Democrats add fiscal austerity as a campaign issue  —  The candidate was outraged - just outraged - at the country's sorry fiscal state.  —  “We have managed to acquire $13 trillion of debt on our balance sheet,” he fumed to a roomful of voters.  “In my view, we have nothing to show for it.”

Oval Office rug gets history wrong  —  A mistake has been made in the Oval Office makeover that goes beyond the beige.  —  President Obama's new presidential rug seemed beyond reproach, with quotations from Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy …

Tea Party candidate sparks backlash in Delaware  —  The Tea Party Express launched new ads supporting Delaware Republican primary Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell.  —  Washington (CNN) - Fresh on the heels of Joe Miller's surprising win over Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Alaska Republican Senate primary …

Loving Their Grandkids To Death — sacrificing them to the Market Gods  —  Loving Their Grandkids To Death  —  Howie has a great post up today about the social security con game which you should in full.  I just wanted to riff on one little piece of it because it struck me that we haven't been clear about what's going on.

Rahmism  —  Jon Cohn's post about what the administration may be considering, and what it isn't considering, makes we want to cry.  —  Look: early on the administration had a political theory: it would win bipartisan legislative victories, and each success would make Republicans who voted no feel left out …

30 False Fronts Won Contracts for Blackwater  —  WASHINGTON — Blackwater Worldwide created a web of more than 30 shell companies or subsidiaries in part to obtain millions of dollars in American government contracts after the security company came under intense criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq …

The Ungreat Debate  —  We do not generally look to gubernatorial debates for excitement.  But this week there was a fascinating one in Arizona, where Gov. Jan Brewer gave a bad performance of epic proportions.  Really, Richard Nixon in 1960 was Demosthenes in Athens compared with this one.

Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel's legal tab is $1.8 million and rising  —  The party's over for Charlie Rangel, but not the legal bills.  —  The embattled Harlem Democrat has forked over $111,170 to lawyers since July from his campaign stash, federal filings released Friday show.

Repeal the 17th amendment?  —  During our discussion of the filibuster today — which you can stream over at C-SPAN's Web site — Heritage's Brian Darling talked a bit about the Senate's important role as a voice for the states.  Responding to a questioner, he went so far as to say he'd consider repeal …

Former President Bill Clinton: Democrats need more time to undo GOP's damage to country  —  Democrats need more time to get out of the economic hole dug by Republicans during the Bush years, ex-President Bill Clinton said yesterday at a campaign rally for Staten Island Rep. Mike McMahon.

Oh my: Chris Christie endorses Mike Castle  —  In which Team Castle tosses tea partiers a curveball: If the right's new rock star thinks he's conservative enough, shouldn't they think so too?  I'm ... not so sure they should, partly because Christie's own “true conservative” …

Alaska Winner, Lover of Privacy, Loses His Own  —  FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The man with the best chance of becoming the next senator from Alaska lives at the end of a long gravel road here at the edge of the continent.  Tribulation Trail is the name of his street.  Signs warn against trespassing.

Punk'd, Iraqi-Style, at a Checkpoint  —  BAGHDAD — An Iraqi reality television program broadcast during Ramadan has been planting fake bombs in celebrities' cars, having an Iraqi army checkpoint find them and terrifying the celebrities into thinking that they are headed for maximum security prison.

US envoy Oren warns: Hizbullah has 15,000 rockets on border  —  Ambassador says Islamist group amassing arsenal in southern Lebanon with long enough range to hit Eilat; missiles now hidden beneath hospitals, homes and schools to avoid Israeli Air Force strikes.  —  Talkbacks (16)  —  Iranian Threat

Mayor: Quake hit city ‘like an iceberg’  —  Have you been affected by the quake?  —  Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker is thankful there has been no loss of life but there had been considerable damage across the city and outlying areas.  —  The city has been left devastated …

Taxpayers likely to face initial loss on GM IPO: sources  —  (Reuters) - The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said.  —  Subsequent offerings …

Despite hiring, US unemployment rate seems frozen  —  WASHINGTON - Unemployment is stuck at high levels even though some companies are hiring.  The problem, government data show, is that too few jobs are being created for the growing number of people looking for work.