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 …

Obama may look inside for Rahm job  —  Amid mounting signs that Rahm Emanuel will leave the White House to run for mayor in Chicago, Democratic insiders say President Barack Obama is likely to choose a new chief of staff who's already in his orbit but has experience with previous administrations.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Meghan McCain “panicked, scared” after Palin picked  —  Tonight, Meghan McCain talked to Jay Leno about the moment she learned that Sarah Palin had been chosen to be John McCain's running mate. … Leno then asks McCain what she meant when she called Palin a “time bomb” in her book.

Beware of Greeks Bearing Bonds  —  As Wall Street hangs on the question “Will Greece default?,” the author heads for riot-stricken Athens, and for the mysterious Vatopaidi monastery, which brought down the last government, laying bare the country's economic insanity.

Chris Christie readies endorsement tour  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the GOP's most sought-after stars since 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 …

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.

GOP House Candidate On Civil Rights: ‘We Need To Get Our Federal Government Out Of The Way’  —  Fireworks occurred during a town hall in Canton, OH, last night when Rep. John Boccieri (D-OH) unexpectedly showed up at his Republican opponent's public event.  Challenger Jim Renacci …

Bloomberg Defends Pastor's Right to Burn Quran  —  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended on Tuesday a Florida pastor's right to burn copies of the Quran during a public demonstration on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.  —  “In a strange way I'm here to defend his right to do that.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

Barbour says he'll decide about 2012 run after the Nov. election  —  Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) on Wednesday said he'd decide whether to run for president after the November election.  —  Barbour, a GOP insider often mentioned as a candidate to challenge President Obama in 2012 …