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.”

More House Dems balking at ending Bush tax cuts for rich  —  Even as President Obama is mounting a strong stand in favor of letting the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire, and even as he's signaling that it will be a major campaign issue, more and more vulnerable House Dems are bolting in the other direction.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Sulzberger Concedes: “We Will Stop Printing The New York Times Sometime In The Future”  —  At a conference in London, Arthur Sulzberger Jr conceded that someday the New York Times Company will be forced to stop publishing a printed paper.  This sounds obvious, but it's a big deal.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Christine O'Donnell, running for U.S. Senate in Delaware, has a new TV ad bashing her Republican primary opponent, Rep. Mike Castle.  —  But O'Donnell's ad looks eerily similar to one recently produced by Intrepid Media for Americans for New Leadership, in support of Nevada candidate Sharron Angle …

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.

Lobbyists Rush to Hire G.O.P. Staff Ahead of Midterm Vote  —  WASHINGTON — With Democrats in danger of losing control of Congress, some prominent lobbying shops, trade groups and contractors are already moving to bring more Republicans on board to bolster their political fortunes.

Fired Up  —  This may win the prize for the worst stump speech ever.  Oh my.  —  Here's the video via Oliver Willis: