This Is Not a Recovery  —  What will Ben Bernanke, the Fed chairman, say in his big speech Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyo.?  Will he hint at new steps to boost the economy?  Stay tuned.  —  But we can safely predict what he and other officials will say about where we are right now …

Tea Party Spells KKK, Rights Leader Says  —  Black Leaders Outraged Over ‘Restoring Honor’ Rally  —  A civil rights activist and former congressman equated the Tea Party with the Ku Klux Klan today as he blasted a conservative rally planned in Washington, D.C., this weekend.

The last refuge of a liberal  —  Liberalism under siege is an ugly sight indeed.  Just yesterday it was all hope and change and returning power to the people.  But the people have proved so disappointing.  Their recalcitrance has, in only 19 months, turned the predicted 40-year liberal ascendancy (James Carville) into a full retreat.

Opponents of same-sex marriage target Iowa judges  —  DES MOINES - Politics is as much a mainstay of the Iowa State Fair as the deep-fried food and the cows sculpted out of butter.  But the crowds searching for a remote corner under the grandstand this week were not headed for one of the presidential hopefuls who routinely drop by.

Levi Johnston takes back his apology to Palin … ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin's grandson, says he wishes he hadn't apologized for telling lies about the former Alaska governor because he's “never lied about anything.”  —  Johnston said in an interview on CBS' …

Miller says he is concerned Murkowski will ‘pull an Al Franken’  —  Joe Miller, the Republican candidate who is poised to knock off Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) in a primary contest, said Thursday he is concerned she will launch a protracted legal battle to save her seat.

U.S. SENATE RACE: Poll: Voters wish for other choices  —  Angle's backers indicate preference for another Republican  —  Nevadans would like a do-over.  —  Two-thirds of voters who say they back Sharron Angle wish another Republican had won the nomination, according to a poll …

Union Brothers and Sisters, Join Our Commonsense Cause!  —  Two years ago almost to the day, I was thrilled to meet with union members at the Alaska AFL-CIO Convention in Anchorage to sign important job-creation legislation related to the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act.

Among Democrats, economic pressures are changing tax-cut dynamics  —  With the economy rapidly weakening, some senior Democrats are having second thoughts about raising taxes on the nation's wealthiest families and are pressing party leaders to consider extending the full array …

White House Official: “We Know He Needs to Be Out There to Talk About the Economy Next Week”  —  President Obama's golf-filled vacation in Martha's Vineyard neared its close on Friday with more bad news on the economic front, as the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysts revised …

Administration halts prosecution of alleged USS Cole bomber  —  The Obama administration has shelved the planned prosecution of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the alleged coordinator of the Oct. 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, according to a court filing.

Who's Stupid?  —  Lately there has been a rash of news stories and columns decrying the stupidity of Americans, mostly based on a finding by the Pew Research Center that 18 percent of Americans think that Barack Obama is a Muslim.  Predictably, the New York Times joined the pile-on with this column …

Even Beck can't mar King's legacy  —  The majestic grounds of the Lincoln Memorial belong to all Americans — even to egomaniacal talk-show hosts who profit handsomely from stoking fear, resentment and anger.  So let me state clearly that Glenn Beck has every right to hold his absurdly titled “Restoring Honor” rally on Saturday.

SPIN METER: What Biden didn't mention on stimulus  —  FRESNO, Calif. — Vice President Joe Biden said this week that the Obama administration “hit the accelerator” toward spending $5 billion under the economic stimulus law to weatherize people's homes, create thousands of jobs …

The Parent Model  —  During the first half of this year, German and American political leaders engaged in an epic debate.  American leaders argued that the economic crisis was so bad, governments should borrow billions to stimulate growth.  German leaders argued that a little short-term stimulus …

Uneven Katrina recovery efforts often offered the most help to the most affluent  —  IN NEW ORLEANS The massive government effort to repair the damage from Hurricane Katrina is fostering a stark divide as the state governments in Louisiana and Mississippi structured the rebuilding programs …

Struggling Cities Shut Firehouses in Budget Crisis  —  SAN DIEGO — Fire departments around the nation are cutting jobs, closing firehouses and increasingly resorting to “rolling brownouts” in which they shut different fire companies on different days as the economic downturn forces many cities …

Why Won't the Fed Inflate?  —  Kevin Drum has a roundup of commentary from many smart commentators I admire.  They're hardly alone; everyone hates the Fed!  Why won't they get us out of this mess?  —  Here's one possibility: because many of the people who are now complaining that they are too tight …

Cramer: ‘Mass Panic’ in Markets Tomorrow After ‘Shocker’ GDP Released  —  It is a curious phenomenon - the way the media have handled the economy since President Barack Obama has taken office.  Generally the coverage has been on the optimistic side over the last 18 months.