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 …

Right Wing Leaders Plan To Use September 11th Anniversary To Make Money  —  Last year, Glenn Beck and a variety of right-wing organizations and corporate front groups exploited the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks to stage a protest of President Obama.

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.

Transocean fires back at ‘self-serving’ BP spill report  —  Transocean Ltd. has quickly fired back at BP's internal probe of the Gulf of Mexico spill, calling it a “self-serving” report.  —  Transocean — the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig that blew up in the Gulf April 20 …

Barbour: RNC woes costly  —  Mississippi Gov. and Republican Governors Association Chairman Haley Barbour said Wednesday that the RNC's financial difficulties had forced him to direct millions of dollars for voter turnout programs that are typically funded by the national party.

Terry Jones Accused of ‘Spiritual Abuse’ at Cologne Church  —  US fundamentalist pastor Terry Jones, who wants to burn copies of the Koran on Sept. 11, ran a church in the western German city of Cologne until last year when members of the congregation expelled him.

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.

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.

Bennet draws line on new stimulus spending  —  Democrat facing tough reelection fight in Colorado comes out against the president's $50 billion public works proposal.  —  Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) broke with President Obama on Wednesday, saying he would not support any additional stimulus spending.

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.

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 …

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.

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.