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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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” …

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.”

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.

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 …

I Am A Hunter.  I'm Going Hunting.  —  BOONE, Iowa — Here's one of the small cards being handed out to attendees of a packed Pawlenty town hall here.  It's another trinket in his quest to convince voters of the obvious truth that he's right on their issues, he's got no hideous problems with his record …

The most powerful man on Earth?  —  A familiar air of indecision preceded President Obama's pep talk to the nation.  —  The first draft of his schedule for Monday contained no plans to comment on the downgrading of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor's.

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 …

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.

Dow Closes Up 400 Points in Wild Finish  —  Stocks pushed broadly higher on Tuesday, ending a volatile trading session in which the market fluctuated widely between gains and losses.  —  The surge by the end of the day came after the market showed signs of recovery from the worst sell-off …

S.F. gay married couple loses immigration battle  —  Washington —  Citing the Defense of Marriage Act, the Obama administration denied immigration benefits to a married gay couple from San Francisco and ordered the expulsion of a man who is the primary caregiver to his AIDS-afflicted spouse.

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 …

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.