Obama hails journalists’ release from North Korea WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama proclaimed the U.S. government “extraordinarily relieved” Wednesday over the release of two American journalists from North Korea and praised former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore for their roles. Speaking on the White House lawn just before leaving on a trip to Indiana, [...]

On Tuesday, Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) held a press conference on the “cash for clunkers” program and was met by “dozens” of conservative protesters trying to drown him out. The protest was organized by the St. Louis Tea Party, whose Bill Hennessy told protesters the location, the time, and what to bring (”Sign ideas: Cash for Clunkers destroys old cars; ObamaCare destroys old people”). On the day of the protest Hennessy put up another post attacking the White House for setting up an email address to answer questions about “fishy” rumors about health care reform.

From today’s Washington Post’s Reliable Sources : It was only a matter of time before someone combined a certain memorable image of a young future president with a jokey twist on his campaign slogan … to come up with a message that Barack Obama definitely did not approve. The folks at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws got there first.

Our political Quote of the Day comes from the Atlantic’s always perceptive Marc Ambinder who notes how former President Bill Clinton has rebounded and how “those talented Clintons are “defying Expectations Again,” thus providing yet another example of how conventional wisdom often withers when matched later reality. Ambinder recalls two warnings President Barack Obama got from some when he decided to choose then-Senator Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State: (1) Bill Clinton would embarrass the administration, and (2)the Clintons would be undisciplined, would leak and would create a counter administration within the Obama administration.

Predictably, both Russia and the United States have portrayed the recent summit in Moscow as a success. Indeed, the summit did produce some positive signs: a resumption of serious arms control negotiations after years of neglect, an agreement on U.S. military overflights of Russian territory to Afghanistan, and the creation of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, a structure that could give the relationship a high-level institutional focus.   But much more is needed for the “reset” to be real.

Predictably, both Russia and the United States have portrayed the recent summit in Moscow as a success. Indeed, the summit did produce some positive signs: a resumption of serious arms control negotiations after years of neglect, an agreement on U.S. military overflights of Russian territory to Afghanistan, and the creation of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, a structure that could give the relationship a high-level institutional focus.   But much more is needed for the “reset” to be real.

Much attention has been paid over the past few days to the raucous Congressional town halls that some see as a sign that the American people are revolting against ObamaCare and deficit spending. I’ve written about it, and the Club for Growth has cataloged the protests here, here, here, here, and here. There have been some allegations that the protests aren’t genuine, and the DNC has put out an ad trying to tie the protests into other “right wing extremists” such as the birthers.

The enormity and complexity of sending former President Bill Clinton to North Korea is a fascinating story.  We are learning more about it, and all seems modeled on the correct idea that former presidents with the ability can serve the nation in grand ways.  I have long argued that former leaders should be used on these type of missions.   I am sure this is only the first one for Bill Clinton.  As it should be.Mrs. Clinton was deeply involved in the case, too. She proposed sending various people to Pyongyang — including Mr.

Bradley A. Blakeman:  People are ticked off.

This thread at the Right Side of Life , keying off of a FreeRepublic.com thread, is actually a pretty useful look at the way facts bounce off of the “birther” community like so many eggs off of a Humvee. David Wiegel (sic) is a regular poster at the  Politijab Forum. Actually, no: I joined the site in order to read the threads at that superlative Web forum for “birther”-debunkers. I’ve never posted a comment there.