Obama Rejects Obamaism  —  I'm a sap, a specific kind of sap.  I'm an Obama Sap.  —  When the president said the unemployed couldn't wait 14 more months for help and we had to do something right away, I believed him.  When administration officials called around saying that the possibility …

FACT CHECK: Are rich taxed less than secretaries?  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama makes it sound as if there are millionaires all over America paying taxes at lower rates than their secretaries.  —  “Middle-class families shouldn't pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires,” Obama said Monday.

Ralph Nader wants a primary challenge for President Obama  —  Ralph Nader — legendary consumer advocate, accused spoiler in the 2000 presidential campaign — is not, to state it mildly, terribly popular among Democrats, who still hold the election of George W. Bush against him.

Perry Looks Better Against Romney Than Against Obama  —  Leads Romney by 10 points in “narrow down” but trails Obama  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Rick Perry leads Mitt Romney by 31% to 24% in a new USA Today/Gallup poll of Republican presidential nomination preferences.

Israel Calls on Palestinians to Abandon UN Bid, Hold Talks  —  Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) — Israel called on the Palestinians to abandon their drive for United Nations recognition and restart peace talks as the U.S. and other countries try to work out a compromise aimed at avoiding a Security Council showdown.

The Appraisal: A Glimpse at Bloomberg's Lavish Tastes at Home  —  He has been known to serve tuna on crackers during cocktail hour.  He prefers diners to power-breakfast spots like the Regency.  His sartorial style remains buttoned down, with a salmon-color crew neck and matching socks about as gaudy as it gets.

Joe McGinniss: Threats are the ‘Palin way’  —  Sarah and Todd Palin “scare” and “threaten” people - that's the “Palin way,” author Joe McGinniss charged on Tuesday.  —  In an interview on CNN for the release of his new book, “The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin,” McGinniss said he spoke to …

A future for drones: Automated killing  —  One afternoon last fall at Fort Benning, Ga., two model-size planes took off, climbed to 800 and 1,000 feet, and began criss-crossing the military base in search of an orange, green and blue tarp.  —  The automated, unpiloted planes worked on their own …

The President's “balanced” misdirection  —  The White House is marketing the President's new deficit reduction proposals as “A Balanced Approach.” … The President argues that “balance” between spending cuts and tax increases is good.  He further argues that he achieves this desired balance …

Alexander to leave GOP leadership post  —  Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday announced he will step down from his post as Senate Republican Conference chairman in January.  —  Alexander made the announcement in a letter sent to his Republican colleagues in the Senate.

Parole board denies clemency for Troy Davis  —  The state Board of Pardons and Paroles on Tuesday denied clemency for Troy Anthony Davis after hearing pleas for mercy from Davis' family and calls for his execution by surviving relatives of a murdered Savannah police officer.

Flings of the Waistcoat Crowd  —  Bill Keller has a column at the NYT because he can have a column at the NYT, not because anybody is clamoring to hear what he has to say.  —  Print journalism dies preening.  —  When the newly sworn-in president congratulated us all on choosing unity …

The New Class of ‘Geniuses’  —  An Architect, a Percussionist and 20 Others Win $500,000 MacArthur Grants  —  CHICAGO—A radio host, a jazz percussionist and a physicist who freezes and studies atoms were among the 22 people who got a phone call or email out of the blue last week telling …

Greek Crisis Exacts the Cruelest Toll  —  HERAKLION, Greece—The first time he despaired of his debts, Vaggelis Petrakis drank a poisonous brew of beer and gasoline.  —  A note he left didn't mention the financial woes of his fruit and vegetable business, of which his family was well aware.

Michele Bachmann ‘Surprised’ By Jay Leno Interview Questions (AUDIO) … During a radio interview on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said she was “surprised” by questions presented to her during a recent appearance on NBC's “Tonight Show.”

Rick Perry's Lesser-Known First Book Could Be A Distraction From Economy-Centered Message … WASHINGTON — Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has taken plenty of heat for making dubious assertions about modern medicine and health, but she's not the only Republican presidential candidate to have done so.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Assigns ‘Cold Case Posse’ To Investigate Obama's Birth Certificate  —  Hey, remember the birthers?  —  Infamous Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio does — which is why he announced a five-person “Cold Case Posse” that will delve into the issue of President Obama's birth certificate.

In Small Towns, Gossip Moves to the Web, and Turns Vicious  —  MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. — In the small towns nestled throughout the Ozarks, people like to say that everybody knows everybody's business — and if they do not, they feel free to offer an educated guess.

Did Wall St. bet on credit downgrade?  —  Securities and Exchange Commission officials have sent subpoenas to financial firms in a probe of whether there was insider trading - betting on a market crash - before the United States' long-term credit rating was cut by S&P last month, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal: Navy Lt. Gary Ross, Partner Dan Swezy Wed As Military's Gay Ban Formally Ends … DUXBURY, Vt. — Just as the formal repeal of the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy took effect, Navy Lt. Gary Ross and his partner were married before a small group of family and friends.