For Boehner, Lofty Budget Goals Checked by Reality  —  WASHINGTON — At a private meeting about deficit reduction at the White House last week, Speaker John A. Boehner told his fellow Congressional leaders and President Obama that he did not spend 20 years working his way up to the top job …

Palin Plots Her Next Move  —  Sarah Palin hasn't jumped into the race for the White House (yet), but she believes the prize is there for the taking.  In a conversation with Peter J. Boyer, Palin warns Boehner not to raise the debt ceiling, proclaims that Obama is beatable—and says the 2012 field is far from settled.

Phone hacking: 9/11 victims ‘may have had mobiles tapped by News of the World reporters’  —  DESPERATE Rupert Murdoch yesterday flew to London to try to save his ­crumbling empire.  —  He arrived in a cowboy-style hat to be hit by claims News of the World reporters hacked the phones of 9/11 victims.

TIR Poll: Bachmann Overtakes Romney in Iowa  —  Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has surpassed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in a recent Iowa poll that was conducted by TheIowaRepublican.com.  With Bachmann now leading in Iowa, Romney has fallen to second place …

No, We Can't?  Or Won't?  —  If you were shocked by Friday's job report, if you thought we were doing well and were taken aback by the bad news, you haven't been paying attention.  The fact is, the United States economy has been stuck in a rut for a year and a half.

Obama vs. Obama  —  Not long ago, Obama warned that raising taxes in a struggling economy is “the last thing you want to do.”  —  In a 75-minute meeting Sunday night, President Obama once again demanded that more than $1 trillion in tax increases be part of any deficit reduction package attached to a vote on the debt ceiling.

Economy Faces a Jolt as Benefit Checks Run Out  —  An extraordinary amount of personal income is coming directly from the government.  —  Close to $2 of every $10 that went into Americans' wallets last year were payments like jobless benefits, food stamps, Social Security and disability, according to an analysis by Moody's Analytics.

The disappearing black middle class  —  Princeton Professor Cornel West (center) eagerly shakes the hand of President Barack Obama in June 2010.  Today, West calls Obama “a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs.”  Pablo Martinez Monsivais~AP  —  Millions of Americans endured financial calamities in the recession.

Petraeus Confident as He Leaves Afghanistan  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Just days away from the end of his tour as the supreme military commander in Afghanistan, and the end of a 37-year military career, Gen. David H. Petraeus said he was leaving in the belief that his plan to turn around the war …

Sen. McConnell: ‘Nobody Is Talking About Not Raising The Debt Ceiling’ In Congress  —  Senate Minority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell discussed the debt ceiling negotiations with Bret Baier on Fox News Sunday.  McConnell was in agreement with Speaker John Boehner's decision not to support …

All Dems want is more taxing and spending  —  It's who they are.  Year in, year out, their response to finding us in a hole is to keep digging.  That's why compromising with them is always bad news.  —  On spending and taxes, it's Obama vs. America.  Jennifer Rubin: … Rasmussen:

Most Voters Think President Obama is More Liberal Than They Are  —  As they have consistently, voters continue to believe that President Obama is more liberal than they are, though that number has reached a new low.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% …

Obama Tries To Re-Sell Republicans On A Grand Debt Ceiling Deal … WASHINGTON — Sunday night's much anticipated debt ceiling meeting between the president and congressional leadership managed to produce an outcome, just not the desirable one.  Attendees did not find agreement on a package of cuts, revenues, or entitlement reforms.

Weiner and wife toast their wedding  —  Anthony Weiner escaped to Miami for a romantic weekend with wife Huma to celebrate their wedding anniversary.  Witnesses told us that the couple, who married a year ago on Long Island, looked very much in love as they dined with friends …