The Democrats' New Normal  —  I don't usually like to comment on individual polls.  Most of the time, when a poll produces an “unusual” result, it simply reflects random noise and the best advice is to wait for the next edition of the poll to come along, when more often than not it will revert to its previous position.

Oval Office gets a makeover  —  While President Obama was on vacation, his West Wing office got a bit of a face lift, complete with a new rug, fresh wallpaper and paint, and new furniture — all done at no taxpayer expense, the White House says.  —  Details of the renovation were released to the pool reporter this morning.

Education secretary urged his employees to attend Sharpton's rally  —  President Obama's top education official urged government employees to attend a rally that the Rev. Al Sharpton organized to counter a larger conservative event on the Mall.  —  “ED staff are invited to join Secretary Arne Duncan …

steve schale  —  Observations on the Land of 27 from one of its leading political strategists.  —  Charlie Crist will not be Florida's next United States Senator.  —  In a year where most predictions are downright silly, I am very confident in that one.  When Kendrick Meek won last Tuesday …

GOP's Hatch backs N.Y. mosque  —  In a local television interview over the weekend, Hatch said developers have the right to build the proposed Park51 Islamic center, which includes a mosque, two blocks from the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  —  “If the Muslims own that property …

What Palin Did Friday Night  —  She celebrated the Jewish Sabbath.  —  Where was Sarah Palin last Friday night, before coming to Washington to speak at the Glenn Beck gathering Saturday?  —  She was a guest speaker at a Jewish “Shabbaton”—a Sabbath gathering for prayer, meals, songs …

ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Two Men on United Flight from Chicago Arrested on ‘Preparation of a Terrorist Attack’ in Amsterdam  —  Suspects Had Been Cleared Sunday by TSA in Chicago, Birmingham Despite Security Concerns  —  Two men taken off a Chicago-to-Amsterdam United Airlines flight in the Netherlands …

Lomborg wants $100bn climate fund  —  Exclusive ‘Sceptical environmentalist’ and critic of climate scientists to declare global warming a chief concern facing world  —  • Climate change voice who changed his tune  —  • Rajendra Pachauri under pressure to stand aside

Why Wall St. Is Deserting Obama  —  Daniel S. Loeb, the hedge fund manager, was one of Barack Obama's biggest backers in the 2008 presidential campaign.  —  A registered Democrat, Mr. Loeb has given and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Democrats.

CBO: Eight Years of Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus Act  —  As President Obama prepares to tie a bow on U.S. combat operations in Iraq, Congressional Budget Office numbers show that the total cost of the eight-year war was less than the stimulus bill passed by the Democratic-led Congress in 2009.

Wealthy lawmakers increased their riches as economy sputtered in '09  —  The wealthiest members of Congress grew richer in 2009 even as the economy struggled to recover from a deep recession.  —  The 50 wealthiest lawmakers were worth almost $1.4 billion in 2009, about $85.1 million …