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Limbaugh Blasts Obama's Reaction to Gates Arrest

Reacting to the escalating firestorm over President Barack Obama's comment that a much-decorated Massachusetts cop “acted stupidly” in arresting his friend Henry Louis Gates Jr., Rush Limbaugh blasted the president for mimicking the black supremacist thought of his longtime mentor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Instead of dodging the question and staying above the fray, Obama provoked a firestorm when he criticized the police. In doing so, Limbaugh said, Obama fell back on the leftist teachers of Wright and early mentors during his years as a community organizer in Chicago.

“I think what we learned last night, ladies and gentlemen, is that President Obama did, after all, listen to Reverend Wright all those 20 years,” Limbaugh said on his show Thursday. “He says, ‘Yeah, I was a member of the church 20 years. I sat there and I didn't hear any of that.’ I think he heard it all. That question he got from Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times, that's when he came alive. The rest of the press conference, he didn't even want to be there. He knew that they were in trouble, so he goes out there and tries to dazzle everybody with his professorial insight and capabilities and elegance and all that.

”But when that question about Henry Louis Gates and the arrest in his home came up, why, it was passion, excitement, animation, fire! He came alive. That question was, ‘Mr. President, recently professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested at his home in Cambridge. What does that incident say to you, and what does it say about race relations in America?’"

“A loaded question if I have heard one. This is a liberal idyllic panacea, Cambridge, Harvard. It's liberal everything. So now we've got racist cops profiling a distinguished Harvard professor — who to my eye, every time I see this guy on TV I see somebody enraged. I see somebody angry. He's a liberal, they all are.”

Limbaugh said the more likely scenario is that Gates had a "chip on his shoulder" and provoked the police officer.

“In the first place, what we now know is that Gates was not arrested sipping tea sitting on his sofa legally in his house. He followed the police out of the house screaming at them. How else would neighbors know he was belligerent? That's when he was arrested. He wasn't sitting in a couch sipping tea daintily. He was screaming at the cop there to help protect his property. I've also learned that Gates' house had a history of having been broken into. This is why the neighbor called. There are a lot of break-ins in this neighborhood recently. In fact, there was damage done to Gates' door.”

“So I've long thought that there's a chip on the shoulder here, and that there's a little anger out there at the country based on who his mentors, associates, all that were. Gates was not 'stopped.' This was not a profiling case. Let's review what happened. To the best of my knowledge, a neighbor sees Gates . . . A friend and driver of the car, in addition to Gates, tried to get in the house. Gates and one other person. And some neighbor said, ‘Whoa, what was that? That doesn't look right.’ They called the police. My first reaction would be to thank the neighbor for looking out for me. But I guarantee you the neighbor is also going to be, before this is all over, a racist. In Cambridge now. We're talking Harvard, Cambridge!”

Limbaugh found it implausible that police in the liberal community of Cambridge would treat a black elderly man with disrespect. He likened the escalating media uproar over the case to the one-sided coverage of the discredited rape of a stripper by members of the Duke lacrosse team.

“It may as well be Duke,” Limbaugh said. “May as well be the lacrosse team here. May as well be that dancer. Gates and a friend break in, and the cops show up, and apparently all hell breaks loose inside the house, handcuffs and so forth. Obama doesn't know what all happened — and we don't, either. There are five or six different versions of what went on in there. We still really don't know. Bill Cosby has come out today in Boston, and he can't believe the president would say what he said about this admitting he doesn't know all the facts. So Obama wasn't quite through. After taking this incident, where Gates was not stopped. He was not pulled over. The cops were called there by somebody in the neighborhood. This was not a profiling incident. “

Finally, Limbaugh pointed out that Obama, much like Gates, is hardly a victim. Both men are at the pinnacle of an elite establishment in the United States.

“He doesn't know the facts, he wasn't there, he pops off, just exactly as he would back in Chicago in the community organizing days. He goes off about racial profiling, all the rest,” Limbaugh said. “Based on what? A limited amount of information about a single incident where he's quick to condemn the cop, the whole police department, and white America. Mr. President, you are not a victim. You are, in fact, the president of the United States. You went to private school. You went to Ivy League schools. You are a millionaire. You have a charmed life. Congratulations. You're living the American dream. Stop pretending otherwise. If anybody behaved stupidly yesterday it was the president, in even taking the question.”

Mass. Police Unions Ask Obama for Apology

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- A multiracial group of police officers on Friday stood with the white officer who arrested a prominent black Harvard scholar and asked President Barack Obama and Gov. Deval Patrick to apologize for comments the union leaders called insulting.

Obama said Wednesday that Cambridge police "acted stupidly" during the disorderly conduct arrest of his friend, Henry Louis Gates Jr., in his own home near Harvard University. Gov. Deval Patrick said Gates' arrest was "every black man's nightmare."

Dennis O'Connor, president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association, said Obama's remarks were "misdirected" and the Cambridge police "deeply resent the implication" that race was a factor in the arrest.

"President Obama said the actions of the CPD were stupid and linked the event to the history of racial profiling in America," O'Connor said. "The facts of the case suggested that the president used the right adjective but directed it to the wrong party."

Officers responded to Gates' home on July 16 after a woman called 911 and said she saw two black men with backpacks trying to force open the front door. The woman, Lucia Whalen, has not responded to repeated attempts for comment.

Gates has said he returned from an overseas trip, found the door jammed, and that he and his driver attempted to force it open. Gates went through the back door and was inside the house on the phone with the property's management company when police arrived.

Police said he flew into a verbal rage after Sgt. James Crowley, who is white, asked him to show identification to prove he should be in the home. Police say Gates accused Crowley of racial bias, refused to calm down and was arrested. The charge was dropped Tuesday, but Gates has demanded an apology, calling his arrest a case of racial profiling.

Gates, 58, maintains he turned over identification when asked to do so by the police. He said Crowley arrested him after the professor followed him to the porch, repeatedly demanding the sergeant's name and badge number because he was unhappy over his treatment.

Crowley has refused to apologize, saying he followed protocol.

Cop Tells Obama: I Didn't Vote for You and Won't Apologize

The police officer at the center of a national racial firestorm triggered by President Barack Obama told an interviewer Thursday that he had nothing to apologize for in the arrest of a black Harvard scholar, and that the president he didn’t vote for should have considered his words more carefully.

“The apology won’t come from me,” Sgt. James Crowley told Carl Stevens of WBZ News Radio in Boston. "I’ve done nothing wrong."

A well-regarded officer who is an expert on racial profiling, Crowley responded to a call at the Cambridge home of Henry Louis Gates Jr. last week to investigate a report of a burglary. Confronting Gates and another man who appeared to have forced open the door of the home, Crowley asked Gates to show him identification.

Gates initially refused and accused Crowley of racism. The professor, a close friend of Harvard alumnus Barack Obama, was charged with disorderly conduct. The charge was dropped Tuesday, and Gates has since demanded an apology from Crowley.

In a four-minute interview outside his home, Crowley revealed that:

Gates escalated the situation by yelling and refusing to calm down, calling Crowley a racist, and referring to his mother.

He was the police officer who tried to save the life of former Boston Celtics player Reggie Lewis, a black man, who collapsed and died during an off-season workout at Brandeis University. Crowley said he still is very shaken because of that event.

Crowley said he didn’t vote for Obama but supports the president 110 percent. He also suggested that the president was siding with his friend Gates, and he probably would have done the same in a similar situation.

Though he said he would do everything exactly the same way again, Crowley did express regret at the media attention and pressure the event has brought on his friends and family.

“I acted appropriately. Mr. Gates was given plenty of opportunity to stop what he was doing,” Crowley said. “He didn’t. He acted very irrational, and he controlled the outcome of that event.”

“There was a lot of yelling. There was references to my mother,” Crowley said. “Something you wouldn’t expect from anybody who should be grateful you’re there investigating the report of a crime in progress, let alone a Harvard University professor.”

The reporter then referred to the death of Lewis, explaining that he worked the scene that night when Crowley tried to save the player’s life.

“I was a police officer at Brandeis University at the time and I was responding to a medical call and had the unfortunate experience of trying to revive somebody who was probably already gone,” Crowley said. “It was very tough emotionally dealing with that as well.”

The reporter than asked him to respond to those who allege that he is a racist.

“It almost doesn’t warrant a comment. My friends, my family my colleagues — those people whose opinions mean the most to me — they know who I am, they know what I am and what I am not. It’s an unfortunate thing that the professor and other people even mentioned that.”

Asked what he thought of the president’s comments, Crowley immediately replied, “I didn’t vote for him,” and then smiled.

“When he said the Cambridge police acted stupidly, he was talking about you,” the interviewer said. “What was your reaction to that?

“My only reaction, somebody had told me what he said. I didn’t hear the press conference but I did listen afterwards and I support the president of the United States 110 percent. I think he’s way off base wading into a local issue without knowing all the facts as he himself stated before making that comment so again, I don’t know what to say about that. I guess a friend of mine would support my position too.”

Asked whether he is able to do his job, Crowley responded: “Sure. I absolutely will. This will not distract me from doing what it is I do. And if a similar call came in tomorrow, I wouldn’t shy away from responding and I’d do what I have to do.”

Asked whether he should have done anything differently, Crowley responded bluntly: “No.”

Obama Health Plan to Cover 12 Million Illegals

On Friday, Democrats moved one step closer to giving free health insurance to the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal aliens when they successfully defeated a Republican-backed amendment, offered by Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., that would have prevented illegal aliens from receiving government-subsidized health care under the proposed plan backed by House Democrats and President Barack Obama.

The House Ways and Means Committee nixed the Heller amendment by a 26-to-15 vote along straight party lines, and followed this action by passing the 1,018-page bill early Friday morning by a 23-to-18 margin, with three Democrats voting against the plan.

The Democratic plan will embrace Obama’s vision of bringing free government medical care to more than 45 million uninsured people in America – a significant portion of whom are illegal aliens.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, costs under the Obama plan being proposed by the House will saddle citizens with $1.04 trillion in new federal outlays over the next decade.

Congressional Democrats and Obama have argued that their health plan is necessary to contain rising health care costs.

But, last Thursday, CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf testified before the Senate Budget Committee and warned lawmakers that the proposed “legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs."

A key factor increasing costs is that Democratic plan provides for blanket coverage to as much as 15 percent of the U.S. population not currently insured, including illegals.

Democrats had insisted throughout the health-care reform debate that illegals would be ineligible for the so-called public option plan that is to be subsidized by taxpayers.

"We're not going to cover undocumented aliens, undocumented workers," Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, told reporters in May. "That's too politically explosive."

Republicans, however, point out that the Democrats, by refusing to accept the Heller amendment, would deny health agencies from conducting simple database checks to verify citizenship. Many states give illegals driver licenses, which will be sufficient to get free health care under the plan.

Critics also contend that millions of illegals who already have counterfeit Social Security cards or other fraudulent documents. There is no enforcement mechanism in the legislation, experts say, to prevent illegals who use fake IDs to obtain jobs from also obtaining taxpayer-subsidized health insurance.

GOP representatives introduced the amendment to provide a way to weed out non-citizens from the program.

A description of the amendment on Heller's Web site state it would "better screen applicants for subsidized health care to ensure they are actually citizens or otherwise entitled to it."

The Web post added, "The underlying bill is insufficient for the purpose of preventing illegal aliens from accessing the bill’s proposed benefits, as it does not provide mechanisms allowing those administering the program to ensure illegal aliens cannot access taxpayer-funded subsidies and benefits."

The Heller amendment would have required that individuals applying for the public health care option would be subject to two systems used to verify immigration status already in use by the government: The Income and Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

The two systems cross-reference Social Security numbers and employment information to establish whether an individual is a U.S. citizen.

Critics: Free Health Care Means More Illegals

A recent Rasmussen Reports poll found that an overwhelming 80 percent of Americans oppose covering illegals in any public health care bill.

Anti-immigration activists say the availability of low-cost benefits, including health insurance and in-state tuition, will only lure more immigrants to come to the United States.

Political analyst Dick Morris, in his recently released best-selling book “Catastrophe”, warns that giving illegal free health care will lead to a flood of new illegals who can take advantage of such a benefit not offered in their home countries.

William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, agrees with that sentiment, writing, "Each state and federal elected official must know that illegal aliens should not be given licenses, in-state tuition, mortgages, bank accounts, welfare, or any other benefit short of emergency medical care and law enforcement accommodations before they are deported."

But a small fraction of illegals end up deported, as many make widespread use of fake IDs to easily gain access to government benefits programs.

"Experts suggest that approximately 75 percent of working-age illegal aliens use fraudulent Social Security cards to obtain employment," wrote Ronald W. Mortensen in a recent Center for Immigration Studies research paper. Mortensen says one of the big misconceptions about illegals is that they are undocumented.

James R. Edwards Jr., co-author of The Congressional Politics of Immigration Reform, recently wrote on National Review Online that "it's hard to envision how health reform can avoid tripping the immigration booby trap."

Edwards says none of the legislation under consideration actually requires any state, federal, or local agency to check the immigration status of those who apply for the program.

The assumption is that companies have vetted their employees to ensure they are eligibility for legal employment – a difficult task for employers given the active market in fraudulent documents. Thus Edwards maintains "some of the money distributed … inevitably would go to illegal aliens."

The estimates of illegal aliens in the United States without health insurance vary. The most commonly cited statistic, attributed to the Center for Immigration Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, holds that 15 percent to 22 percent of the nation's 46 million uninsured are illegal aliens. That would be between 6.9 million and 10.1 million people. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama claimed the nation United States has 12 million or more undocumented aliens.

John Sheils of the Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm owned by UnitedHealth Group, recently told National Public Radio that about 6.1 million illegals – about half of all illegals in the United States – lack documentation and therefore would not be legally eligible for benefits under the current health care reforms.

Sheils says the other half of the nation's illegals – 5 million to 6 million – use false documents to obtain on-the-books employment. Many of them are already insured under their employers' plans, he added.

"A lot of those people are getting employer health benefits as part of their compensation," Sheils told NPR.

Certainly, some contend that undocumented workers who are gainfully employed and receiving benefits such as health insurance are contributing to society. But the fact remains that, once equipped with a fake ID, a person in the United States illegally can obtain both a job and the benefits that go with it.

Estimates of the cost of providing illegals with medical care vary. Most uninsured illegals who need medical attention obtain it from hospital emergency rooms. And several states are already straining under the huge burden of paying for the health costs of illegal aliens.

According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in 2004 California's estimated cost of unreimbursed medical care was $1.4 billion. Texas estimated its cost at $850 million annually, and Arizona at $400 million.

Non-border states shoulder heavy burdens as well. Virginia's annual cost of providing health care for undocumented workers is approximately $100 million per year, FAIR reports, while Florida's health care cost is about $300 million annually.

One of the ironies of the proposed legislation is that it would fine American citizens who opt not to purchase insurance coverage, but would exempt illegals from such fines. This is presumably due to the fact that they are not supposed to participate in the program anyway.

Even if no illegals were likely to benefit from health care reform, Democrats have made it clear that amnesty is the next item on their ambitious legislative agenda.

"I've got to do health care, I've got to do energy, and then I'm looking very closely at doing immigration," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., declared in June.

Reid explained the urgent need for amnesty in terms very similar to those that Democrats have used to press for health care reform. "We have an immigration system that's broken and needs repair," Reid said.

Immigration expert Edwards, for one, says health-care reform may itself need serious medical attention before it is healthy enough pass through Congress.

"The American people may soon realize how much health reform will benefit immigrants and cost the native-born," he writes. "When that happens, the volatile politics of immigration could derail universal health care."

Support for Obama on Healthcare Slips Under 50%: Poll

WASHINGTON -- Public support for President Barack Obama's handling of healthcare reform, the pillar of his legislative agenda, has fallen below 50 percent for the first time, a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Monday said.

Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress have run into stiff opposition this month as they try to pass legislation to restructure the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare industry through the creation of a government-run health insurance program.

Republicans and some fiscally conservative Democrats argue the plan, with an estimated cost of more than $1 trillion, could hurt small businesses, add to budget deficits and reduce the quality of medical care for many Americans.

Those concerns may be having an impact on the public, according to the poll, which showed 49 percent of respondents approving of Obama's stand on the issue compared to 57 percent in April.

Those saying they disapproved rose to 44 percent from 29 percent during the same period.

Obama and the White House have gone on the offensive to drum up support for the plan, which would compete with private insurers, provide cover to many of the 46 million uninsured and try to stem runaway medical costs.

With time running out to pass a bill in Congress this year, the battle is shaping up as a major test of Obama's presidency.

Delaying legislation until 2010, a congressional election year, could give Republicans and critics in the healthcare sector more time to galvanize opposition to the plan.

But Obama remains more trusted than Republicans in Congress to do a better job on healthcare reform, the poll showed, with 54 percent of respondents putting their faith in the U.S. leader versus 34 percent in favor of Republican lawmakers.

His overall approval rating also remains high at 59 percent despite some slippage in approval ratings for his handling of the economy, the federal budget deficit and other leading domestic issues, according to the poll.

It surveyed 1,001 adults randomly by telephone between July 15-18, 2009. The results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus/minus three percentage points.

Hillary Apologizes to India for Global Warming

MUMBAI, India -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton opened a three-day visit to India on Saturday by urging India not to repeat American mistakes in contributing to global pollution, and she passionately defended U.S. demands for help in fighting terrorism.

"We acknowledge now with President Obama that we have made mistakes in the United States, and we along with other developed countries have contributed most significantly to the problem that we face with climate change," she said. "We are hoping a great country like India will not make the same mistakes."

She was referring to Obama's statement in Italy earlier this month that the U.S. had "sometimes fallen short" of its responsibilities in controlling its carbon emissions.

Speaking at a news conference on the pool side patio of the Taj Mahal Palace & Hotel, which was strewn with bodies after terrorists attacked this coastal city last November, she cast India and the United States as allies in the fight against terrorism.

"Yesterday's bombings in Jakarta, Indonesia, provide a painful reminder that the threat of such violent extremism is still very real. It is global. It is ruthless. It is nihilistic and it must be stopped," she said.

"We have a great sense of solidarity and sympathy, having gone through what we did on 9/11," she added.

Her voice rising, Clinton insisted that the U.S. demand for international action against terrorist should not be taken lightly.

"We know how important (it is). We are fighting wars to end the threat of terrorism against us, our friends and allies around the world." She said India can choose its own way of contributing but must be part of a broader effort to defeat the threat.

"We expect everyone" who shares the U.S. goal of a more stable world "to take strong action to prevent terrorism from taking root on their soil and making sure that terrorists are not trained and deployed" from their territory to carry out attacks elsewhere, she added.

Earlier, Clinton attended a ceremony commemorating the Mumbai attack, which killed 166 and raised tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan. At the event were five staffers from the Oberoi Hotel and 10 from the Taj, including general manager Karambir Kang, who lost his wife and two children during the three-day siege.

The event was closed to reporters.

In a memorial book she wrote: "Americans share a solidarity with this city and nation. Both our people have experienced the senseless and searing effects of violent extremism. And both can be grateful and proud of the heroism of brave men and women whose courage saved lives and prevented greater harm on 26/11 and 9/11. Now it is up to all nations and people who seek peace and progress to work together. Let us rid the world of hatred and extremism that produces such nihilistic violence."

She also met with 10 Indian business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, the largest privately held company in India.

Echoing remarks made by Ambani at the meeting, Clinton said that India should leapfrog the developed world to come up with its own innovative way to encourage environmentally friendly growth.

"Just as India went from a few years ago having very few mobile phones to now having more than 500 million mostly cell phones by leapfrogging over the infrastructure we built for telephone service, we believe India is innovative and entrepreneurial enough to figure out how to deal with climate change while continuing to lift people out of poverty and develop at a rapid rate," she said.

Seeking to assuage Indian concerns that the U.S. pressured India into making concessions to Pakistan despite that nation's failure to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack, Clinton emphasized that the U.S. respects India's sovereign right to make its own decisions.

"Discussion between India and Pakistan is between India and Pakistan," she said.

The visit marked a return to the world stage for Clinton, who has been slowed since mid-June by an arm injury that forced her to cancel plans to attend international meetings in Italy and Greece last month and to accompany President Barack Obama on his visit to Russia earlier this month.

Clinton is scheduled to hold talks Sunday and Monday in New Delhi with Indian government officials on a wide range of issues, including nuclear nonproliferation, strengthening trade ties and combatting climate change. She is to attend talks in Thailand later in the week with representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

This weekend is the 40th anniversary of the moon landing considered by some to be mankind’s greatest achievement. Unless, of course, you count the time we put the cheese inside the pizza crust.

President Obama recently said that the best way to pay for his healthcare plan is to raise taxes on people like him. As a result, the government is raising taxes on all half-Kenyan presidents who were born in Hawaii.

Starbucks is reportedly adding alcohol to the menu at one of its stores. When asked why, a spokesperson for Starbucks said, “Because sober people don’t pay eight bucks for a cup of coffee.”

Experts say the video game industry has been dramatically hurt by the economic downturn. Which explains the popularity of the new Nintendo game, “Wii Job Interview.”

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Ways Dave's Mom Is Celebrating Her Birthday

10. Driving to area Denny's to get free birthday meals

9. Checking the Internet to see how much you spent on my gift

8. Helping my neighbor get a raccoon out of his attic

7. Online poker

6. Just read my Twitter page, it's all there

5. Relaxing outside with my pool boy, Ricky

4. Going to a "fire David Letterman" rally

3. Spend day fishing with Sarah Palin

2. I'm gonna watch the kid that replaced Leno

1. I wasted the entire day on this stupid Top Ten list

David Letterman

Disney Land is celebrating its opening in 1955. It’s going to be elegant. Rumors are that Donald Duck may actually be wearing pants.

Forty years ago, Apollo 11 left for the moon. I remember it — the whole thing was delayed because they had to go through Newark.

President Obama says he wants to put another man on the moon. He’s thinking about Joe Biden.

Craig Ferguson

The new Harry Potter movie is out. I checked — it’s made 1 gazillion dollars. Most of that’s from me.

The Harry Potter book are good — they get kids excited about reading instead of what I was doing as a kid: watching TV, robbing houses, stabbing people . . .

There’s only two more Harry Potter movies to go. They’re not going to stop there. There’ll be more. Harry Potter will have a TV show where he’s a middle-aged dude living on a boat, divorced, solving crime, and going to swingers clubs.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been ratcheting up the anti-U.S. rhetoric lately. Yesterday he said, “Iran will strike you in the face so hard, you will lose your way home.” Which really sounds like a line from “The Bernie Mac Show.”

Bill Gates is busy trying to save the world. He’s working on a plan to fight and destroy hurricanes. Gates and some scientists have filed for a patent that would reduce the intensity of hurricanes. This is why you shouldn’t take on nerds in high school. One day you’re giving them wedgies, the next day they’re harnessing the power of hurricanes.

The plan includes a plane dropping the Windows operating system Vista into the eye of the hurricane, which would cause the hurricane to freeze and then crash unexpectedly.

Jimmy Fallon

A new study finds that children who play in the sand at the beach have an increased risk of getting sick, due to bird droppings, garbage, and sewage. So when you’re at the beach try to avoid the sand.

American Airlines at JFK airport has added a pet relief area where animals can relieve themselves before flying. It's called the Delta counter.

A new study from the National Center for Health finds that 86 percent of women get married by age 40. The other 14 percent get cats.

A GM dealership in Missouri is giving away AK-47s to customers who buy a pick-up truck in August. I guess they figure for that kind of money, you should get at least one reliable product.

Obama's Too Liberal, Unpopular

Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., became the first congressional Democrat on record to declare President Barack Obama a political liability, according to Politico.

One of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party, Boren gave what Politico described as a “scorching interview” with the Oklahoma Gazette this week -- saying the president isn't only "very unpopular" in his district but should be more centrist.

Like Bill Clinton.

“Barack Obama is very unpopular,” said Boren, who represents Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District. “He got 34 percent of the vote statewide, and less in our district. If he were to run for re-election today, I bet it would be even worse.”

Obama is simply too liberal, Boren said.

“It would be a lot nicer if we had someone who was in the middle,” he said. “Bill Clinton won our district. A lot of people don’t remember that, but he, in 1996, carried this district. I think if you have someone who governs from the middle, who’s pragmatic, who works with both parties. President Obama talks a lot about bipartisanship. If you look at some of the legislation, he may have one or two Republicans.”

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

Gov. Sanford is spending this week on vacation with his wife in order to improve their marriage. Apparently it’s not going well because Sanford keeps introducing his wife as “my wingman.”

CNN reports that Sen. John McCain has more than a million followers on Twitter. Apparently, every single one of McCain’s tweets says, “The nurse is stealing from me!”

The new Harry Potter film opened yesterday, and it earned a whopping $58 million in its first day. Producers are still marveling at the ability of Harry Potter fans to clear their social schedules on a Wednesday.

Earlier today at her confirmation hearings, Sonia Sotomayor said that judges gather information from everywhere — including Wikipedia. Which explains why she kept citing the landmark case Roe v. Wade Boggs.

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Signs You're Watching A Bad Wizard Movie

10. Only potion he can make is instant coffee

9. It's set in the mystical fantasy land of Trenton

8. Uses his power to transform Times Square into pedestrian mall

7. "Capes" are actually Slankets — the blanket with sleeves!

6. His magic word is "meat"

5. He has the ability to render people queasy

4. Instead of broomsticks, they ride Dustbusters

3. They lose to the Knicks, 110-93 (oh, I'm sorry, that's a sign you're watching a bad Washington Wizards game)

2. Uses cloak of invisibility to sneak into "Bruno"

1. Five words: Harry Potter is Regis Philbin

David Letterman

Emmy nominations are out. I was nominated in an unusual category — Best Apology.

Bernie Madoff’s accountant got 105 years. When Bernie heard about the accountant getting less time than he did, he said, “Oh, that lucky stiff.”

But I thought this was sweet: Bernie called the guy and said, “Since you’re getting out ahead of me, can you look in on my wife Ruth when you get out?”

He’s in prison sweeping floors. And they get paid: 14 cents a day. Today, Bernie said to his cell mate, “I can double that for you.”

Craig Ferguson

Sad day for Amy Winehouse. She got divorced. She had problems settling the divorce. She and her husband had been fighting over the crack pipes.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon mission. Some people don’t believe there was a moon landing. There’s a technical name for these people — jerks.

The Russians actually sent a dog into space. They had to fire up a Frisbee first, but they did it.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

California has no money. Our budget situation is a mess. So a state representative introduced a bill to legalize marijuana and he claims it will raise almost a billion and a half dollars a year in taxes. And another $3 billion in Cheetos sales.

They have a campaign: “Marijuana — the Weed That Works.”

Snoop Dogg alone could balance the budget.

Jimmy Fallon

Oprah Winfrey was No. 1 on the Forbes list of the Most Influential Women in Media. Oprah celebrated by buying Forbes.

A judge dismissed Donald Trump’s court case against an author who questioned Trump’s claim whether he was worth $3 billion dollars. This has been going on for a while. It took the judge a few months to comb-over the evidence.

After two years of marriage, Amy Winehouse got divorced this morning from her husband. The romance has been over for a while; toward the end there, they were sleeping in separate gutters.

Sen. Sessions 'Cracks' Up Hearing With Cocaine Remark

WASHINGTON -- It's pretty certain that Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., didn't mean what he said.

He was talking to Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, about scheduling a Senate Judiciary hearing on the disparity of the penalties for crack cocaine versus powder cocaine

Sessions said he and Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., had been talking about it. "Senator Leahy and I were talking during these hearings, we're going to do that crack cocaine thing you and I have talked about before," Sessions said.

The hearing room cracked up.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., looked over at Sessions. "Please rephrase it, Senator. Please rephrase," he said.

Sessions laughed along with the crowd. "I misspoke," he clarified. "We're going to reduce the burden of penalties in some of the crack cocaine cases and make them fair."

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

Sonia Sotomayor was testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and said that she "felt out of place" attending Princeton. Sotomayor said there were so many white males in Princeton that she felt like she was testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is trying to bounce back from his sex scandal. He has cleared his schedule this week to go on a personal trip with his wife. Sanford said he wanted to go somewhere exotic and romantic, but he’s going to get this trip with his wife out of the way first.

Yesterday Democrats in the House introduced a 1,000-page national healthcare plan. To make sure at least some people read it, they named it “Harry Potter and the Half-Pound Proposal.”

Speaking of Harry Potter — the new Harry Potter film opened nationwide last night. Star Trek fans were especially excited because it’s the one night out of the year they get to look down on someone.

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Ways Bruce Willis Is Spending His Summer

10. If I were doing anything, why would I be wasting my time here?

9. I'm hosting several "fire David Letterman" rallys

8. I believe the technical term is "chillaxing"

7. I'll be kicking ass at the county fair with my 250 pound tomato

6. I'll be traveling to Argentina with Gov. Mark Sanford

5. I dropped my resume off at the Dairy Queen in Secaucus, so we'll see what happens

4. I'll be losing those last five pounds for bikini season

3. I will be in the front row at every Jonas Brothers concert, baby!

2. Beginning work on my latest action movie, "Die Hard 5: Die Harderest"

1. Agreeing to do a lame Top Ten list just so I can meet Paul McCartney

David Letterman

Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings going on . . . good news: The FDA just announced a new nondrowsy Orrin Hatch. And boy do we need it.

Her confidence is growing day to day. In fact, today, she showed up wearing the yellow jersey.

President Obama threw out the first pitch at the All-Star Game. Because they were playing in St. Louis, in a National League park, he also had to bat.

I thought it was fascinating how the New York papers covered the event. The New York Times said that Obama threw a perfect strike. The Daily News said he threw a ball. The New York Post said that he was making out with Kate Hudson.

Craig Ferguson

Today is a day I wait for all year — Cow Appreciation Day. So I had a burger for dinner.

The Ukraine has banned the movie “Bruno.” They say it’s filled with nudity and gay sex . . . but there are some things they don’t like too.

Oprah again has topped Forbes’ list of most influential women in the media. Second place? Ryan Seacrest.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The latest Harry Potter movie opened last night at midnight. This weekend it goes head to head with “Bruno,” so make sure your kids into the right theatre.

Michael Jackson is still the biggest thing in the news today. His brother Tito says that he tried to have an intervention with Michael, but Michael’s staff shut him out of the house and even set up roadblocks to keep him out. But seriously, if Tito was your brother you’d do the same thing. Tito-proofing his house is probably the sanest thing Michael ever did.

Michael’s father Joe is talking about turning Michael’s kids into an act and taking them on tour . . . which they say is the best thing to do for kids mourning the death of their father. Letting Joe Jackson train another Jackson family singing group is like letting Michael Vick train another dog.

Jimmy Fallon

Bill Clinton revealed that he now supports same-sex marriage, even though he opposed it during his presidency. To be fair, during his presidency he also opposed his own marriage.

Last night, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” set a box office record for midnight showings, making over 22 million dollars. It also set a record for the most 40-year-old guys wearing capes. Even Pope Benedict gave his blessing to the Harry Potter movie. The Vatican officially approved it. He gave it four stars, three Hail Marys, and an Our Father.

The Obama administration is considering replacing the color-coded terror alert system. They're not sure what with, but anything where you don't spend 10 minutes at the airport going, "Wait, is orange bad, or is orange good?”

Health Bill Taxes Small Business, Mandates Coverage

House Democrats on Tuesday rolled out a far-reaching $1.5 trillion plan that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans, with medical providers, employers and the wealthiest picking up most of the tab.

The federal government would be responsible for ensuring that every person, regardless of income or the state of their health, has access to an affordable insurance plan. Individuals and employers would have new obligations to get coverage, or face hefty penalties.

Health care overhaul is President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, and his goal is to slow rising costs and provide coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured Americans.

Democratic leaders said they would push the measure through committee and toward a vote in the full House by month's end, while the pace of activity quickened on the other side of the Capitol.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wanted floor debate to begin a week from Monday. Other officials said that timetable was likely to slip. Even so, it underscored a renewed sense of urgency.

The House legislation unveiled by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats would slow the growth of Medicare and Medicaid payments to medical providers. From big hospitals to solo physician practices, providers also would be held to account for quality care, not just ordering up tests and procedures. Insurance companies would be prohibited from denying coverage to the sick. The industry also would face stiff competition from a new government plan designed along the lines of Medicare.

The liberal-leaning plan lacked figures on total costs, but a House Democratic aide said the total bill would add up to about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private calculations. Most of the bill's costs come in the last five years after the 2012 presidential election.

The legislation calls for a 5.4 percent tax increase on individuals making more than $1 million a year, with a gradual tax beginning at $280,000 for individuals. Employers who don't provide coverage would be hit with a penalty equal to 8 percent of workers' wages with an exemption for small businesses. Individuals who decline an offer of affordable coverage would pay 2.5 percent of their incomes as a penalty, up to the average cost of a health insurance plan.

With Obama pressing Congress to act on health care this summer, House leaders want to move their bill quickly through three committees and to a floor vote before the August congressional recess. But a group of moderate and conservative Democrats has withheld support, and no Republican votes are expected.

The House bill seemed unlikely to win broad backing in the Senate, where the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was expected to finish its version of the legislation Wednesday in what was looking to be a party-line vote. Another panel, the Senate Finance Committee, was striving to unveil a bill by the end of the week.

Standing before a banner that read "Quality Affordable Care for the Middle Class," Pelosi, D-Calif., called the moment "historic and transformative." The bill would provide "stability and peace of mind" by braking costs and guaranteeing coverage, she said.

"We are going to accomplish what many people felt wouldn't happen in our lifetime," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., one of the main sponsors. Obama, who issued a statement hailing the measure, plans to keep up the pressure on Congress by delivering remarks in the Rose Garden on Wednesday.

Speaking in Warren, Mich., where he was promoting new spending for community colleges, Obama anticipated a congressional confrontation over health care.

"There's going to be a major debate over the next three weeks," he said, deviating from his prepared text. "And don't be fooled by folks trying to scare you saying we can't change the health care system.We have no choice but to change the health care system because right now it's broken for too many Americans."

Separately, Obama spoke by telephone with Sen. Charles Grassley, the Iowa Republican viewed as critical to the fate of bipartisan negotiations in the Senate.

House Democrats said the income tax increase in their bill would apply only to the top 1.2 percent of households, those who earn about one-quarter of all income. The wealthiest 4 percent of small business owners would be among them. The tax would start at 1 percent for couples making $350,000 and individuals earning $280,000, ramp up to 1.5 percent above $500,000 of income, and jump to 5.4 percent for those earning above $1 million.

The tax would raise an estimated $544 billion over 10 years.

Business groups and the insurance industry immediately assailed the legislation. In a letter to lawmakers, major business organizations branded the 1,000-page bill a job-killer. Its coverage mandate would automatically raise the cost of hiring a new worker, they said.

"Exempting some micro-businesses will not prevent this provision from killing many jobs," the letter said. "Congress should allow market forces and employer autonomy to determine what benefits employers provide, rather than deciding by fiat."

The business groups also warned that the U.S. health care system could be damaged by adding a government-run insurance plan and a federal council that would make some decisions on benefits, as called for in the legislation. Thirty-one organizations signed the letter, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable representing top corporate CEOs and the National Retail Federation.

The House bill would change the way individuals and many employers get health insurance. It would set up a new national purchasing pool, called an exchange. The exchange would offer a menu of plans, with different levels of coverage. A government plan would be among the options, and the exchange would eventually be open to most employers. Insurers say that combination would drive many of them out of business since the public plan would be able to offer lower premiums to virtually all Americans.

But backers of a public plan — including Obama — say it would provide healthy competition for the insurance industry.

Under the House bill, the government would provide subsidies to make coverage more affordable for households with incomes up to four times the federal poverty level, or $88,000 for a family of four and $43,000 for an individual. Medicaid — the federal-state health program for the poor — would be expanded to individuals and families up to 133 percent of the poverty line. About 17 million people would remain uninsured — about 6 percent of the population — and half of them would be illegal immigrants.

The legislation also would improve the Medicare prescription drug benefit by gradually reducing a coverage gap known as the 'doughnut hole.'

The individual and employer coverage requirements would raise about $192 billion over 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office said.

Even before the bill was unveiled, the House Ways and Means Committee announced it would vote on the proposal beginning on Thursday. The panel is one of three that must act before the bill can go to the full House, probably later in the month.

Some House Democrats privately have expressed concern that they will be required to vote on higher taxes, only to learn later that the Senate does not intend to follow through with legislation of its own. That would leave rank-and-file House Democrats up for re-election next year in the uncomfortable position of having to explain their vote on a costly bill that never reached Obama's desk or became law.

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

Yesterday in Washington, President Obama was in the middle of giving a speech when his teleprompter fell to the floor and shattered. Meanwhile Joe Biden's teleprompter has been treated for exhaustion.

Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings are well underway. Political experts say that if Republican senators attack Sonia Sotomayor too harshly, they could alienate Latino members of their own party. This may explain why Republicans opened every question with, “As a huge fan of Santana . . .”

More details are coming out about Judge Sotomayor: Apparently, she’s a big New York Yankees Fan. This is good news for the Yankees because apparently they really need a strong lefty off the bench.

Former President George W. Bush released the final list of all the guests who stayed overnight at the White House when he was president. The most frequent visitor was someone known as “The Wiggles.”

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Signs Sonia Sotomayor Is Getting Cocky

10. Addressed senators with "Whaddaya say, meat?"

9. Spent the entire hearing updating her Twitter page

8. Interrupted questioning to get fitted for her robe

7. Turned surprisingly hostile when told "No open containers"

6. Left early to tackle the case of Sotomayor v. Applebee's riblets

5. Started hitting on Clarence Thomas

4. Kept referring to Al Franken as "Church Lady"

3. Phoned in from All Star Game in St. Louis to see how the confirmation hearings were going

2. Only answers she gave were "Maybe," and "How the hell should I know?"

1. Took the day off to go salmon fishing with Sarah Palin

David Letterman

Swindler Bernie Madoff was moved to a prison down in Atlanta, so it will be harder for his wife Ruth to visit him. And I thought, “Well, finally . . . things are starting to go Bernie’s way.”

He’s in prison for swindling billions of dollars. He’s in prison for 150 years. When you go to the can, though, you get a job. His job is sweeping the prison floor. He makes 14 cents a d ay . . . think about it . . . 150 years, at 14 cents a day . . . That adds up.

Dick Cheney was vice president for eight years. Well, it turns out that he had a secret hit squad for al-Qaida . . . his own personal hit squad he set up with the CIA to assassinate al-Qaida members. Here’s who was on the team: Lee Marvin, Jim Brown, Telly Savalas, and Trini Lopez as Pedro.

The secret assassination squad was a tough group of guys. To make the team, you had to survive a hunting trip with Cheney.

Craig Ferguson

Today is the greatest day ever — it’s National Nude Day.

No, it’s a great day because it’s Bastille Day. Bastille Day was the beginning of the French Revolution. It was a period of turmoil for France. Napoleon turned up as a hero for a while,, then he was kicked out. Then they decided they wanted him back so they put him on at 10 o’clock on NBC . . .

French revolutionaries heard there were political prisoners inside the Bastille, so they broke into the Bastille with a battering ram made of soft cheese. Much of my research is done on Wikipedia.

When they got inside, they found out there weren’t any political prisoners, just drunks, thieves, and sexual deviants — like the cast of “60 Minutes.”

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The death of Michael Jackson continues to be at the top of the news. He meant a lot to a lot of people. I mean, Sarah Palin quit her job because of it.

Now Sarah Palin and her husband are holed up in their igloo listening to “I Can’t Stop Loving You” over and over again.

Both his sister, Latoya Jackson, and his father, Joe Jackson, think Michael was murdered. At the top of their list of suspects? Joe and Latoya Jackson.

There are all sorts of crazy rumors going around about Michael Jackson. One of them is that his brain is someplace other than with the rest of his body. I don’t know who has it, but I do find it a little suspicious that Donald Trump is suddenly able to moonwalk.

Jimmy Fallon

President Obama attended the All-Star Game in St. Louis today. He was there to give a 10-run bailout to whoever was losing in the ninth inning.

Sarah Palin’s friends say they are worried about her — she looks frail and her hair is thinning. But it’s all part of her plan to run for president in 2012 as John McCain.

Democrats want an investigation into a secret CIA program that was concealed from Congress by Dick Cheney. It was so secret that Cheney could tell you about it, but then he’d have to take you hunting.

President Obama’s teleprompter fell to the ground and shattered during a speech about the economy yesterday. Even speeches about the economy are crashing. That’s bad.

Murtha Scandals Widen to Include Florida Projects

The defense appropriations scandal surrounding Democratic Rep. John Murtha is widening.

Prosecutors are revealing more details about an $8 million Air Force project in Florida earmarked by the Pennsyvania congressman, who chairs the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, The Washington Post reports.

The project at Pensacola Air Force base was supposed to research new battlefield technologies, and Murtha pushed millions of taxpayer dollars into the program to hire defense contractors.

But the project collapsed when federal investigators discovered that money ended up in the hands of companies tied to Murtha. Several defense contractors were paid for work they didn’t do or wasn’t supposed to be done.

This isn’t Murtha’s first brush with scandal related to his earmarks.

Newsmax has reported several other instances. On June 3, for example, Newsmax ran a story that Murtha evidently transferred $8.2 million in a tsunami relief bill to a military equipment company that was a client of his brother's lobbying firm.

And Newsmax reported June 5 that Murtha steered millions of dollars in defense work to a campaign donor, and the Pentagon went along with it, despite the fact that two convicted drug dealers had been deeply involved with the company.

As for the Pensacola case, the feds have left out one crucial element, The Post reports: Murtha’s brother Robert. A few of the companies involved hired his lobbying firm, KSA Consulting.

But now one of KSA’s former clients has promised to spill the beans as to what crimes he saw committed on the project. That’s Richard Ianierie, former chief executive of Coherent Systems International.

His business experienced strong growth after hiring KSA. Now he’s expected to plead guilty for taking kickbacks and producing false bills.

So far, there’s no proof that either of the Murthas knew about the companies’ misdeeds. But it sure smells funny.

Beltway heavies of all political stripes are blasting Murtha for his behavior.

He “has become the poster child for everything that is wrong with the earmarking process,” the American Issues Project writes on its web site.

“He uses his seniority and position on the Appropriations Committee to secure earmarks which he then passes on to companies he has personal relationships with.”

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor got underway. Critics of Sotomayor claim that she has a bias against white people. This morning she proved them wrong by showing up at the hearings wearing a Coldplay T-shirt and carrying a yoga mat.

People in New York are especially excited about Judge Sotomayor because she comes from the Bronx. In fact, Judge Sotomayor famously presided over the landmark New York City case, “Shut Up v. No, YOU Shut Up.”

President Obama has another nominee in the news — his nomination for surgeon general is a doctor who practices in rural Alabama and still makes house calls. Of course, in Alabama, a house call is when the patient drives his house to you.

California lawmakers are still trying to close the state’s massive budget deficit, so they’re now talking about saving money by consolidating state agencies. By far the most controversial proposal is for a “Department of Education, Firearms and Alcohol.”

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Dick Cheney Excuses

10. Was going to make it public, but then I remembered I'm an evil bastard

9. It was so secret, I didn't even tell myself about it

8. Uh oh, chest pains — gotta go!

7. Wasn't me — I was judging a water ski exhibition in Orlando

6. Hellooo — everything I do is illegal

5. Spy program? I thought it was a pie program

4. No habla Ingles

3. I can't willfully violate the Constitution and the rights of every American citizen — what is this, Russia?

2. Dude, bros before hos

1. If I announced every evil thing I did, I wouldn't have time to shoot old guys in the face

David Letterman

Hot today. So hot, Sarah Palin had to wear sunblock for her rambling press conference.

There’s a new bin Laden tape. They’re sure it’s new because in it he says that he doesn’t think “Bruno” is as funny as “Borat.”

They found out that Dick Cheney, while he was vice president, had a thing going with the CIA. He went to them and said, “This will be just between you and me. We’re going to run our own antiterrorism program. Don’t tell Congress . . .” Eight years this was going on. When I heard this I said to myself, “Gosh — that doesn’t sound like the Dick Cheney I know.”

No one knew anything about Cheney's secret plan. It was called “Operation Hunting Accident.”

Craig Ferguson

The movie “Bruno” was the No. 1 movie over the weekend. Gay groups are up in arms saying it reinforces the stereotypes of gay people . . . that they are always pushing the boundaries of fashion . . . they’re friendly . . . they’re in great shape . . . what a bastard you are Bruno!

The “Bruno” movie is a joke. Comedians say jokes that upset people. That’s the way it is. That’s why I always make fun of the Amish. No TV!

Even Elton John said the movie was OK. That should be good enough — he’s the king of gay-sylvania . . . or should I say queen . . .

Jimmy Fallon

Sarah Palin said that when she leaves the governor’s office, she is open to campaigning for some Democrats. So that’s great news . . . for Republicans.

Joe Biden’s wife Jill is having surgery today to relieve pain in her shoulder. Apparently, it’s a repetitive stress injury from elbowing Joe every time he says something stupid.

This weekend several people were seriously injured during the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Turns out unleashing angry bulls onto a crowded city street is dangerous.

Bernie Madoff said he will not appeal his 150-year prison sentence. He just wants to do the time and then get on with his life as a 221-year-old.

Americans Reject Stimulus, Don't Want Another

The stimulus isn't working, and Americans don't want another – that’s the finding of a new IBD/TIPP Poll. So why is Congress mulling a second stimulus when the first has so obviously failed?

The poll found that 53 percent of Americans believe the $787 billion stimulus plan passed in February was "not effective" in "getting the economy going in the right direction." Just 43 percent said it was. Respondents were even more emphatic — 54 percent to 39 percent — in rejecting the second stimulus the White House and congressional Democrats are mulling.

Republicans were least impressed by the first stimulus, with fully 81 percent saying it hasn't worked. Independents turned thumbs down 55 percent to 43 percent. Democrats, by 64 percent to 31 percent, say the stimulus is working — yet, strangely, think another is needed (60 percent to 40 percent). Both sides of this debate can't be right. But so far there's little factual evidence or data to suggest the stimulus has done much of anything.

On Tuesday, President Obama himself said he expected unemployment to rise for "several months" — a far cry from the fast turnaround the White House promised if the stimulus passed.

Meantime, we've reached a dubious milestone: The U.S. budget deficit, swollen with pork barrel and stimulus spending, just crossed the $1 trillion mark — and the year's not over yet.

So while we have very little economic activity to show for all the stimulus and bailout money spent, we'll have a massive debt hanging over our collective heads for decades to come.

The stimulus was supposed to keep unemployment under 8 percent and "create or save" 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010. With joblessness now at 9.5 percent, White House economic adviser Christina Romer on Tuesday admitted there was no way to tell how many jobs were created or saved. Stimulus, it seems, is faith-based economics.

With 2.5 million jobs lost since the start of the year, you'd think a new course of action would be under discussion. Instead, Democrats talk about a "second stimulus," apparently oblivious to the failure of the first.

In addition, the Democrat-controlled House has passed a 5.4 percent surtax on "millionaires" to fund health care. It's really an entrepreneur tax. This would be on top of the higher taxes the Democrats want on those with incomes over $250,000 and small businesses — the very engines of growth responsible for 80% of our new jobs.

Hasn't anyone noticed that despite a 20 percent jump in spending over the last year, tax revenues have plunged 18 percent — largely because many of the "millionaires" Congress is going after are going broke?

So are the rest of us. Web site E-forecasting.com estimates the U.S. has lost over $108 billion in real GDP since the stimulus began.

Our poll and others show a deepening disgust with radical policies that have resulted in out-of-control spending, over-the-top debt, looming tax hikes and an ever-tightening grip on the private economy. Anything, in other words, but economic growth.

Obama Waste Prevention Site Wastes $18 Million

The Obama administration is wasting $18 million to fix a Web site whose original purpose was just that -- to stop wasteful spending, congressional Republicans say.

The much-touted Recovery.gov Web site was created shortly after President Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus into law on Feb. 17.

The administration's decision to spend another $18 million to fix a Web site that's less than five months old touched off a strident response from House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

"This is the most ridiculous thing I've heard," Boehner told reporters. "They took stimulus money to actually create this Web site. It doesn't work very well, and now they want $18 million more money to redo their Web site -- to track how this wasteful spending is being wasted.

"Now listen," Boehner continued, "this is another waste of money. This is what Americans just get infuriated about."

In a final aside, Boehner muttered, "At least the money didn't go to ACORN."

Sources say stimulus funds paid for the initial cost of building the Web site. It remains unclear how much it cost originally.

Late last week, the General Services Administration announced it would spend another $18 million to redesign that Web site.

Some $9.5 million will be paid through January 2010, and if all options in the contract are exercised through 2014, the work would ultimately be worth $17.9 million to Smartronix, the politically connected Maryland firm that won the contract.

Critics say the current Recovery.gov site is ineffective.

"Despite assurances from the Obama administration that stimulus spending would be fully transparent, the system for tracking stimulus spending is fractured, redundant, and disorganized," Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Gregory Korte recently reported.

Users can't use the site to determine how much stimulus money has been spent so far in a given region, Korte said.

The Recovery.gov Web site was heralded by the administration as an innovative, high-tech way to provide transparency. The president and others assured voters it would ensure mountains of stimulus cash were spent wisely.

Recovery.gov seemed star-crossed almost from the beginning, however.

During his address to Congress earlier this year, President Obama spoke about the importance of protecting the credibility of the stimulus plan by tracking spending.

"And that's why I've asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort, because nobody messes with Joe," Obama said.

That line that drew peals of laughter and a standing ovation. But the next day, Biden was unaware of the Web site's address during an appearance on CBS's The Early Show.

"You know, I'm embarrassed," Biden said, when asked to provide the Web site address. "I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."

A moment later an aide prompted Biden with the information, which he provided.

Hearing the objectives for the site, following its $18 million overhaul, may give voters a sense of déjà vu.

GSA Commissioner James A. Williams says the site will "use innovative and interactive technologies to help taxpayers see where their dollars are being spent."

He added, "Armed with easy access to this information, taxpayers can make government more accountable for its decisions."

Director Panetta Nixed CIA Plan to Kill al-Qaida Targets

WASHINGTON -- The Central Intelligence Agency had a secret plan to capture or kill Al-Qaeda operatives but it was terminated by new CIA Director Leon Panetta, The Wall Street Journal said late Sunday.

Citing unnamed former intelligence officials familiar with the matter, the newspaper said the precise nature of the highly classified effort remained unclear, and the CIA would not comment on its substance.

According to current and former government officials, the agency spent money on planning and possibly some training of its operatives for the mission, the report said.

It was acting on a 2001 presidential legal finding, which authorized the CIA to pursue such efforts. But the initiative had not become fully operational at the time Panetta ended it.

Citing three unnamed former intelligence officials, The Journal said that in 2001, the CIA also examined the subject of targeted assassinations of Al-Qaeda leaders. But those discussions tapered off within six months.

Neither Panetta nor members of Congress provided details, said the Journal, adding that he quashed the CIA effort after learning about it on June 23.

Meanwhile, Representative Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said little money had been spent on the project — closer to one million dollars than 50 million.

"The idea for this kind of program was tossed around in fits and starts," The Journal quoted Hoekstra as saying.

The New York Times reported on its Web site Saturday that former vice president Dick Cheney had ordered the CIA to withhold information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years.

Panetta, who ended the program when he learned of its existence, revealed Cheney's role in a closed briefing to the Senate and House intelligence committees, the paper said, without specifying the nature of the program.

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

Big day for the president — earlier today in Vatican City, President Obama had a historic meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. Or, as Fox News is reporting it, “Obama caught with old man in dress.”

This is a big deal though — President Obama had a private 35-minute meeting at the Vatican with Pope Benedict. That’s right, the man considered by millions of followers to be infallible had a meeting with Pope Benedict.

Today, many newspapers around the country featured a picture from Italy where it appears President Obama is checking out a woman’s rear-end. Which is surprising because usually the only ass Obama has to keep his eye on is Joe Biden.

Of course, the president’s in Africa now. CNN’s Anderson Cooper landed an exclusive interview with President Obama in Ghana. So now Obama’s challenge will be to somehow pick Anderson Cooper out of a crowd of Africans.

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Signs You're Staying At The Same Hotel As Osama Bin Laden

10. He's registered under the name Osama bin Johnson

9. Sign on the door reads: do not disturb, infidel pig dog

8. The predator drone circling above the pool bar

7. Clumps of camel hair in the jacuzzi

6. Guy in the room next door keeps shouting, "Death to overpriced minibar snacks!"

5. Maid leaves a chocolate-covered goat's eye on your pillow

4. Main ballroom is booked for the 9th Annual Jihaddy Awards

3. You get on an empty elevator, but all the buttons are pushed and that's so bin Laden

2. You overhear concierge say, "We don't offer turndown service for your turban"

1. George W. Bush can't find the hotel

David Letterman

Bernie Madoff going away for 150 years. His wife, Ruth, was left with 2 ½ million dollars. The confiscated everything. She lost her house, her car, her savings . . . it’s like being a Bernie Madoff client.

Frightening times with all these crazy dictators. But they’re all small, really. Kim Jong Il? Tiny guy. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Tiny guy. Mayor Bloomberg? Tiny guy.

Over the weekend, North Korea test-fired several missiles — their way of say, “Iran’s not the craziest country, we are.”

Stimulus Is a Costly 'Flop'

Republicans lined up Sunday in opposition to a second economic stimulus package, a rare demonstration of unity from an out-of-power political party in search of a rallying cry against President Barack Obama.

Republicans called Obama's $787 billion spending plan a "flop" and said it hasn't fulfilled its hype. They criticized the White House for increasing the federal deficit and doing little to combat an unemployment rate that hit 9.5 percent in June.

"The reality is it hasn't helped yet," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. "Only about 6.8 percent of the money has actually been spent. What I proposed is, after you complete the contracts that are already committed, the things that are in the pipeline, stop it."

Obama has urged patience with his spending program, which administration officials acknowledge was designed with incorrect or incomplete economic data. On Saturday, Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address to tell Americans they should let the plan move forward before denouncing it.

Republicans, though, were not willing to sit by idly.

"I do think it is fair to say that the stimulus is a flop," said Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va. "The goal that was set when we passed it was unemployment wouldn't rise past 8.5 percent, and what we see now is businesses just aren't hiring. Even the best projections have us losing 750,000 more jobs this year."

Congress passed Obama's economic stimulus plan over the objection of out-of-power Republican lawmakers. Since then, GOP aides on Capitol Hill and officials alike have seized on the spending's shortcomings and unfilled promises.

"A lot of it has been spent on ridiculous projects," said Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who was his party's presidential nominee last year.

Obama's allies defended the spending they helped usher into law.

"It's a two-year plan and we're four months into it," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Some, including billionaire Warren Buffet, have called for a second round of spending to steady the economy. Obama and his allies have said it's too early to make that decision; his critics, though, pledged to redouble their opposition to any second spending bill.

"I think that would be the biggest mistake we could ever make," McCain said.

Kyl and Durbin appeared on ABC's "This Week." Cantor spoke with "Fox News Sunday." McCain was interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

I’ve got the latest news on Sarah Palin — the latest rumor in the entertainment industry is that Sarah Palin may be getting her own TV show. Experts say it will be perfect for TV viewers who find Paula Abdul “too coherent.”

Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she sees no need for a House resolution in praise of Michael Jackson. Pelosi added, “Isn’t it enough that I’m slowly starting to look like him?”

The economy still struggling . . . the latest figures show that because of the bad economy, homelessness in the suburbs is increasing. So the next time you hear something rustling around in your trash, it could be one of the “Real Housewives of New Jersey.”

This week in Moscow, President Obama and President Medvedev agreed to cut the United States’ and Russia’s nuclear stockpiles by a third. They also agreed to cut Medvedev’s name by a “dev.”

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Reasons To See The New Movie "Bruno" Presented By Bruno

10. It's like "Transformers" but not as gay

9. Features lots of suggestive words like "bratwurst" and "schnitzel"

8. I'm sorry, I got distracted by how delicious I look

7. If you ask nicely, the guys behind the candy counter will rub the chemical butter all uber your buttocks

6. Don't you want to see a crazy gay Austrian who isn't the governor of California?

5. It's rated "F" for fabulous

4. I do a lot of this (Bruno strikes a pose)

3. Harry Potter isn't the only movie character who's good with his wand

2. Bruno is a flamboyantly gay entertainer who makes people uncomfortable . . . like David Letterman

1. Hello? I'm in it

David Letterman

Sarah Palin is no longer the governor of Alaska. It looks like she may get her own TV program. And I was thinking, “I don’t know . . . she seems pretty camera shy . . .”

Here’s what I would say to her: “If you get a TV show, you gotta be careful with what you say on the air. You could get yourself into a lot of trouble. Be careful.”

Bernie Madoff, the guy who stole like $140 billion, is in prison, but his wife, Ruth had like $80 million that she said was her own money. They didn’t buy it. They left her with $2.5 million. I hope the poor dear can make it.

Now she’s looking for an apartment in the $400,000 range. Here in New York City that’ll get her a place just a little bit smaller than where her husband is.

Craig Ferguson

There’s a new study that says over the course of a lifetime, the average woman spends a year of her life deciding what to wear. Some women spend a lot more time than that. Cher has a 10,000-square-foot dressing room in Las Vegas. Every night she spends hours trying stuff on — noses, ears . . . she’s like Mr. Potato Head.

They say that women get dressed up to impress other women. I think that’s true because no guy ever turned a woman down because her shoes didn’t match her earrings.

Guys work differently. It’s basically the smell test: You pick it up, and if doesn’t smell that bad — put it on.

Economic Woes Drive GOP Recruitment Up

Economic woes always provide opportunities for the party out of power to make headway in the next election. And that’s no different this time around as Republicans gird up for 2010 races.

The Republican Party is having its best luck attracting strong candidates in years, as GOP politicians see enhanced chances for victory, The Hill reports.

A stubborn recession, near collapse of the financial system, volatile financial markets, unemployment at 9.5 percent and a fiscal stimulus package struggling to gain traction don’t exactly provide the strongest platform for Democrats.

The GOP scored two recruiting coups this week, as New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill, entered high-profile Senate races in their states.

And just as Republicans are sticking their hats in the political ring, many Democrats are withdrawing.

Two strong potential Senate candidates have stepped out of their races: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota.

In Illinois, Kirk’s announcement came just after Madigan’s decision to withdraw. She would have been a strong favorite for the Senate seat formerly held by President Obama.

The White House, including Obama himself, leaned on Madigan hard to run, but she decided to seek reelection as attorney general instead.

The sinking popularity of Obama and the Democrats is encouraging Republicans.

“They’re getting candidates, and the polling numbers seem to be changing — not so much that it’s pro-Republican as it is anti-Democrat,” Atlanta-based Republican consultant David Johnson tells The Hill.

“It could change, but it’s beginning to feel a lot like 2006 and 2008 did for the Democrats.”

The Republican momentum comes squarely from the economic mess. That is the focus of the new candidates.

Republicans already sitting in Congress are working hard against a second fiscal stimulus package.

“All of this talk of a second stimulus bill, I think, is an admission on the part of the administration that their stimulus plan is not working,” House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters.

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

In a recent study, the United States was ranked the 114th happiest country in the world. Then Sarah Palin stepped down, and now we’re at 17.

Since resigning as governor, many say Sarah Palin is now going to spend some time working on her memoirs. Alaskans are saying they can’t wait to start reading Palin’s memoirs and then quit half way through.

Sen. John McCain says he’s been using Twitter to share his opinions on this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star game. Apparently, no one has the heart to tell McCain that he’s been “Twittering” on his garage door opener.

President Obama arrived in Italy this morning to attend the G-8 Summit, and he praised the Italians for being our “great allies.” He went on to say, “Except, of course, for anytime we’ve ever been to war.”

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Questions Bernie Madoff Asked Today In Prison

10. Has it been 150 years yet?

9. Who do I have to swindle to get a freshly-pressed jumpsuit?

8. Which way to the penthouse cell?

7. Because of my business dealings with the Latin kings, can you keep me away from the Crips?

6. What mixes better in a toilet, sangria or daiquiris?

5. Will I get special treatment if I help the guards hide money from the IRS?

4. I'd like the truffle-crusted halibut

3. Did I mention that it was an April Fools' prank that just got out of control?

2. Will someone TiVo "America's Got Talent" for me for the next 149 years?

1. Is it OK if I decline a conjugal request from my wife?

David Letterman

Bernie Madoff is in prison for 150 years. He has hired a prison consultant . . . I believe it's Martha Stewart.

Good news for his wife, Ruth Madoff. They returned her passport. Earlier today, she flew off to Argentina with Gov. Sanford.

How about Kim Jong Il? Shooting off missiles and scaring everybody . . . he made a rare appearance today. Here's what happened: He saw the shadow of his hair and went back in his hole.

People who watch him said he looked ill and haggard. In fact, a headline read, "Kim Jong Il, Ill."

Craig Ferguson

It's a very sad day in America — Oscar Meyer passed away at the age of 95. He'll be buried later this week in sauerkraut and mustard.

Los Angeles has declared war on marijuana dispensaries, where you get medical marijuana for medical reasons . . . glaucoma, tunnel vision . . . strangely, half of Los Angeles is suffering from the scourge of tunnel vision.

It's an epidemic here. It's worse than Botox or lying about your age.

You have to get a prescription from your doctor, which is not difficult in this town. M.D. stands for "marijuana dude."

NY Rep. Peter King Stands by Michael Jackson 'Pervert' Video

NEW YORK -- A New York congressman who posted a YouTube video blasting Michael Jackson as a "pervert" and child molester is standing by his words.

In an interview that aired Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," Rep. Peter King denied that there was anything racist in his remarks.

The Long Island Republican told host Bill O'Reilly that he "was saying what millions of Americans really felt."

In a 2003 documentary, Jackson admitted to letting children sleep with him in his bed at his California home but said it wasn't sexual. In 2005, a jury acquitted Jackson of charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor.

King is among the possible Republican contenders for the seat held by Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Late Nite Jokes

Conan O'Brien

It’s an emotional day. A lot of us are still mourning the loss of one of America’s most entertaining figures who left us all too soon. But don’t worry folks, Sarah Palin will be back.

Sen. John McCain was reportedly surprised by Sarah Palin’s resignation as governor of Alaska. McCain was also surprised to find that television now comes in color.

Today in Russia, President Obama delivered a speech to the graduating class of Moscow’s New economic school. The title of his speech was “Can We Borrow 4 Trillion Rubles?”

Yesterday President Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev; this morning he met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin; and then this afternoon he met with former President Mikhail Gorbachev. At the end of each meeting Obama would twist the Russian leader at this waist, then the next slightly smaller leader would pop out.

Late Show Top Ten

Top Ten Messages On Sarah Palin's Answering Machine

10. "Hi, It's George W. Bush. Why didn't anyone tell me resigning was an option?"

9. "It's John McCain . . . why did I call?"

8. "Mark Sanford here. Ever been to Argentina?"

7. "I'm calling from GEICO to see if you want to renew your dogsled insurance"

6. "It's Letterman — we still cool?"

5. "McCain again. Still no idea why I called"

4. "Hi, it's the dry cleaner. Having trouble getting caribou blood out of your Prada jacket"

3. "Hi, it's Sarah . . . oops . . . dialed my own number"

2. "Schwarzenegger here. If you want a job, California could use a new governor"

1. "Hey, it's McCain. Who would've thought you'd retire before I did?"

David Letterman

Bernie Madoff hired a prison consultant to learn how to live in the can. His first piece of advice was, "Bernie, try not to look so smokin' hot."

Bernie's wife says she has about $ 90 million. But she says it's not from swindling — it's money she saved by properly inflating her tires.

They said, "Ruth we don't believe you," and they left her with about $2.5 million." Poor Ruth. Bernie called her today and said, "Look, Ruth . . . I can double your money . . ."

If everything goes right, he'll be in prison for the next 150 years. He has 149 years, 11 months, 23 days, 10 hours, 22 minutes, and 35 seconds left. When you look at it like that, it doesn't seem so bad.

Craig Ferguson

It's an end of an era. Michael Jackson was the biggest star in the world for years. I remember when I first heard the "Thriller" video. I don't remember where the bar was, but it was 1983 so it's a safe bet I was in a bar.

Everyone was anxious to see it on MTV. This was when MTV played music videos. Not like now — it's like "surprise a skank with a camera."

The "Thriller" video answered the age-old question, Can zombies dance? The answer is, Yes they can!

I saw Michael Jackson in concert at Wembley Stadium in London. There were 70,000 English people there — about 300 teeth and 70,000 English people.

GOP May Have the Last Laugh on Sen. Al Franken

Whether Al Franken emerges as a godsend for Democrats or their worst political nightmare may depend on how well the merry prankster can reign in his rapier wit, and maintain the low profile expected of the Senate's most junior member.

Pundits tell Newsmax it won't be easy. Franken is an obvious lightning rod for the right’s righteous wrath, thanks in large measure to the many dubious firsts he brings to the Senate.

Franken is the only senator to joke about helping terrorists assassinate a U.S. president, to openly marvel that his cocaine habit hadn’t led to addiction, and the only salon who angrily drops F-bombs during campaign fundraisers.

He is also the only senator to laud the era of Internet communications as an “exciting time for pornographers.”

Franken's infinitesimal victory margin following a controversial recount has aroused the GOP base, and strategists expect GOP leaders will attempt to make Franken the poster child of the 111th Congress.

“The Republicans will get a celebrity target for fundraising and other purposes,” Dr. Larry J. Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, tells Newsmax.

Sabato adds Franken could do Democrats more harm than good if he doesn’t control his tongue.

“The key here is whether Franken reverts to form and says controversial things once in the Senate, or whether he can discipline himself to assume a low profile,” Sabato says. “If it’s the former, the GOP may do better than having the actual Senate seat, because Franken is so well known and his comments will generate the kind of controversy that usually helps the other party.”

Among the incidents that don't bode well on Franken's resume:

Angry Al – Franken has a penchant for occasionally going ballistic. He won't be the only senator exhibiting that ugly trait, but it raises the question of whether he has the right temperament to serve in the Senate.

Respected Minnesota political veteran Dean Barkley, who founded Minnesota’s Reform Party and served briefly in the U.S. Senate, saw Franken up close and personal during the campaign. Barkley ran as a third-party candidate against Franken and Coleman, and participated in the debates. What he saw made him nervous.

“Franken concerns me a little because he seems so partisan and angry,” Barkley tells Newsmax. “These are two traits that do not play well in the Senate.”

Franken has pounded desks during interviews, loosed profane tirades, and engaged in shouting matches with rivals. Any of those behaviors will be viewed as dreadful breaches of decorum in the U. S. Senate, and could backfire on Democrats.

“Al Franken is a funny man driven by anger,” conservative Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, tells Newsmax. “In politics the angry side comes out more often than the funny side. Voters tire of angry.”

Bye-Bye Bipartisanship – Although Franken says he will emulate Hillary Clinton's low key approach to the Senate, he instantly complicates Obama's aspiration for a less partisan Beltway bureaucracy. Franken's history of partisan broadsides could make it harder to find the consensus Obama seeks.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had an opponent who is so disliked by Republicans as Al Franken,” Minnesota GOP Party Chair Ron Carey told Politico.com.

Whether Franken can effectively operate on a stage where decorum reigns supreme is an open question.

Franken’s Annoying Friends – Democrats who chaff at the notion that their party is the darling of Hollywood’s rich and pampered probably hope Franken asks his celeb friends to stay away from Capitol Hill. Franken’s famous supporters during the campaign included Rosie O’Donnell, talk host Bill Maher, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, George Clooney, Ed Norton, the late liberal patriarch Paul Newman, producer Larry David, and cartoonist Garry Trudeau -- not to mention billionaire George Soros. It's not exactly a crowd in step with mainstream America.

In fact, Michael Brodkorb of MinnesotaDemocratsExposed.com told Fox News host Bill O’Reilly several months ago that so much of Franken’s campaign money came from Hollywood it raised the question “whether California will be gaining a third Senate seat.”

Franken may have to downplay his glitzy friendships to be accepted by Senate colleagues, but he’ll also have valuable connections to offer Democrats who need help winning elections.

Franken’s Mouthy Satire – In June, Franken’s campaign suffered a near-fatal blow when an article he wrote for Playboy Magazine titled “Porn-O-Rama!” surfaced. In it, Franken stated that Internet pornography had been a “terrific learning tool” for his 12-year-old son.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Franken in the Senate will be expected to set an example, rather than just mock the examples set by others. As perhaps the Senate’s most famous face, virtually everything he does and says will be echoed in the mainstream media.

His Serious Hypocrisy – People watch senators very carefully to see if they practice what they preach. “Do As I Say (Not As I Do)” author Peter Schweizer revealed that of the 112 staffers Franken had hired over the years, only one was African-American. Franken was so annoyed by that revelation that he threatened to sue. Now Franken will be under near-constant scrutiny, and if he chaffs at it his famous temper may erupt.

Frankly Bizarre Behavior – The Democrat reportedly used cocaine during his “Saturday Night Live” Days, and once spoke of being “in a manic high.” In 2004, he was caught joking on camera that he should have signaled "al-Qaida friends of mine" on how to assassinate President Bush. At the 2003 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, he shouted to Assistant Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz: “Clinton’s military did pretty well in Iraq, huh?” Also, Franken once appeared on the “Today” program with Matt Lauer to discuss his fantasy of assassinating Saddam Hussein, and impregnating actress Anne Heche with a cloned embryo of himself. In Congress, Franken will have to learn that while entertainers can dismiss off-color remarks as satire, U.S. senators cannot.

His Vitriol Runneth Over – To conform to Senate decorum, Franken will have to overcome his penchant for getting personal. Senators avoid the acrimonious personal attacks that Franken appears to relish.

For example, Franken said of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who was an aide to Attorney General Ed Meese during the Reagan era: “Being a racist and a sexist was a good calling card for the Reagan administration.”

That crack led to demands that Franken apologize to Alito and former first lady Nancy Reagan. Also, Franken once called presidential adviser Karl Rove “human filth” and former Bush administration spokesman Ari Fleischer a “chimp.”

Such a penchant for bitter personal attacks will be no laughing matter for Democrats, should Franken join the Senate.

Some pundits predict Franken will manage the Beltway fishbowl by becoming Mister Serious, and avoiding humor and sarcasm altogether.

Whether Franken can successfully tone himself down, however, remains to be seen.

“Al Franken is a clown and a buffoon, but he’ll quickly become old news as the junior senator from the Gopher State,” predicts Tobe Berkovitz, a Boston University communications professor who has served as a campaign consultant for many prominent Democrats.

The one consistent thing about Franken is his unpredictability.

“If he reverts to the obnoxious character Al Franken, circa ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and ruffles the feathers of the leadership of the Senate,” warns Berkovitz, “he will quickly become the poster boy for the Democrats run amuck and will be hammered by his colleagues, the Republicans, and most of the main-stream media.”

Or as Sabato puts it, “We’ll all find out together whether he can stop being so acerbic and grow into the office. No doubt, Democrats hope that will be the case.”

So if Franken behaves badly in the Senate, Senate Democrats may discover that the last laugh is on them.