Boehner's Obama Gamble  —  A tax increase now for the promise of tax reform later won't fly.  —  President Obama wants Congress to raise the $14.3 trillion national debt limit, which means he needs House Republican votes.  Yet Mr. Obama and the Washington chorus are insisting that in return …

A real problem vs. an imaginary one  —  After the release of the June job numbers, there were plenty of worthwhile charts and graphs making the rounds, but this one from Paul Krugman was especially helpful.  —  In case it's a little hard to see, that red line is the unemployment rate …

The new oppo research: Spotting the labels on the wine on the politician's restaurant table.  —  Some busybody business professor named Susan Feinberg pulled this trick on Paul Ryan and Talking Points Memo is lapping it up: … So, Feinberg was appalled, stunned, and outraged.  That's got to hurt.

Clueless about jobs  —  America's economy grew by a minus cule 18,000 jobs in June, and unem ployment rose to an eye-popping 9.2 percent.  Since April, the economy has produced a mere 43,000 new jobs.  —  Responded President Obama yesterday: “We still have a long way to go and a lot of work …

Panetta Says Defeat of Al Qaeda Is ‘Within Reach’  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who arrived in Kabul on Saturday, said that the United States was “within reach of strategically defeating Al Qaeda” and that the American focus had narrowed to capturing or killing 10 …

After Years of Struggle, South Sudan Becomes a New Nation  —  JUBA, South Sudan — The celebrations erupted at midnight.  Thousands of revelers poured into Juba's steamy streets in the predawn hours on Saturday, hoisting enormous flags, singing, dancing and leaping on the back of cars.

Sheila Bair's Bank Shot  —  'They should have let Bear Stearns fail," Sheila Bair said.  —  It was midmorning on a crisp June day, and Bair, the 57-year-old outgoing chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — the federal agency that insures bank deposits and winds down failing banks …

Betty Ford, Former First Lady, Dies at 93  —  Betty Ford, the outspoken and much-admired wife of President Gerald R. Ford who overcame alcoholism and an addiction to pills and helped found one of the best-known rehabilitation centers in the nation, died Friday in Palm Springs, Calif. She was 93.

Worst President Ever, Revisited  —  No, I'm not ready to crown Barack Obama the Worst President Ever just yet, but consider this:  —  Yes, George W. Bush wrecked our economy, destroyed New Orleans, turned a budget surplus into massive deficits, ignored warnings of a major terrorist attack …

Trailing G.O.P. With Cameras, Seeking Gaffes  —  AMHERST, N.H. — Aaron Fielding quietly stalks his prey — Republicans — with his video camera, patiently waiting for a political moment worthy of YouTube.  —  At 27, he is a full-time “tracker” for American Bridge 21st Century …

The Trouble With Approval Ratings  —  They provide only a very fuzzy picture of the electorate's attitudes.  —  Political observers love presidential approval ratings, which seem to make elections predictable, at least in those years when an incumbent is running.

China vs. America: Which Is the Developing Country?  —  From new roads to wise leadership, sound financials and five-year plans, Beijing has the winning approach.  —  Recently I flew from Los Angeles to China to attend a corporate board-of-directors meeting in Shanghai, as well as customer and government visits there and in Beijing.

James Murdoch could face criminal charges on both sides of the Atlantic  —  As phone hacking scandal leaves News Corp open to prosecution, James Murdoch looks less likely to inherit empire  —  James Murdoch and News Corp could face corporate legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic …