And...Sept. 8 it is, White House says  —  The White House just put out a statement that puts the onus for clearing Sept. 7 as a date for President Obama's ballyhooed jobs speech on House Speaker John Boehner, and says the president will instead “welcome” the chance to speak on Sept. 8:

Rep. Carson defends controversial tea party slam  —  LOS ANGELES (CNN) - As members of the Congressional Black Caucus converged in Los Angeles for its final national job fair series, one of its ranking members responded to his own previous inflammatory comments in Miami about the tea party …

New CNN Poll: 65% give Obama thumbs down on economy  —  Washington (CNN) - Only a third of all Americans approve of how President Barack Obama is handling the economy, according to a new national survey.  —  And with a CNN/ORC International Poll also indicating that more than three-quarters …

Obama Labor Boss Buys Canadian-Built Car  —  Says purchase was to show support for American workers  —  To show her support for American workers, President Obama's labor secretary, Hilda Solis, has junked the standard black limo and purchased a new Chevrolet Equinox to ride around Washington in.

George Clooney: Why I won't stand for President  —  The Hollywood actor explains why he will never stand for President.  —  George Clooney has ruled himself out of a future role as US President, citing Barack Obama's current troubles as a reason to avoid the job.

Gibson Guitars CEO: U.S. Government Urged Him to Use Foreign Labor  —  Press release from KMJ-AM in Fresno, California:  —  Tonight, in an interview on KMJ's “The Chris Daniel Show,” Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz confirmed that the US government wanted Gibson guitars to use foreign labor over American labor:

Exclusive: Condoleezza Rice fires back at Cheney memoir  —  (Reuters) - Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday she resented what she viewed as an attack on her integrity by former Vice President Dick Cheney in his just-published memoir.  —  Speaking in an interview with Reuters …

Apple loses another unreleased iPhone (exclusive)  —  Cava22, the San Francisco bar where another unreleased iPhone apparently went missing.  —  In a bizarre repeat of a high-profile incident last year, an Apple employee once again appears to have lost an unreleased iPhone in a bar, CNET has learned.

Huntsman Proposes New Taxes On Seniors And Veterans To Pay For Tax Cut For The Richest 0.1 Percent  —  Our guest blogger is Seth Hanlon, director of Fiscal Reform for the Doing What Works project at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.  —  2012 GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman …

Former GOP Senator Chuck Hagel: Republican Party Has ‘An Astounding Lack Of Responsible Leadership’  —  Former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel (NE) can't muster any praise for his Republican colleagues' behavior in Congress over the past few months.  In an interview with the Financial Times …

Solyndra Filing a Disaster for Obama  —  U.S. President Barack Obama heads inside to deliver a speech after meeting with construction workers building a new Solyndra solar panel factory May 26, 2010 in Fremont, California.  President Obama toured Solyndra Inc., a growing solar power equipment facility …

As part of jobs plan, Obama calls for speedy infrastructure permitting  —  President Obama put more meat on the bones of his jobs agenda Wednesday, outlining a plan to quickly permit major infrastructure projects pending approval at several federal agencies.

Deputy mayor quit after being busted for domestic violence  —  The blizzard didn't bury him — roughing up his wife did.  —  Former Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith — who drew sharp criticism for bungling the Christmas storm that shut down the city — actually resigned in disgrace after his wife …

Michele Bachmann maintains her stance on drilling for oil in the Everglades, upsetting Floridians and fellow Tea Party members. … However, geologists believe there's not much oil under the Everglades anyway.  Collier County's Sunniland Field, the only significant oil field nearby …