Goldman Sachs Draws Up Deeper Cuts  —  Goldman Sachs, bracing for what could be one of its worst quarters since it went public 12 years ago, is preparing to expand its cost-cutting initiative by hundreds of millions of dollars, a move that could lead to additional job losses at the Wall Street bank.

Five Things Conservative Voters Would Hate About Chris Christie  —  Did you hear the news?  Chris Christie is going to save the Republicans from Rick Perry, who was supposed to save them from Mitt Romney but turned out to be a completely inept debater and a traitor on issues like illegal immigration …

MSNBC Is Close to Falling to Third Place in Cable News Ratings  —  How badly has MSNBC been hurt by the loss of Keith Olbermann?  Enough, apparently, to be on the verge of falling back into third place among the cable news networks.  —  The ratings results for the month of September show that CNN …

Huntsman Spot in Oct. 18 Debate Endangered  —  Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah, has been in every presidential debate since he threw his hat in the ring last June.  —  Now, that may change.  —  CNN, which is hosting a debate in Las Vegas on Oct. 18, has set criteria for participation …

Obama advisors raised warning flags before Solyndra bankruptcy  —  Treasury chief Timothy F. Geithner and others were worried that the selection process for federal loan guarantees fell short and raised the risk that funds could be going to the wrong firms.  —  Reporting from Washington …

Oops!  White House fails basic geography test  —  Looks like someone in the White House press office needs to brush up on his or her U.S. geography.  —  The press office issued credentials to those reporters and photojournalists who are covering the president's trip this week to Washington state, California, and Colorado.

Ford pulls its ad on bailouts  —  'Didn't take the money' boast ruffles feathers  —  For the only Detroit automaker that “didn't take the money” of the federal auto bailouts, Ford Motor Co. keeps paying a price for its comparative success and self-reliant turnaround.

Obama aide Axelrod acknowledges hurdles to president's reelection  —  GOFFSTOWN , N.H.- With a still-foundering economy and Americans increasingly fed up with the government, President Obama's top campaign strategist today acknowledged the difficulties the incumbent president will face.

Class Warfare - Yuck!  —  Let me get this on the record.  —  My dad was a waiter.  My mom was a secretary.  Neither attended college.  I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and Lowell, Massachusetts.  I attended public schools.  My parents - in their best year - earned $31,000 combined.

Decision on health-care law means Supreme Court will likely determine constitutionality next summer  —  The constitutionality of the 2010 health-care law will likely be determined by the Supreme Court this term, meaning the decision could come next summer in the thick of the 2012 presidential campaign.

U.S. Health Insurance Cost Rises Sharply, Study Finds  —  The cost of health insurance for many Americans this year climbed more sharply than in previous years, outstripping any growth in workers' wages and adding more uncertainty about the pace of rising medical costs.

The Lost Decade?  —  If you want a big swig of despair, listen to the people who know something about the global economy.  Roger Altman, a former deputy Treasury secretary, is arguing that America and Europe are on the verge of a disastrous double-dip recession.

Democrats Preserve Principles, Republicans Cave on Continuing Resolution and FEMA Funding  —  Yea!  We have a budget for 49 days! (photo: chbrenchley)  —  As I reported during last night's live blog, the Senate reached agreement on a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government …

CNN Poll: Majority say neither party's policies good for country  —  Washington (CNN) - A new national survey suggests there are no winners in the public's eye when it comes to the constant wrangling between Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.  —  A CNN/ORC International Poll released …

Blue-State Math Is Boon to Obama, Target for GOP  —  Amid those dark political clouds overhead right now, President Barack Obama can console himself with this silver lining: The electoral map remains stacked in favor of him and his Democrats.  —  In a close presidential election …

POTUS testy in BET interview  —  Making the cross face: Obama sits down with Emmett Miller  —  President Obama, slipping in the polls among black supporters and under fire from black Democratic leaders for policies they say fail to address black poverty and unemployment …

The Republicans Can Win, but They Can't Lead  —  ORLANDO — Jon Huntsman, poor dear, truly is a lost soul.  He came here this weekend, for the Florida presidential debate and the ensuing straw poll, running what appeared to be a complicated simulacrum of a national presidential campaign.

Bible-thumping heckler identified as David Serrano calls President Obama ‘the Antichrist’  —  A bizarre Bible-thumping heckler called President Obama “the Antichrist” as the Secret Service dragged him out of a presidential fund-raiser Monday.  —  The bearded young man …

Palin ‘on the Verge’ of a Decision About Presidential Run  —  Sarah Palin has been quiet recently.  Surprisingly quiet.  —  Ms. Palin, a one-time Alaska governor, is reportedly just days away from deciding whether to run for president.  —  In the meantime, her Twitter feed and Facebook page have gone silent for the last 10 days.

Super Committee's Cuts Anything But Automatic … WASHINGTON — The 12-member super committee created to slash the federal deficit is powered by the threat that if it doesn't come up with $1.2 trillion in savings, automatic, across-the-board cuts will be instituted to reach that same goal, with half of those cuts hitting the Pentagon.