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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Glenn Beck Visits Alaska on 9/11  —  Glenn's coming to the Last Frontier!  I hope my fellow Alaskans (and anyone visiting from Outside) will join me this Saturday, September 11, 2010, at Anchorage's Dena'ina Center at 8:00 p.m. Glenn Beck will be there - you won't want to miss it.

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.

Mitch Daniels has a plan  —  I'm impressed by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels's op-ed laying out his proposal for “a time-limited, emergency growth program.”  It's a real plan, with concrete policy ideas that might actually make a difference.  It's mercifully free from vague hand-waving about business uncertainty and government spending.

The Tea Party and the GOP  —  The Delaware Senate primary is a test of political pragmatism.  —  The tea party movement has largely been a boon for the country, reviving the case for limited government and a properly understood Constitution.  Now that the general election campaign is near …

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 …

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.

City Council Meetings to Begin with Muslim Prayers  —  In the wake of the battle over a mosque at Ground Zero, a move by the Hartford City Councilis sure to have its critics.  —  The Council announced Tuesday that it has invited local imams to perform Islamic invocations at the beginning of the Council meetings in September.

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 …

Pelosi unpopular; Boehner unknown, CNN poll says  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is arguably the least popular Democrat in Washington, according to a new CNN poll.  —  Washington (CNN) - A new national poll indicates that slightly more than half of all Americans have an unfavorable view …

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.

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.

As Stadiums Vanish, Their Debt Lives On  —  It's the gift that keeps on taking.  The old Giants Stadium, demolished to make way for New Meadowlands Stadium, still carries about $110 million in debt, or nearly $13 for every New Jersey resident, even though it is now a parking lot.

To consumer advocates, Obama's antitrust enforcement looks like more of the same  —  When President Obama took office, he promised to undo eight years of what he called the weakest antitrust enforcement in half a century.  Consumer advocates held their breath for a dramatic shift that would hark …