The due-process-free assassination of U.S. citizens is now reality  —  (updated below)  —  It was first reported in January of last year that the Obama administration had compiled a hit list of American citizens whom the President had ordered assassinated without any due process, and one of those Americans was Anwar al-Awlaki.

Requiem for a Governor Before He's in the Ring  —  Look, I'm sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be president: He is just too fat.  Maybe, if he runs for president and we get to know him, we will overlook this awkward issue because we are so impressed with the way he stands up to teachers' unions.

Huckabee looks again at Republican presidential bid  —  (Reuters) - Mike Huckabee has been approached by Republican and conservative activists unhappy with the current crop of presidential hopefuls and he is considering entering the fray, two sources who have spoken with Huckabee told Reuters.

Connecticut a Toss Up?  —  Connecticut isn't a place that would go on anybody's list of swing states but Barack Obama is in a statistical tie with Mitt Romney there, leading only 47-45.  —  Obama's poor showing in Connecticut is mostly a function of his own unpopularity.

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City  —  As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together.  We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

A Thin Line on Skirts  —  Note to women in the South Park Slope and surrounding Brooklyn: You might want to think twice before wearing shorts or skirts when you walk home alone at night.  —  That's the message some women say police officers are spreading as they step up patrols in the area …

Did Congress Kill the Debit Card?  —  Some Americans are outraged that Bank of America intends to charge its customers a $5 fee for using their debit card.  And simply switching banks might not help: others are expected to follow.  While frustration over yet another bank fee is understandable, this one should surprise no one.

Warren Buffett sparks firestorm over millionaires' tax-rate hike  —  Investment guru Warren Buffett set off a political firestorm Friday with a series of interviews in which he appeared to distance himself from the tax policy proposal President Obama introduced under the billionaire's name.

Jesse Jackson: ‘Plantation’ comments insult black voters  —  Black voters have not been “brainwashed,” and suggesting as much — as Herman Cain and Pat Buchanan have recently — is demeaning and derogatory, Jesse Jackson said Friday.  —  “Those are very strong words,” the veteran civil rights activist told POLITICO.

The Top 10 Supreme Court Previews  —  Can't get enough pre-season Court coverage?  A legal analyst rounds up the case previews worth reading this weekend.  —  Reuters … Previewing The Previews  —  It's the last Friday in September, just hours before the first Monday in October …

NEIN, NEIN, NEIN, and the death of EU Fiscal Union  —  Judging by the commentary, there has been a colossal misunderstanding around the world of what has just has happened in Germany.  The significance of yesterday's vote by the Bundestag to make the EU's €440bn rescue fund (EFSF) more flexible is not that the outcome was a “Yes”.

Gilkes to leave Walker's staff to head campaign for expected recall attempt  —  By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - In the latest sign Gov. Scott Walker is preparing for a recall effort, his chief of staff is leaving the governor's office to work on his campaign.

U.S. Economy Tipping into Recession  —  Early last week, ECRI notified clients that the U.S. economy is indeed tipping into a new recession.  And there's nothing that policy makers can do to head it off.  —  ECRI's recession call isn't based on just one or two leading indexes …

Bicycles Are Cheap  —  One of the stranger political phenomena of the past 10 years has been the extent to which the non-automobile transportation in many cities has been coded a “white” area of concern.  When someone writes a piece about the growing market for automobiles in China …

Gingrich: Same-sex marriage is a ‘temporary aberration’  —  Gingrich today in Fort Dodge.  Fort Dodge, Ia.  - Same-sex marriage is a temporary aberration that will dissipate, Newt Gingrich said here today.  —  “I believe that marriage is between a man and woman,” Gingrich said.