Iowa billboard compares Obama to Hitler; draws criticism  —  (AP) —A billboard created by an Iowa tea party group comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin is being condemned by other tea party activists.  —  The North Iowa Tea Party began displaying the sign in Mason City last week.

EXCLUSIVE: Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston Are Engaged!  —  Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston reveal exclusively in the new Us Weekly that they are getting married.  —  And, they tell Us Weekly, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been kept in the dark about their plans ... until now.

President Obama, White House: Al Qaeda Is Racist  —  In an interview earlier today with the South African Broadcasting Corporation to air in a few hours, President Obama disparaged al Qaeda and affiliated groups' willingness to kill Africans in a manner that White House aides say was an argument that the terrorist groups are racist.

It's Unanimous!  GOP Says No To Unemployment Benefits, Yes To Tax Cuts For The Rich  —  For weeks, Senate Republicans have filibustered an extension of unemployment benefits on the grounds that Democrats aren't willing to cut spending or raise taxes to pay for them.

Pelosi vents about Gibbs  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bashed White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Tuesday night, even as the president's top spokesman continued to backpedal from his assertion that Democrats could lose control of the House in the November election.

Poll: Americans Say Bad Economy Will Linger  —  CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.  —  A majority of Americans have a negative impression of the economy and expect the effects of the recession to linger for years, according to a new CBS News poll.

Megyn Kelly threatens to cut off Kirsten Powers “mic” over heated New Black Panther argument  —  FOX News has been ginning up a story about the hate group the “New Black Panthers” from the election on November 4th as some sort of ‘angry black man’ intimidation tactic that made Obama win the presidency.

Crash Data Suggest Driver Error in Toyota Accidents  —  The U.S. Department of Transportation has analyzed dozens of data recorders from Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles involved in accidents blamed on sudden acceleration and found that at the time of the crashes, throttles were wide open …

The GOP strategy of obstruction is working beautifully  —  As you know, I've been arguing here that the GOP strategy of obstruction is paying off for Republicans — big time.  The public is blaming Democrats, not Republicans, for the government dysfunction that has resulted …

Cops could face death in post-Katrina shootings  —  NEW ORLEANS — Four New Orleans police officers could face the death penalty after being accused of gunning down two unarmed people in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the latest twist for a corruption-plagued department that already faces several federal investigations.

F.C.C. Expletives Policy Ruled Unconstitutional  —  A federal appeals court struck down a Federal Communications Commission policy on indecency Tuesday, saying that regulations barring the use of “fleeting expletives” on radio and television violated the First Amendment because they were vague and could inhibit free speech.

Sestak Catches Toomey To Tie Pennsylvania Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; More Voters Say Obama Doesn't Deserve Second Term  —  Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey are locked in a 43 - 43 percent tie in their race for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania …

Believing Sarah Palin  —  Like I said in my first post, I guest-blogged for the Daily Dish back in 2006.  I don't remember anyone, at the time, challenging the decision.  So I was unprepared for the rat-a-tat of criticism I got for signing up this week.  To quote Baseball Crank …

Tea Party Favorite Loses GOP Runoff in Alabama  —  Mainstream GOP candidate beats tea party activist in runoff for Ala House seat held by Dems  —  A mainstream Republican has rolled past a tea party activist in the GOP runoff for a southeast Alabama congressional seat that Republicans hope to reclaim.

GOP predicts greater power for chairmen under would-be Speaker Boehner  —  Committee chairmen would receive a boost in autonomy under a House led by a Speaker John Boehner, according to GOP lawmakers and aides looking past the November elections.  —  They also said Boehner (R-Ohio) …

A Chart That Screams, ‘Extend Unemployment Benefits!’  —  At the end of May there were 3.2 million job openings, according to a new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  In the face of nearly 15 million unemployed, that's obviously not enough.  And if you add in those other Americans …