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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Paul Ryan accuser won't talk  —  Susan Feinberg, an associate professor of management and global business at Rutgers University, caused a stir in the left-wing blogosphere over the weekend with her account of witnessing House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan drinking …

Obama huddles with Hispanic groups to woo support for 2012 race  —  President Barack Obama is hosting a White House meeting for Hispanic advocacy groups Monday, just a week after a Gallup poll of Hispanic voters revealed potentially lethal news for his reelection chances.

The Necessity of U.S. Naval Power  —  Our maritime forces provide an unmatched advantage.  —  All our citizens, and especially our servicemen and women, expect and deserve a thorough review of critical security decisions.  After all, decisions today will affect the nation's strategic position for future generations.

DeMint presidential forum planned  —  Washington (CNN) - South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, embracing his role as kingmaker in the Republican race for the White House, has organized a presidential forum scheduled to take place in Columbia on September 5.  —  The Labor Day event …

Gridlock deals gut punch to businesses  —  Nearby shops that cater to — and rely on — state workers find themselves struggling to survive.  —  Pat and Mike's Lobby Shoppe in downtown St. Paul's skyway typically operates 10 hours a day, but lately it's been shuttering its location in the Golden Rule Building for lack of customers.

Bruising healthcare fight looms over Kagan, Thomas  —  All signs point to the U.S. Supreme Court as the major battleground in the bitter national debate over healthcare reform, either next term or the term after that.  Meanwhile, each side is trying to push a justice out of the case.