Obama's approval rating drops to all-time low; Public split on jobs plan  —  CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto  —  As concerns about the struggling U.S. economy grow, a new CBS News/New York poll finds …

Bachmann makes health claims about HPV vaccine not ‘speaking as a doctor’  —  Asked about her stance against mandatory vaccinations against the human papillomavirus (HPV), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said Friday that “it's something that could have dangerous side effects.”

Obama's Solyndra scandal reeks of the Chicago Way  —  Those of us from Chicago know exactly what the Solyndra scandal smells like.  And It doesn't smell fresh and green.  —  The Solyndra scandal cost at least a half-billion public dollars.  It is plaguing President Barack Obama.

Sinners In The Hand Of An Angry Columnist  —  I was pretty surprised to see Ezra Klein recommend the conclusion of David Brooks' latest column: … That something along these lines has become something like the conventional wisdom in Washington is, to me, maddening.

It Wasn't Really an Upset  —  Another Democratic loss, another message to Obama.  This one may come too late.  —  An upset is a surprise.  The loss of Anthony Weiner's former seat to the Republicans was not a surprise.  It was the latest in a long string of referendums on the president's leadership.

Book: Women in Obama White House felt excluded and ignored  —  A new book claims that the Obama White House is a boys' club marred by rampant infighting that has hindered the administration's economic policy and left top female advisers feeling excluded from key conversations.

Smart money betting on stupid politicians  —  Are Republicans stupid?  —  This seems to be the question du jour.  Chris Matthews entertained this idea with guests recently, pointing to several Republican presidential candidates as evidence.  How else to explain why so many in the GOP seem proud …

Uptick in Texas Jobless Rate Puts Perry on the Spot  —  The unemployment rate in Texas rose a bit in August to 8.5%, its highest rate since 1987. … That leaves the Lone Star State in the middle of the pack nationally, but it's jobless rate remains below the national rate of 9.1%.

Why didn't the Fed release a statement on the dollar liquidity bailout?  —  Felix here.  I'm about to head out of town for a couple of weeks, on a mini European tour.  I'll try to check in occasionally, but I'm not sure how often that'll be, so I'm experimenting with guest postings.

Abbas Says He Will Seek Palestinian State at the Security Council  —  JERUSALEM — The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, announced Friday that he would seek membership for a state of Palestine from the United Nations Security Council next week, putting him on a collision course with Israel …

Rick Perry vs. Rick Perry  —  On Friday morning, our very own Rebekah Maxwell got an opportunity to do something few in the media have had the chance to do at one of Rick Perry's presidential campaign stops — ask him a serious question about his own record.

New AIDS Cases Dropped 25% This Year, City Reports  —  In a sign of progress against one of the great plagues of the last generation, a dwindling number of New Yorkers have been diagnosed with AIDS over the last eight years, according to new statistics released Friday.

Documents show Solyndra sought second government loan guarantee for $469 million  —  Failed solar panel maker Solyndra's Securities and Exchange Commission filings show that seven months after the Obama administration's Department of Energy approved a $535 million federal loan guarantee …

Republican leaders assess Obama jobs plan in memo to members  —  House Republican leaders assessed President Obama's jobs plan Friday in a memo to their rank and file, and they found plenty of proposals to criticize.  —  The leaders cited trade agreements and incentives for small businesses …