Stephen Wunker is the Managing Director of New Markets Advisors

Congressional Republicans keep insisting that deep cuts to government spending will help boost growth, and create jobs, in the short term. But that claim doesn't make a lot of sense. Most economists think that federal spending on public works and aid to the states kept the recession from being much worse.

In Minnesota, where the state government has been shut down since Friday while the Democratic governor and Republican-controlled legislature remain at odds over how to fill a $5 billion budget gap, some lawmakers got an earful on Monday as they marched in July 4th parades.

Tony Woodlief is president of the Bill of Rights Institute.

Time magazine is nothing if not direct. Featuring a picture of the Constitution, the bottom half of which has been run through a shredder, today's cover asks: "Does it Still Matter?"

From the top story on the front page of today's New York Times:

"Obama administration officials believe that Pakistan's powerful spy agency ordered the killing of a Pakistani journalist who had written scathing reports about the infiltration of militants in the country's military, according to American officials."

"More than 50 countries have purchased surveillance drones, and many have started in-country development programs for armed versions because no nation is exporting weaponized drones beyond a handful of sales between the United States and its closest allies," The Washington Post

Among all the foreign policy decisions President Obama has made, the most surprising may be the one to go to war in Libya without either requesting a declaration of war from Congress, as required by the Constitution, or obtaining legislative authorization, as required by the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Some have suggested that authorization could have been easily obtained at the time the war was launched, when public sentiment against the murderous Qaddafi regime was running high. In that case, the decision not to ask for it seems an especially gratuitous insult to Congress.

"Iraqi officials have raised the toll from a combined car bomb and roadside bombing north of Baghdad to 35 people killed," The Associated Press reports from Baghdad. Around 50 other people are said to have been wounded, according to the wire service.

Retired Marine Mike Merola flew an American flag on a 20-foot pole in Houston. The Lakeland Village Community Association sued, saying the pole violated community design rules. The case inspired Texas to pass legislation protecting the flag.

A driver in Valencia, Spain. thought he would beat the system. Suspecting the presence of speed cameras, he slowed way down. A few months later, he was shocked to get a ticket in the mail for driving too slowly.

The Secret Service is now looking into the hacking of a Fox News Twitter account over the weekend and the posting of messages on it claiming that President Obama had been assassinated.