This from the Media Research Center:

Congressman Mike Pence just called to alert me that he and his fellow Congressman and free speech champion Greg Walden will try to have the Broadcaster Freedom Act – which will help protect talk radio from Obama’s FCC – added as an amendment to the Financial Services budget bill on Tuesday.

But Congressman Pence tells me that Speaker Pelosi won’t allow it.

Well nobody knows the answer to that. It was first reported on Wednesday by The Hill that he was running, but first the Washington Post  reported this:

Original Post

Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk (R) will not run for the open seat of Sen. Roland Burris (D) in 2010, a stunning reversal from just 48 hours ago when Kirk signaled to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) that he would make the race.

And then there was this:

Update, 4:17 p.m.: Although Kirk has already told several national Republicans today that he will not run for the Senate, there is an ongoing effort now to convince him to re-think that decision, according to several sources close to the discussions. Pressure is now being brought to bear on Andy McKenna, who, according to knowledgeable sources, had told Republicans insiders that he would not run if Kirk got into the race. Once Kirk signaled he was indeed running, however, McKenna reconsidered and made clear he would in fact stay in. Sources close to McKenna say he has no plans to drop out of the race.

Roll Call reported this:

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is still considering running for Senate, despite a report Friday afternoon that said he was taking himself out of the race in order to avoid a primary with state Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna.

Kirk told Roll Call over the phone Friday that he was still discussing the race with McKenna going into the weekend and that a published Washington Post report that he was dropping out of the race was incorrect.

Max Baucus on how to pay for health care

By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN & DAVID ROGERS | 7/9/09 7:19 PM EDT

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) presented his members Thursday with more than a dozen ways to pay for health care legislation, ranging from new fees on industry to an income-tax hike on couples making more than $1 million a year.

Faced with a $320 billion hole in his reform plan, Baucus revisited options that were considered in the past, but never emerged as top-tier options because he believed taxing employer-provided health benefits was the best way to provide that revenue.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/24752.html

Rangel said this:

House to target wealthy to pay for healthcare

By Jeffrey Young

Posted: 07/10/09 04:26 PM [ET]

The House will propose raising taxes on people earning more than $350,000 a year to pay $540 billion for healthcare reform, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) said Friday. House Democrats had been weighing a plethora of other tax increases, such as levies on sugary soft drinks and alcohol, that raised hackles within their caucus.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/house-eyes-540-billion-high-income-tax-for-healthcare-2009-07-10.html

Justice Ginsburg Says She Originally Thought Roe v. Wade Was Designed to Limit 'Populations That We Don’t Want to Have Too Many Of'
Friday, July 10, 2009
By Christopher Neefus

CNSNews.com) – In an interview to be published in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she thought the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion was predicated on the Supreme Court majority's desire to diminish “populations that we don’t want to have too many of.” 

In the 90-minute interview in Ginsburg’s temporary chambers, Ginsburg gave the Times her perspective on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama’s first high court nomination. She also discussed her views on abortion.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=50819

Joe Biden update: No 'private meetings,' just meetings closed to the press

Possibly a very important policy change quietly emerged in the daily schedule of Vice President Joe Biden today.

Loyal Ticket readers know that, as a patriotic duty, we monitor the longtime senator's schedule with a close eye for detail because, after all, this man is only a heartbeat away from having to give a toast at a G-8 summit. We've especially noted Biden's innumerable  "private meetings" that are closed to the press because, well, they're private.

House Democrats Delay Health Care Bill

July 10, 10:54 a.m.

House Democrats’ health care bill has been delayed indefinitely as leaders continue negotiations with fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats.

Specter Calls Sestak ‘Flagrant Hypocrite’

July 9, 4:48 p.m.

Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) took direct aim at Rep. Joe Sestak (Pa.) for the first time Thursday, calling the two-term Congressman “a flagrant hypocrite” for challenging him in the Senate Democratic primary.

On a Roll   [Mark Krikorian]

Wednesday and Thursday saw Senate approval of four good immigration amendments to the Homeland Security appropriations bill — not silver bullets that will solve everything, but real steps in the right direction nonetheless. A measure sponsored by Sen. Jeff Sessions would permanently reauthorize E-Verify and require federal contractors to use it (the similar contractor rule hyped by the administration is much narrower and riddled with loopholes). This amendment had failed in March by a vote of 47–50, but passed this week 53–44, with eight Democrats switching from no to yes votes (and two switching the other way). Every single Republican voted for it. A measure to require completion of the border fencing passed 54–44, and two other amnedments passed by voice vote — i.e., unanimously: one requires implementation of the Social Security No-Match Rule (overturning the administration announcement Wednesday to rescind the rule), while the other would permit employers to screen their existing workforce with the E-Verify system, which now may be used only for new hires.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjhiZjJhNDMzYjUyYjM5ZjdhOWYzZTUxMzU5MmY3YjE=

1821 - U.S. troops took possession of Florida. The territory was sold by Spain.

July 10, 1850

Millard Fillmore sworn in as president

On this day in 1850, Vice President Millard Fillmore is sworn in as the 13th president of the United States. President Zachary Taylor had died the day before, five days after falling ill with a severe intestinal ailment on the Fourth of July.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=777

1890 - Wyoming became the 44th state to join the United States.

1919 - The Treaty of Versailles was hand delivered to the U.S. Senate by President Wilson.

July 10, 1925

Monkey Trial begins

In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called "Monkey Trial" begins with John Thomas Scopes, a young high school science teacher, accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=VideoArticle&id=5167

GOP hits Pelosi for mouse funds

By S.A. Miller (Contact) | Friday, July 10, 2009    

The tiny mouse that became a hotly disputed symbol of wasteful spending in the $787 billion economic stimulus bill has returned to pester House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Obama administration revealed last week that as much as $16.1 million from the stimulus program is going to save the San Francisco Bay Area habitat of, among other things, the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/10/gop-hits-pelosi-for-mouse-funds/?feat=home_headlines

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 30% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of –8. The President’s Approval Index rating has fallen six points since release of a disappointing jobs report last week (see trends).

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

NY Democrats win back control of state senate

Firefighters to testify about Sotomayor

Republicans will call two New Haven firefighters to testify in the confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor next week, making clear the GOP's intent to place affirmative action at the center of the Senate battle over Sotomayor's nomination.