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.

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.

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.

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.

Centrist Dems Already Trying To Put The Brakes On Obama's Tax Increases  —  President Obama's deficit-reduction plan—complete with tax increases on the wealthiest Americans—won high marks from his liberal base encouraged to see Obama back in fighting mode, but the plan is set to hit …

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.

If top rates return to Reagan era, O'Reilly might quit  —  Fox News' Bill O'Reilly boasted the other day that he enjoys “more power than anybody other than the president.”  —  Apparently, though, this rather extraordinary degree of influence over national affairs isn't quite enough for the conservative media personality.

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.

'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal lets gays, lesbians serve openly  —  With Tuesday's repeal of the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy, gays and lesbians are now free to serve openly in the U.S. armed services.  —  The U.S. military has spent months preparing for the repeal …

Warren takes lead on Brown  —  Elizabeth Warren has had an incredibly successful launch to her Senate campaign and actually leads Scott Brown now by a 46-44 margin, erasing what was a 15 point deficit the last time we polled the state in early June.  —  Warren's gone from 38% name recognition …

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 …

Issa to launch probe of Obama actions on Solyndra, LightSquared  —  Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that his committee plans to investigate government loan programs to private corporations in light of allegations of improper dealings between the White House and failed energy company Solyndra and wireless startup LightSquared.

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 …

Tony Bennett on 9/11 Attacks: ‘They Flew the Plane in, But We Caused It’  —  American icon Tony Bennett took to the airwaves at Sirius Radio to promote his new album, “Duets II,” but it's what he said about war, peace, terrorism, and who was to blame for the Sept. 11 terror attacks that could get people talking.

Perry Used Taxpayer Money To Subsidize Family Vacations, Presidential Campaign Events  —  During the last slash-and-burn legislative session, presidential contender and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) approved draconian budget cuts for everything from education to Medicare.

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.”

Eric Holder: We aim to close Gitmo before Election Day  —  U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Obama administration is doing everything it can to shut down the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before the 2012 presidential elections.  —  Speaking Tuesday at the European Parliament …

Moderate Democrats duck, cover on tax hikes  —  Liberals on Monday cheered President Barack Obama's plan to hike taxes on the wealthy to cut the deficit.  But the response from Democrats on the front lines of 2012 election battles?  Silence.  Or, at best, tepid enthusiasm.

Democrats ramp up criticism of GOP spending bill  —  The opposition increases the possibility of another shutdown fight, a prospect that party leaders have said they want to avoid.  —  Democrats on Tuesday stepped up their criticism of the House Republican stopgap spending bill …