President Pushover  —  Updated: Drew article now available.  —  The redoubtable Elizabeth Drew has a forthcoming article in the New York Review of Books — that confirms all our worst fears.  She tells us that past concessions have … Even more alarming, however, is her window on what the White House is thinking:

What Were They Thinking?  —  Someday people will look back and wonder, What were they thinking?  Why, in the midst of a stalled recovery, with the economy fragile and job creation slowing to a trickle, did the nation's leaders decide that the thing to do—in order to raise the debt limit …

Congress ditches Obama on debt talks  —  First came the Biden talks.  When those blew up, the Obama-Boehner talks took center stage.  And when that failed, the McConnell-Reid talks looked promising.  And after they faltered, the Obama-Boehner talks tried to find a new life.

Speaker Boehner: President Obama ‘worried about his next election’  —  With his self-imposed deadline for releasing a deficit plan before overseas markets open just a few hours away, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said both sides were “not there yet” and pushed for a two-stage debt-limit vote.

If Boehner prioritizes blame over success  —  The House went through the motions earlier this week, passing a radical “Cut, Cap, and Balance” debt-reduction plan that Republicans knew would fail.  They did this as a sort of vanity exercise, intended to make GOP lawmakers and their activist base feel better about themselves.

Dueling Plans Take Shape as Debt Ceiling Talks Languish  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker John A. Boehner and the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, were preparing separate backup plans to raise the nation's debt ceiling on Sunday, after the leaders were unable to end an increasingly grim standoff over the federal budget.

Boehner expects to have proposal Monday; Reid, Pelosi meet Obama  —  On a Sunday afternoon conference call with House Republican lawmakers, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called on the GOP to “stick together” in the debt-ceiling negotiations and presented a a timeline that could see a vote on a proposal by Wednesday.

Debate Clucker Tim Pawlenty Asks Candy Crowley ‘Is President Obama Chicken?’  —  In a statement so rich, Republicans are refusing to tax it, GOP presidential can'tidate Tim Pawlenty (R-The Drain) rhetorically asked CNN's Candy Crowley of President Obama, “Is he chicken?”

The Maid's Tale  —  She was paid to clean up after the rich and powerful.  Then she walked into Dominique Strauss-Kahn's room—and a global scandal.  Now she tells her story.  —  “Hello?  Housekeeping.”  —  The maid hovered in the suite's large living room, just inside the entrance.