Govt Officials: US Expecting S&P Downgrade — Based on ‘Serious Mistake’ in Analysis*  —  Two government officials tell ABC News that the federal government is expecting and preparing for bond rating agency Standard & Poor's to downgrade the rating of U.S. debt from its current AAA value.

Rick Perry's College Transcript: A Lot Of Cs and Ds … WASHINGTON — As governor of Texas, Rick Perry has pursued a controversial agenda that would gut Texas' vaunted public university system in favor of something that more closely resembles a business.  —  As the Washington Post reported on Thursday …

Obama's Hip-Hop BBQ Didn't Create Jobs  —  POLITICO EXCLUSIVE — The President's private 50th birthday bash, not listed on his public schedule: His gift to the press corps was a travel/photo lid shortly after 4 p.m., prompting what pooler Julie Mason called “general cheering in WH workspace.”

Click on the video link to see raw video of police and sheriff's deputies investigating the scene.  —  Did you witness the attacks outside State Fair, or were you attacked?  Were you hurt?  E-mail us your story!  —  WEST ALLIS - Witnesses tell Newsradio 620 WTMJ and TODAY'S TMJ4 of a mob …

The Incredible Shrinking Tea Party  —  If there's one thing the debt ceiling battle revealed, it's that the Tea Party continues to enjoy outsized influence in Washington in general and over the GOP in particular.  —  So it's interesting to note that according to the internals of today's New York Times poll …

A Modest Proposal  —  Reading this...  And thinking back on this, by the same writer...  It occurs to me that we really need a world with more murders, more failing schools, more grocery stores with rotting vegetables, more bodegas with old milk, more teen-pregnancy, more homeless, more crack …

Why Democrats are very nervous about Wisconsin  —  Publicly, Democrats are projecting great confidence about the likelihood of taking back the Wisconsin state senate in the upcoming recall elections.  They claim their private polling shows them ahead or tied in all six races targeting GOPers for recall …

Video: They're still not listening to Rick Santelli  —  Want to see a microcosm of everything that's been wrong with American economic policy over the last couple of years?  Watch this exchange between Ezra Klein and Rick Santelli from earlier today on MSNBC's Morning Joe.

John Kerry: Media Has “Responsibility” To “Not Give Equal Time” To Tea Party  —  Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) told MSNBC's “Morning Joe” on Friday that the media has the responsibility to not give equal time or credence to the Tea Party's views: SEN. JOHN KERRY: “And I have to tell you, I say this to you politely.

The Wrong Worries  —  In case you had any doubts, Thursday's more than 500-point plunge in the Dow Jones industrial average and the drop in interest rates to near-record lows confirmed it: The economy isn't recovering, and Washington has been worrying about the wrong things.

‘Rent is Too Damn High’ candidate facing eviction from rent-controlled apartment  —  The man who ran for governor because the “Rent is Too Damn High” claims he's being kicked out of his Manhattan apartment — because the rent is too damn low!  —  Jimmy McMillan says he pays $872.96 …

White House has new talking points  —  Austan Goolsbee: Jobs!  Bickering!  Brrrains!!!!!  —  If only Congress would pass patent reform!  The White House has found the guilty parties behind that dismal June jobs report — and they include failure to act on trade deals and that old Washington bugaboo: bickering.

54% Think Obama's Reelection At Least Somewhat Likely  —  Most voters think President Obama has a good shot at being reelected next year, even if he continues to pursue tax increases as part of any future deficit reduction plan.  —  Fifty-four percent (54%) of Likely U.S. Voters feel …

Why I'm Proud to Be Part of President Obama's Team  —  Twenty years ago last month, I met a remarkable young man named Barack Obama.  Since then, I've been honored to join him along his journey, from the Illinois State Senate all the way to the Oval Office.

The FAA shutdown and the new rules of Washington  —  Congressman John Mica, the Florida Republican blamed for single-handedly shutting down the Federal Aviation Administration, sounded like a beaten man when he called me Thursday evening.  —  The usually biting chairman …