A recent Pew poll, released today, asked Americans ‘What is Obama’s religion?’ Maybe the better question is why does President Obama’s religion matter at all. Of course, essentially the question people are being asked is whether Obama is a Muslim, and by extension somehow either anti-American or un-American (in the very literal sense where the Birther’s are concerned).

Last Friday, we brought you a poll about how much Americans know about their own independence. This week, we bring you a new set of numbers–and they’re not looking good for Democrats or for President Barack Obama, who the majority of respondents think is a socialist.

According to a Marist poll, 26 percent of Americans are a bit confused about why exactly this weekend is a cause for celebration: they don’t know which country the United States won its independence from.

This should be fun. In a commencement address at Virginia’s Hampton University yesterday, President Obama fed meme-hungry media types the kind of quote they can really sink their teeth several millimeters into. The NY Post already has the President “declaring war on technology,” and Fox News says he “Warns Grads of iPad Peril.” The combination of über-pop-buzzword “iPad” and lightning-rod POTUS is almost irresistible, with even the Huffington Post missing the point of what Obama was really saying.

He may be a divisive figure here at home, but has President Obama greatly increased the opinion the rest of the world has of America? That’s what a new poll seems to be saying. The BBC is reporting that the poll, which asked people around the world to rate the influence of different countries as either “positive” or “negative” has found America finally breaking into the positive side. This is the first time the country has scored highly since the poll’s inception in 2005.

“Hyper-partisan, painfully ignorant, pathologically dishonest, chronically unethical, intellectually unconscious, and jaw-droppingly stupid.” Yes, once in a while these words apply uncannily to the radical liberals over at Daily Kos, but today, they’re proof of why the blog commands so much influence in the political sphere despite their occasional flubs.

Blogger “Angry Mouse” has given Palin what reads as one of the most ringing, brutally honest endorsements for her 2012 presidential campaign to come out so far

A new poll by CBS News and the New York Times reports that the wording of the polling question has a lot to do with how Americans support the somewhat controversial issue. When asked if how one feels about “gays in the military” 51% answered “strongly favor.” When asked about “homosexuals in the military,” only 34% answered “strongly favor.” Oh America. What are we going to do with you?

John McCain may have done his best to stow old Bush administration personalities away for his presidential campaign, but Fox News is reporting that a new poll shows former vice president Dick Cheney is actually a fairly popular choice among Republican voters to run for president in 2012. In a poll that was probably taken about a year too soon, 10% of a pool of 2,003 Republicans supported a Cheney presidential run.

After his jokes about the Palin women spawned a movement to get him fired, you’d think David Letterman would have developed a teensy bit of sensitivity about sex and gender issues. Apparently not. A bit from his Tuesday night show, in which a stagehand flees the set in horrified disgust at transgender Obama appointee Amanda Simpson, has Human Rights Campaign calling Dave out and calling for an apology.

I finally got around to watching the now-famous (thanks to Drudge) video of Democratic Montana Senator Max Baucus’ tirade on the Senate floor, which the right has touted as evidence of the Senator’s intoxication. That’s a pretty serious accusation, and one that would normally require better corroboration than this. In my search for another explanation, I discovered an alternate theory that actually springs from the left: Baucus’ speech has been affected by a head injury.

A number of conservative websites are claiming that Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) was guilty of orating under the influence on the Senate floor. A newly viral video depicts Baucus speaking on the Senate floor, while making irregular gesticulations, odd pauses and slurring of words. Some are claiming that the recent torrid pace brought about by the Health Care vote has exhausted the Senate body, and is the reason behind this, and other odd behavior.

Unless you live in a lead-encased cave, you’ve heard all about the punch that decked Snooki, the tiniest cast member of MTV’s controversial new reality show, Jersey Shore. After showing the punch in previews for episode 3, MTV high-mindedly redacted the blow from the actual episode, and ran a PSA-style disclaimer at the end of the show.

“Violence against women in any form is a crime,” the message began, followed by information about getting help for domestic abuse. Scenes from the next episode followed, including this example of MTV’s new commitment to preventing violence against women:

2009 was a remarkably troubled year for magazine publishing. But a few titles were able to eke out some positive attention and influence over the field — thanks, in part, to the vision and leadership of their editors. In our first end-of-year media poll, we ask our loyal, smart, and attractive users to share their thoughts on who had the biggest year in various media categories. Our first category: Magazine Editors.

“This story is organic to the characters and it’s handled in a responsible way.” — Dawn Ostroff, President of Entertainment at the CW Network, justifying tonight’s threesome episode on Gossip Girl. Please let it not be Rufus, Lily and Eric.