Don’t Blame Us: The computer contractors who built the Obamacare website dodged responsibility this morning for the system’s malfunctions. Cheryl Campbell, senior VP of Canadian company CGI Federal, told a congressional hearing that The White House is in charge as “the quarterback on this project.” Campbell blamed another company for trouble with the website’s registration system and said it was not her company’s decision for the website to go live on Oct. 1.

  The Obama administration is giving Americans an extra six weeks to sign up for healthcare without penalty.

Don’t Call Us: The White House also has some big foreign relations problems. The US yesterday denied tapping the personal cellphone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and recording data from millions of French phone calls. It’s in response to information bombs still being dropped by NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

An article in the French newspaper Le Monde did not make it clear whether the NSA is accused of recording actual conversations or just connection data. National Intelligence Director James Clapper issued a statement saying, “The allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million ‘recordings of French citizens’ telephone data’ is false.”

From Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is demanding that the US get tougher with Iran over nuclear weapons, and Egyptian authorities are unhappy that the US won’t give more help to Syrian rebels, and won’t endorse their own military’s overthrow of Egypt’s elected president.

Piggy Bank: A federal civil jury in Manhattan has found Bank of America and one of its top managers liable for selling bad mortgages. Prosecutors asked for a fine of $848 million, although the judge decides the ultimate figure. The manager, Rebecca Mairone, now works at JP Morgan Chase, which just this week agreed to a $13 billion fine for selling junk mortgage securities that nearly toppled the world economy.

National: Michael Skakel, the nephew of Ethel Kennedy convicted of murdering a neighbor girl in Greenwich, Conn. back in 1975, has been granted a new trial. A 136-page decision said Skakel’s lawyer Michael Sherman did a bad job defending his client. Martha Moxley was 15 when she was beaten to death outdoors with a golf club from the Skakel house. Skakel, 53, was 40 by the time he was indicted and has since spent 11 years in prison. He could get out as soon as today.

• The Ohio man who confessed on YouTube to a fatal drunk-driving crash has been sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison. Before sentencing, Matthew Cordle, 22, said, “Whatever my sentence may be, there’s no fair sentence when it comes to the loss of a life.” The judge also revoked Cordle’s driver’s license for life.

Game 1: Boston thrashed St. Louis 8-1 in the opener of the World Series at Fenway Park last night. St. Louis didn’t score until the top of the 9^th. Game 2 is tonight in Boston.

No, Really: The UC Davis police officer famous for pepper-spraying peaceful demonstrators, has been awarded $38,000 in worker’s compensation for psychological damage. In November 2011, Lt. John Pike walked along a line of student protesters sitting on the ground and sprayed their faces. Internet jokesters immediately photo shopped his image into famous works of art including The Last Supper. Pike claimed he suffered depression and anxiety after receiving death threats. A little pepper spray might perk him up.

-30-