The sad facts behind Rick Perry's Texas miracle  —  Rick Perry's Texas is Ross Perot's Mexico come north.  Through a range of enticements we more commonly associate with Third World nations — low wages, no benefits, high rates of poverty, scant taxes, few regulations and generous corporate subsidies …

President Weighs Asking Panel for Stimulus Measures  —  President Barack Obama is considering recommending that lawmakers on a deficit committee back new measures to stimulate the lagging economy, people familiar with White House discussions said Tuesday.  —  The plan Mr. Obama is considering …

Crashing the Tea Party  —  GIVEN how much sway the Tea Party has among Republicans in Congress and those seeking the Republican presidential nomination, one might think the Tea Party is redefining mainstream American politics.  —  But in fact the Tea Party is increasingly swimming …

Wirch, Holperin win Senate recalls; GOP retains 17-16 majority  —  By Tom Tolan, Patrick Marley and Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel  —  The six-month saga that was Wisconsin's state Senate recall movement ended Tuesday with Democrats retaining two seats - and Republicans still in possession …

Christie Is Flat And Obama Is Down In New Jersey, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Are Not Worried About Gov's Health  —  New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie stops his slide and flattens out with a 47 - 46 percent job approval rating from New Jersey voters, his best score in four months …

Canucklehead Obama bus-ted!  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama is barnstorming the heartland to boost US jobs in a taxpayer-financed luxury bus the government had custom built — in Canada, The Post has learned.  —  The $1.1 million vehicle, one of two that Quebec-based Prevost sold the government …

NBC News Caught Red Handed ‘Selectively Editing’ & ‘ Doctoring’ Video to Smear Gov Perry as Racist  —  Ed Schultz used a deceptive edit to misinform his audience about the content of Gov. Rick Perry's speech in Iowa yesterday.  Schultz claimed that Gov. Perry was calling President Obama a …

Renegade Miami football booster spells out illicit benefits to players  —  Nevin Shapiro and a second source said this photo of the booster and Kellen Winslow Jr. was taken in Shapiro's VIP section of Opium Garden nightclub in 2003.  —  KEARNY, N.J. - A University of Miami booster …

Lambertville vandalism turns life-threatening  —  LAMBERTVILLE, MI (WTOL) - The Monroe County Sheriff's Department is working to solve a case of vandalism that turned life-threatening.  —  John King was shot in the arm last week when he surprised a man trying to slash the tires on the truck …

Abercrombie to ‘Jersey Shore’: Ditch our brand  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Mike “the Situation” Sorrentino may have to find some new attire for his “gym, tan, laundry” routine.  —  On Tuesday, clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch ( ANF) said it would offer “substantial payment” …

AP source: Obama to give major jobs speech  —  (AP) WASHINGTON — Seeking a jolt for a wilting economy, President Barack Obama will give a major speech in early September to unveil new ideas for speeding up job growth and helping the struggling poor and middle class, a senior administration official told The Associated Press.

Scores show students aren't ready for college  —  75% may need remedial classes  —  **FILE** Students at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Ill., walk between buildings on campus.  (Associated Press)  —  For many students, getting a high school diploma doesn't mark the end of a high school education.

Herman Cain: Impeaching Obama would be ‘a great thing’  —  Asked on a conference call with bloggers this evening why Republicans can't just impeach Barack Obama, Herman Cain answers that it's mostly a matter of legislative politics, POLITICO's Elizabeth Titus reports:

Stephen Colbert loses treasurer to Rick Perry  —  No joke: Presidential candidate Rick Perry and comedian Stephen Colbert, who last week barraged Iowa voters with advertisements urging voters to support “Rick Parry,” shared the same political committee treasurer - until they didn't.

The bad-luck president  —  America's misfortune is nothing if not Obamanomics  —  “We had reversed the recession, avoided a depression, gotten the economy moving again,” President Obama fantasized on the campaign stump in Iowa.  “But over the last six months, we've had a run of bad luck.”

Harry S. Obama?  —  Pundits have lately been comparing Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter, suggesting he is a likely loser in 2012.  But my American Enterprise Institute colleague Norman Ornstein, writing in the New Republic, compares Obama to Harry Truman, suggesting he might outperform the polls and win.