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.”

Republican Talking Points  —  Here are the official Republican talking points, being circulated to surrogates speaking on behalf of the party here:  —  Surrogate Message Points:  —  2012 Republican National Convention - A Better Future  —  Top Line Message Points:

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.’

Rove unloads on Todd Akin on eve of GOP convention  —  Tampa, Florida (CNN) - Republican strategist Karl Rove ramped up his criticism of Missouri candidate Todd Akin on Monday, calling his recent remarks about rape and abortion “morally incomprehensible” and insisting that he drop out of the race.

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.

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 …

Taliban beheads 17 Afghan partygoers; 2 NATO troops killed  —  KABUL — Taliban insurgents beheaded 17 Afghans in a rebel-controlled area of southern Afghanistan, officials said Monday, and two NATO troops were killed by an Afghan soldier in the eastern part of the country.

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 …

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.

Glamour Gets Time With President Obama  —  GLAMOUR GETS TIME WITH O: Add Glamour magazine to the list of nonpolitical publications that have scored an interview with President Barack Obama.  —  Editor in chief Cindi Leive flew to Portland, Ore., last month to sit down with the President …

Obama Remembers Neil Armstrong with a Big Picture of... Himself  —  When I heard Neil Armstrong had passed away, it took me a while to hit me fully.  I saw people send messages of remembrance and commemoration, and decided I should do my own, to show how much respect I have for a real American hero:

Romney's Son In New Ad: “My Grandfather George Was Born In Mexico”  —  A pitch to Hispanics, and an echo of the birther debate.  —  Image by Mary Altaffer / AP  —  TAMPA — Mitt Romney's youngest son Craig Romney has cut a Spanish-language ad for his father's campaign, emphasizing family values …

Elizabeth Warren Aide Knocks Around Republican Cameraman  —  An aide to Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, appears to have knocked the video camera of a Republican tracker after an event this weekend in Martha's Vineyard.  Watch the video below:

What the *#@% Is Wrong With Republicans?!  —  It's not just Akin.  By pushing some of the most invasive state policies in modern history, the men of the GOP are driving their party off a cliff.  —  Blame it on the “idea cloud”—that cumulus cartoon bubble that dumps the same idea on diverse populations at once.