President Obama to Pastor Jones: ‘Stunt’ Endangers Troops - Full Transcript of Exclusive Interview  —  I covered a lot of ground with the president in Cleveland yesterday: His decision to make John Boehner the midterm punching bag.  Will he veto a sanction of Bush tax cuts for the wealthy?

Opposition to ‘mosque’ directly linked to anti-Islam sentiment, poll shows  —  We now have clear evidence that there's a direct link between public anti-Islam sentiment and public opposition to the construction of Cordoba House, a.k.a. the “Ground Zero mosque.”

Momentum builds for extending all of President Bush's tax cuts  —  Momentum built Thursday for extending all of the Bush-era tax cuts after President Obama avoided a veto threat and a key Senate Democrat voiced support for the extension.  —  Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), a centrist who has been a key vote …

Marco Rubio Holds Double-Digit Lead in Senate Race  —  GOP candidate even beats Crist among independent voters, poll finds  —  Republican Marco Rubio, garnering surprising strength among independent voters, holds a double-digit lead over his two chief rivals in Florida's U.S. Senate race, a new Sunshine State News Poll reports.

Palin Endorses O'Donnell in Delaware  —  She called into Sean Hannity's radio show to make official what was hinted at in a late Tuesday night retweet: She backs Christine O'Donnell over Mike Castle in Delaware.  As Hannity describes, also on Twitter:

Health Outlays Still Seen Rising  —  The health-care overhaul enacted last spring won't significantly change national health spending over the next decade compared with projections before the law was passed, according to government figures set to be released Thursday.

Fox News says it will not cover burning of Quran  —  In a bold move that is likely to be much discussed in coming days, Fox News said today that it will not cover the burning of the Quran on Saturday if Pastor Terry Jones follows through on his plan to burn copies of Islam's sacred book.

Obama's MIA Volunteers: Organizing for America Shrinks  —  What happened to Barack Obama's once vaunted political machine?  The outfit that put upwards of 8 million volunteers on the street in 2008 — known as Organizing for America — is a ghost of its former self.

Forum: Andy Stern's plan to create 12 million new jobs  —  Late last week, I spoke with former SEIU president and current Georgetown fellow/fiscal commission member Andy Stern about hosting a series of pieces laying out different ideas to kick-start job creation.

Murkowski Likely to Lose Leadership Spot if Campaign Continues  —  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will likely be forced out of her party leadership position should she decide to launch a write-in or third-party candidacy, a Senate Republican said Wednesday.  —  Murkowski, who conceded …

The Untamed Prince  —  Marc Ambinder reports on the dictatorial powers held by many in government and upheld yesterday by a judiciary that gives unaccountable power - even the power to torture and kill - a drop-shadow, not a check.  Marc has been following this state secrets issue for a long time …

This year, a political 9/11  —  This year, September 11 is going to include something different — politics, and lots of it.  —  On the eve of the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York, all evidence suggests that the once-sacrosanct nature of a day when candidates used …

Biden: Bush deserves ‘a lot of credit’  —  Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday night said that former President George W. Bush deserves ‘a lot of credit’ for his handling of the initial Iraq war drawdown.  —  Speaking to Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who conducted a rare …

CRISIS ON THE COURTS.... Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy recently noted the problems with the Senate's inability to confirm judicial nominees.  “It's important for the public to understand that the excellence of the federal judiciary is at risk,” Kennedy said.

Meg Whitman Attacks Jerry Brown With the Ghost of Bill Clinton*  —  Meg Whitman's Republican campaign for governor of California, clearly not done with the decades of video tape they have on Jerry Brown, bring us back to the good old days of the 1992 presidential campaign.

Super PACs Flourish to Influence U.S. Vote After Companies Freed to Give  —  At least 25 “super PACS,” including one linked to Karl Rove, are fueling a surge in money for this year's elections following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down limits on corporate campaign spending.

Md. flier ban may be unconstitutional  —  A Maryland judge's ban on distribution of campaign literature that state officials contend is misleading likely amounts to a prior restraint that runs afoul of the First Amendment, two prominent lawyers in the field told POLITICO.

Handle Muslims just like we handle the neo-Nazis  —  Germany is giving us a template on how we handle Muslims: just like we handle neo-Nazis.  —  According to Bloomberg, German police carried out 30 predawn raids against the nation's largest neo-Nazi group two days ago.  —  Why?

Emanuel cancels Chicago trip  —  White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has canceled a planned trip to Chicago.  —  (CNN) - White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has canceled a planned trip to Chicago this weekend, a move that is further fueling buzz the top Obama aide is considering a Chicago mayoral bid.

Capitol Hill employees owed $9.3 million in back taxes last year, data show  —  Capitol Hill employees owed $9.3 million in overdue taxes at the end of last year, a sliver of the $1 billion owed by federal workers nationwide but one with potential political ramifications for members of Congress.

Warren delay has Wall St. wondering  —  What's taking so long?  —  That is what some on Wall Street are asking about the lack of a nominee from the White House for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the new financial watchdog agency created by the Wall Street reform bill.