[via ThinkProgress]

First Governor Goodhair, now Crazy Eyes:

Michele Bachmann is practically synonymous with political controversy, and if the 2008 presidential election is any guide, the conservative Lutheran church she belonged to for many years is likely to add another chapter due to the nature of its beliefs — such as its assertion, explained and footnoted on this website, that the Roman Catholic Pope is the Antichrist.

So, the governing body of a church that Bachmann once attended has some unkind things to say about the Pope. This is relevant, how?

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Texas secession sympathizer Rick Perry may have warbled the Song of the South a decade earlier than we thought:

A 1998 voting guide published by a leading neo-Confederate group and obtained by Salon not only endorses Perry for lieutenant governor but also describes him as “a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.” Perry’s office did not respond to a request for comment about the governor’s possible membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

However, there’s a catch in the Salon story — we’re talking about two groups, only one of which was openly secessionist in 1998. And Perry didn’t join that group.

But what the heck, let’s see what the secessionist group is about:

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“Hundreds of bars, restaurants and stores across Minnesota are running out of beer and alcohol and others may soon run out of cigarettes — a subtle and largely unforeseen consequence of a state government shutdown.” [Minneapolis StarTribune]

Our guest columnist is David Brooks.

Two years ago, Democrats waxed romantic. This year, the Republicans seem modest and cautious. I haven’t seen this many sober Republicans since America lost the Ryder Cup.

We have to be careful not to get carried away, says Lamar Alexander, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate. “I was thinking about putting photos of Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman in the Republican cloakroom to remind us not to overreach,” he told me on Monday.

We have to beware of unrealistic expectations, emphasized Senator Jon Kyl, the second-ranking Republican. Republicans can’t accomplish big things without Democratic help. They can’t defund Obamacare on their own or pass a new tax law.

Many Americans are still skeptical about us, acknowledged Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House. We can’t do anything that might unsettle them, like shutting down the government. Instead, Republicans need to offer reassurance…

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And only a day after Orrin Hatch trotted out Thurston Howell III.

Sherwood Schwartz, Creator of Gilligan and the Bradys, Dies at 94 [NYT]

“President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.” [CBS]