Conservative blogger Matt Lewis says Sarah Palin would run an "unconventional" campaign if she seeks the presidency.

CNN's James Carville and David Gergen on differences between Speaker Boehner and his House caucus on the debt ceiling.

CLICK HERE to read Gergen's commentary, "Obama joins parties in painting himself into a corner over debt."

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) says he supports the Republican 'cut, cap and balance' plan to raise the debt ceiling.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama ruled out any possibility of signing a short-term extension of the federal debt ceiling today, insisting that the time has come to tackle the nation's most pressing fiscal problems in a comprehensive way requiring bipartisan compromise on both taxes and cuts to entitlement programs. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Answering today’s five OFF-SET questions is Ambassador Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading grassroots breast cancer advocacy organization.   The organization has invested more than $1.9 billion in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.

She served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary from 2001-2003 and was U.S. Chief of Protocol from 2007-2008 where she was responsible for coordinating ceremonial events for visiting heads of state as well as overseeing all protocol matters for Presidential or Vice Presidential travel abroad.

She was named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2008 and in 2010, Brinker released her New York Times best-selling memoir "Promise Me."

Ambassador Brinker, a breast cancer survivor herself, will be attending the Palm Desert, California, service for former First Lady Betty Ford on Tuesday as a guest of the Ford family.

In 1974, Mrs. Ford revealed publicly that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Why was this act so courageous and so important?

It’s really hard for many people today to imagine how very different things were in 1974.  We didn’t talk about cancer very much in those days and certainly not about breast cancer.  It was considered impolite at best to discuss it and very often was a source of shame for women who had it.

Many people thought cancer was contagious, and this was a belief that would persist for many years. This was the world that Betty Ford lived in when she was diagnosed.

She opened the door for untold numbers of women who were dealing with this disease in silence. FULL POST

OBAMA NEWS CONFERENCE – A day after a 75-minute session, talks will resume Monday to try to reach a deficit-reduction deal and pave the way for a hike in the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. At 11 a.m. on Monday, President Barack Obama will hold a press conference in the White House briefing room, according to his official schedule.

House Speaker John Boehner said this weekend he can't sign on to a $4 trillion debt-reduction package because the White House continues to insist the package include some tax increases. Even though the White House said it will continue to push for the biggest deal possible, a meeting Sunday evening between President Obama and congressional leaders lasted 75 minutes without any signs of progress toward a so-called "grand bargain."

U.S. WITHHOLDS PAKISTAN AID – The United States is holding back $800 million in aid to Pakistan, President Obama's chief of staff said Sunday. Appearing on ABC's "This Week," White House Chief of Staff William Daley confirmed a report in the New York Times that the aid was being withheld. FULL POST