Why I'm Not Hiring  —  When you add it all up, it costs $74,000 to put $44,000 in Sally's pocket and to give her $12,000 in benefits.  —  With unemployment just under 10% and companies sitting on their cash, you would think that sooner or later job growth would take off.  I think it's going to be later—much later.

The Marriage Ideal  —  Here are some commonplace arguments against gay marriage: Marriage is an ancient institution that has always been defined as the union of one man and one woman, and we meddle with that definition at our peril.  Lifelong heterosexual monogamy is natural; gay relationships are not.

America Goes Dark  —  The lights are going out all over America — literally.  Colorado Springs has made headlines with its desperate attempt to save money by turning off a third of its streetlights, but similar things are either happening or being contemplated across the nation, from Philadelphia to Fresno.

86 Days to Decide: Activists Say Tea Party Imposters Infiltrating Elections  —  In this April 27 photo, a 'Don't Tread On Me' flag flies over Republican and Tea Party protesters during a rally at Leo O'Laughlin Inc. on the eve of President Obama's visit to Macon, Mo. (AP Photo)

Some Companies Struggle to Fill Jobs  —  In Bloomington, Ill., machine shop Mechanical Devices can't find the workers it needs to handle a sharp jump in business.  Job fairs run by airline Emirates attract fewer applicants in the U.S. than in other countries.

Palin's Homer Moment: Celebrity Sarah Confronted by Citizen (WATCH)  —  I'm really proud of my home town.  When I say, “I'm just a girl from Homer” on my blog, radio or television show, I like to think it's not so much self-deprecation as it is a friendly warning.

A foolish trip  —  The first lady's well-publicized, expensive vacation in southern Spain last week was a PR gift to her husband's opposition.  —  After all, we're in the middle of a major recession, with many Americans suffering terribly.  President Obama himself, in discussing American economic woes …

Democrats Duck an Unpopular President  —  Ever had a date you didn't want to introduce to your mother?  —  Bill White knows how you felt.  The Democratic nominee for governor will campaign today in Midland, Abilene and Alvarado.  Where he won't be is in Austin and Dallas …

SOAK THE VERY, VERY RICH  —  The fight on Capitol Hill over whether to extend the Bush tax cuts is about many things: deficit reduction, economic stimulus, supply-side ideology.  But at its core is a simple question: who counts as rich?  The Obama Administration's answer is that you're rich …

Republican Party starts to kill its own: S.C. Rep. Bob Inglis ousted for not hating Obama enough  —  There are landmarks all over our city named after LaGuardia and Javits and Rockefeller, names out of the city's great Republican past, when the party was one of intelligence, not fear-mongering and hate.

Dem Gov Primary Too Close To Call As Malloy Closes, Quinnipiac University Connecticut Poll Finds; McMahon Up 22 Points In GOP Senate Primary  —  The Democratic primary for governor in Connecticut is going down to the wire with businessman Ned Lamont at 45 percent and former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy …

Avg.  Midterm Seat Loss 36 for Presidents Below 50% Approval  —  Presidents above 50% lose average of 14 House seats in midterm elections  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Presidents who retain majority job approval from Americans at the time of midterm elections are much less likely …

Taliban execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan  —  HERAT, Afghanistan — The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by firing three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said on Monday.  —  Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days …

Gingrich ramps up Iowa activity  —  Gingrich is stepping up his activities in Iowa.  —  Washington (CNN) - With his busy travel schedule and penchant for wading into heated national debates, Newt Gingrich has gotten plenty of presidential buzz.  —  But the former House speaker is doing …

Democratic pollster Mark Penn raising money for Charlie Crist  —  Big-shot Democratic pollster and former Hillary Clinton senior adviser Mark Penn and his wife, Nancy Jacobson, are hosting a $4,800-per-person fundraising reception for Charlie Crist at their Washington home Wednesday.  Here's the invite.

The end of responsibility  —  This was the rumor last week.  It sounds laughable.  I don't want to believe it.  The Treasury Department denied it.  —  But when it comes to the Magic Kingdom that is the Obama administration, the fantastical has a way of coming true.

As the Economy Slows  —  The economic news — on growth, consumers, housing and manufacturing — was bad enough before the jobs report for July, released last Friday.  The report leaves no doubt that a slowdown is well under way.  The odds of renewed recession remain uncomfortably high.

Republicans Ask ‘What Do I Do Now?’  —  Republicans are starting to think about how to answer the Robert Redford question.  —  You know the scene.  In the 1972 movie “The Candidate,” the Redford character, having won the election, turns to his political consultant and asks, “What do I do now?”

Party Like It's 1999: Rubinites Trading on a Happy Accident  —  Paul Krugman is a bit too polite with this comment, methinks: … If he took this a step further, he would add that Rubin and company happened to be around when technology advanced to the point that the Internet boom could take flight.

Franken visit part fact-finding, part politics  —  PINE RIDGE — Lakota artist Joe Pulliam thought Sen. Al Franken's visit to the Oglala Lakota Nation Powwow on Saturday was pure politics, and that was just fine with him.  —  “I liked him from his ‘Saturday Night Live’ days,” Pulliam, 41, said.