Mitt Romney outlines his governing plan to POLITICO  —  POWELL, Ohio — Mitt Romney conceded President Barack Obama has succeeded in making him a less likable person, but he offered a defiant retort to those hoping he will open up this week: “I am who I am.”

Deputies: RNC protestor arrested with machete strapped to his leg  —  TAMPA —  A Republican National Convention protestor was arrested while he allegedly carried a machete strapped to his leg, according to deputies.  —  According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's officials, Jason T. Wilson …

Chris Matthews Calls Out GOP: You Are Playing The ‘Race Card’  —  Political observers have noted for a while that Mitt Romney's claim that President Obama gutted the work requirement in the 1996 welfare reform law is false.  But few in the mainstream media have have gone so far as to accuse Republicans of playing the ‘race card.’

Christie chose NJ over Mitt's VP role due to fears that they'd lose: sources  —  Gov. Chris Christie wasn't willing to give up the New Jersey statehouse to be Mitt Romney's running mate because he doubted they'd win, The Post has learned.  —  Romney's top aides had demanded Christie step …

Crist to speak at Democratic National Convention  —  Florida's former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist will be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention.  —  An official with President Barack Obama's campaign said Sunday that Crist will speak at next week's convention in Charlotte, N.C., but the day hasn't been worked out.

Republicans Worry About Keeping Factions Reined In  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney arrives here this week to accept his nomination from the increasingly disparate coalition of factions known as the Republican Party, confronting the challenge of unifying them behind him and — should he win …

Grassroots Press For Convention Floor Fight Over Romney's “Power Grab”  —  Blackwell and Bopp lead the revolt.  The “worst-ever changes.”  —  Morton Blackwell is among the conservatives fighting the changes.  —  Source: liberty.edu  —  TAMPA — A coalition of grassroots Republicans …

Welcome To Freshman Disorientation  —  Student opinion at elite schools is showing ‘diversity.’ The faculty is another matter.  —  Four years ago at the beginning of Harvard's school term, I was going over an assignment with a freshman when she confessed that she was feeling guilty—because she was working for the Obama campaign.

From Antislavery Lawyer to Chief Justice: The Remarkable But Forgotten Career of Salmon P. Chase  —  Abstract:  —  Salmon P. Chase was as responsible as any single person for the abolition of chattel slavery in the United States.  Yet his name is barely known and his career is largely forgotten.

Making the Election About Race  —  The Republican ticket is flooding the airwaves with commercials that develop two themes designed to turn the presidential contest into a racially freighted resource competition pitting middle class white voters against the minority poor.

Karl Rove dings Joe Biden, President Obama on charity  —  TAMPA — Karl Rove dinged President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for not contributing enough to charity, comparing their giving to Hillary Clinton's infamous $2 underwear donation to charity.  —  “I do pay a higher effective tax rate than President Obama.

Scientists warn on world food supply  —  Water scarcity's effect on food production means radical steps will be needed to feed population expected to reach 9bn by 2050  —  Leading water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies …

Tropical Storm Isaac Should Rival Hurricane Katrina  —  By Michael Barak, Joseph Bastardi and Alan Lammey  —  On August 24th, we warned on Forbes that Tropical Storm Isaac could pose a threat to energy markets and even rival Hurricane Katrina in its destructive power (Could Tropical Storm Isaac Turn Into Another Katrina?).