackledge ASSOCIATED PRESS

Green Groups Kicking Off Ad Campaign; Goode CONGRESS DAILY

 

DEFENSE/WAR ON TERROR:

A Window Into C.I.A.’s Embrace of Secret Jails; Johnston, Mazzetti NEW YORK TIMES

Iraqi Immigrants Face Lonely Struggle in U.S.; Semple NEW YORK TIMES

As Afghan Vote Nears, Taliban Intimidation Rises; Gall, Khapalwak NEW YORK TIMES

Bomb Wounds 2 Journalists in Afghanistan; Rahimi, Cowell NEW YORK TIMES

New Army Handbook Teaches Afghanistan Lessons; Shanker NEW YORK TIMES

In Afghanistan, A Test of Tactics; Tyson WASHINGTON POST

Why Are Afghans Smiling?; Graham, Shapiro WASHINGTON POST

Marines Raid Taliban-Controlled Town in Helmand Province; Montesquiou ASSOCIATED PRESS

Best Afghanistan defense: MRAPs + locals; Vanden Brook USA TODAY

 

U.S. LOCAL:

Michigan Prison Is Considered for Detainees; Saulny NEW YORK TIMES

Caution on Fighting Marriage Ban; McKinley NEW YORK TIMES

Terrorism Trials May Be at New Va. Court; Markon WASHINGTON POST

‘Fastest Dying Cities’ Meet for a Lively Talk; Belkin WALL STREET JOURNAL

CA gay rights group: Wait for 2012 to attack ban; Donald ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

OF NOTE:

Tighter Cellphone Laws Might Face Static; Halsey WASHINGTON POST

MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Social Security crisis looms; Raum ASSOCIATED PRESS

Poll finds cultural morals gap; Sorokin WASHINGTON TIMES

 

TOP BLOGS:

Grassley on death panels: ‘You have every right to fear’; Lerer POLITICO LIVE

McCaskill says Rep. Scott’s racism charge ‘irresponsible’; Kady POLITICO’S THRUSH BLOG

FBI, Capitol Police investigate swastika at Rep. Scott’s office; Kady POLITICO’S THRUSH BLOG

Cardin’s tough town hall; Kraushaar POLITICO LIVE

Dingell reaches out to man from town hall fight; Kady POLITICO’S THRUSH BLOG

Isakson and the ‘end of life advisory board’; Kady POLITICO’S THRUSH BLOG

DCCC raises money off Palin ‘death panel’ comment; Kady POLITICO’S THRUSH BLOG

The Crist charm offensive; Kraushaar POLITICO’S SCORECARD BLOG

Biden fundraising for Grayson; Isenstadt POLITICO’S SCORECARD BLOG