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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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% …

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.

Italian Debt Adds to Fears in Euro Zone  —  LONDON — Top European officials planned to meet on Monday to wrestle with threats to the currency union as fears mounted that Italy could become a victim of the debt crisis even as discussions stalled over a second bailout for Greece.

Stop Obama's Egyptian Tank Sale  —  While everyone in Washington was concentrating on the debt crisis this week, the Obama administration attempted to slip through a questionable arms deal that requires serious scrutiny.  Though it got little attention, the Defense Department officially notified Congress …

Mass. city to pay wedded gay workers to offset tax  —  CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—When the city of Cambridge issues paychecks to its public employees, nearly two dozen workers find a federal tax on their income that their colleagues don't have to pay.  —  Like many people, these 22 school …

GOP looks for upset in race for Calif. House seat  —  TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) — Coastal California is Democratic turf, where the party often rolls up landslide victories for its candidates.  In 2008, President Barack Obama scored a 31-point win in the 36th Congressional District …