Obama plan: Destroy Romney  —  Barack Obama's aides and advisers are preparing to center the president's re-election campaign on a ferocious personal assault on Mitt Romney's character and business background, a strategy grounded in the early stage expectation that the former Massachusetts governor is the likely GOP nominee.

As Rioting Widens, Cameron Deploys 10,000 More Police  —  By ALAN COWELL, RAVI SOMAIYA and JOHN F. BURNS  —  LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron pledged on Tuesday to flood the streets of London with 10,000 extra police officers and said Parliament would be recalled in emergency session …

Is Obama Smart?  —  A case study in stupid is as stupid does.  —  The aircraft was large, modern and considered among the world's safest.  But that night it was flying straight into a huge thunderstorm.  Turbulence was extreme, and airspeed indicators may not have been functioning properly.

While the Markets Swoon ...  It's hard not to feel a certain contempt for Standard & Poor's in the wake of its downgrade of American debt.  Its sole job as a credit-rating agency is to gauge the creditworthiness of bonds, yet like its competitors, Moody's and Fitch, it has consistently fallen short.

The Day of Reckoning in Wisconsin Recall Fight  —  Outside groups, finger-pointing and acrimony have nearly eclipsed the original reason six state senators face voters today  —  Wisconsin is tired of standing.  —  First the state was told to “Stand with Walker.”  —  Ever since then, it's been “Stand with Rob Cowles.”

CNN Poll: Time to clean house in Congress?  —  Washington (CNN) - Need more evidence that Americans are extremely angry at Congress?  —  Well, here you go: According to a new national survey, for the first time ever most Americans don't believe their own member of Congress deserves re-election.

Impeach Obama, says Michael Burgess  —  Burgess, center, wants to impeach Barack Obama to stop him from ‘pushing his agenda.’  —  Impeaching President Barack Obama “needs to happen,” Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) told a local tea party group, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Tuesday.

For immediate release  —  Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that economic growth so far this year has been considerably slower than the Committee had expected.  Indicators suggest a deterioration in overall labor market conditions in recent months, and the unemployment rate has moved up.

The bullets yet to be fired to stop the crisis  —  Four years into the financial crisis, it is becoming increasingly clear that the biggest deficit is not in credit, but credibility.  Markets can adjust to a downgrade of global growth, but they cannot cope with a spiralling loss of confidence …

Obama's job approval  —  President Obama's job approval rating is 50% or higher in 16 states and D.C. Roll over each state to see how each rated Obama.  The darker the shade of the state, the higher his overall approval rating.  —  Source: Gallup  —  WASHINGTON — Another “wave” …

Bachmann's ‘Must-Read’ List Included A Book That Claims Blacks Were ‘Better Off In Nearly Every Way’ Under Slavery  —  Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) has already made one slavery-related gaffe during her presidential campaign, signing a pledge produced by the Iowa FAMiLY LEADER …

Mr. Cool turns cold  —  In her autobiography, Helen Gahagan Douglas recalled telling President Franklin D. Roosevelt about her visits to the camps of migrant workers.  She was especially poignant about the children and their lack of Christmas toys when the president tried to stop her.

About that plane over S&P  —  Who sent an aerial message to Wall Street?  —  Courtesy of NY Observer  —  Earlier today, a plane flew over S&P headquarters trailing a banner that read: … Fortune has learned that the person who paid to fly the banner is a Midwestern broker …

Philadelphia mayor talks tough to black teenagers after ‘flash mobs’  —  ** FILE ** In this March 20, 2010, photo, young people run down South Street during a flash mob incident that involved thousands and closed the street to traffic from Front Street to Broad in Philadelphia.

US scolds Israel over new construction plans … WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it is “deeply concerned” by Israeli approval of new housing construction in disputed east Jerusalem.  —  The State Department says such “unilateral actions work against efforts to resume direct negotiations” …

A Downgrade Awakening  —  Amid the market wreckage, signs of a political turn.  —  During yesterday's market meltdown, an old friend shot us an email: “The Obama adm needs to stop trying to disarm the fire alarm and start trying to put the fire out.”  —  Good advice that …

Forced to strip naked in the street: Shocking scenes as rioters steal clothes and rifle through bags as people make their way home  —  This is the shocking moment a young man is apparently forced to hand over all of his clothes after appearing to be stripped naked during lawless riots overnight.

Some Munis Can Have Higher Ratings Than US: S&P  —  Some U.S. states and local governments may retain their coveted AAA ratings despite the fact the United States has lost its top rating, according to Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.  —  Analysts and traders had been concerned the rating agency …

Obama Cancels Schedule to Meet Returned Bodies of Fallen Soldiers  —  President Obama will travel to Dover Air Force base later on Tuesday to honor the 22 Navy SEALs and eight other American troops killed in Afghanistan on Saturday when an insurgent shot down their helicopter …

Obama's penchant for speeches now sounding hollower by the word  —  This is the 931st day of the Barack Obama presidency.  —  Yesterday Obama gave a strange statement to the media.  He'd been away on another mini-vacation at Camp David.  So, it was left to aides and Treasury Secy.