Obama Is Against a Compromise on Bush Tax Cuts  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package …

SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT GALLUP FREAK-OUT.... Last week, Gallup's generic-ballot tracking poll showed Republicans leading Democrats by 10, 51% to 41%.  It was billed as the GOP's biggest Gallup lead in the history of humanity, and the results generated massive media attention, including a stand-alone Washington Post piece on page A2.

Building on Faith  —  AS my flight approached America last weekend, my mind circled back to the furor that has broken out over plans to build Cordoba House, a community center in Lower Manhattan.I have been away from home for two months, speaking abroad about cooperation among people from different religions.

Health Insurers Plan Hikes  —  Rate Increases Are Blamed on Health-Care Overhaul; White House Questions Logic  —  Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats' efforts to trumpet …

Politics on Film, but This Time Leaning Right  —  LOS ANGELES — After Michael Moore screened his anti-Bush documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” for Hollywood's assembled royalty at the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences six years ago, the crowd broke out in a noisy ovation that it did not want to stop.

Long Island Man Arrested For Defending Home With AK-47  —  Says Many Gang Members Were Coming After His Family  —  UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBS 2) — He was arrested for protecting his property and family.  —  But it's how the Long Island man did it that police say crossed the line.

Murkowski: Don't count met out of Senate race yet  —  A week after conceding the GOP primary, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she's not a quitter and is “still in this game.”  —  Murkowski told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she's been inundated with calls and e-mails from supporters, asking her not to leave the race.

Palin and Beck to mark 9/11 in Alaska  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will welcome Fox News personality Glenn Beck to her home state to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  —  Palin and Beck will reunite in Anchorage on Saturday, two weeks after the “Restoring Honor” …

It's lucky that Sheriff Andy isn't facing voters  —  How bad is it for Democrats in North Carolina?  Even Sheriff Andy Taylor is taking a beating in the polls.  —  Andy Griffith - star of the Andy Griffith Show, a Manteo resident and noted endorser of Democratic causes and candidates …

Chris Christie readies endorsement tour  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the GOP's most-sought after stars following his 2009 victory, is hitting the road to unveil a string of endorsements in the coming weeks, POLITICO has learned.  —  In what constitutes his first major political trip …

OMG: Spitzer and Parker Are Like a Modern Day Gable and Lombard!  —  You know what CNN has been missing in its lineup?  Cutesiness.  —  We really need cutesiness in political coverage, of the kind that champion lightweight/professional ditz Kathleen Parker provides.

The German Miracle: Another Look  —  Germany has cut government spending and its economy is growing smartly.  It's not the first time that market-friendly policies have led the nation out of crisis.  —  Earlier this summer George Soros and some leading Keynesian economists criticized …

Light bulb factory closes; End of era for U.S. means more jobs overseas  —  WINCHESTER, VA. - The last major GE factory making ordinary incandescent light bulbs in the United States is closing this month, marking a small, sad exit for a product and company that can trace their roots to Thomas Alva Edison's innovations in the 1870s.

HRC @ CFR  —  Excerpts from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech this morning at the Council on Foreign Relations: … More on the speech, titled “Seizing the new American moment: why the U.S. can, must and will lead in the 21st century,” here.

Fidel to Ahmadinejad: ‘Stop Slandering the Jews’  —  (This is Part I of a report on my recent visit to Havana.  I hope to post Part II tomorrow.  And I also hope to be publishing a more comprehensive article about this subject in a forthcoming print edition of The Atlantic.)

Obama channels Hendrix on critics: ‘They talk about me like a dog’  —  Has President Obama been listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix lately?  With just under two months to go before Election Day, Obama kicked off the fall campaign season Monday with an aggressive speech targeting Republicans.

Rangel Hits the Streets, Finding Love and Aversion  —  A 20-something office worker whipped out his iPhone and asked to be photographed with him.  “Charlie Rangel!” he said, star-struck.  —  An older man jabbed his finger at the Harlem lawmaker and tore into him.  “You're a crook!” he thundered.

West Bank building freeze to continue in practice, if not officially  —  Source close to Palestinian Authority president says from PA's perspective, what matters is not Israel's declarations but the moratorium's implementation on the ground.  —  The agreement beginning to take shape …

Democrats rip NRCC spokesman for tweeting addresses of staffers  —  Democrats are demanding that an NRCC staffer be fired for tweeting the addresses of staff for Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.).  —  Democrats want a regional press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee …

Obama to get personal on economy  —  President Barack Obama — facing a buzz saw of bad news — plans to shift his tone on the economy, ditching dry Explainer-in-Chief policy lectures for a more emotional, more personal approach emphasizing his own family's hardships, administration officials tell POLITICO.