A Mystery Speaker for Thursday? ...  Could It Be... Her?  —  From the Tuesday edition of the Morning Jolt, now in the hands of the editors, and soon on its way to you...  The more you think about the idea, the more it makes sense - whatever controversy and intense reactions Sarah Palin …

The Real Romney  —  The purpose of the Republican convention is to introduce America to the real Mitt Romney.  Fortunately, I have spent hours researching this subject.  I can provide you with the definitive biography and a unique look into the Byronic soul of the Republican nominee:

Fact checking for thee, but not for me  —  Get this: The Romney campaign's position is now that the Obama camp should pull its ads when fact checkers call them out as false — but that Romney and his advisers should feel no such constraint.  —  This is not an exaggeration.

Leader of Army Plot to Assassinate Obama Apparently Attended the 2008 Republican Convention as a Page  —  Isaac Aguigui, the Army private and alleged ringleader of a plot to assassinate Barack Obama and “take over” Ft. Stewart in Georgia, apparently served as a page at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

GOP Rules Committee Rapidly Moving to Shut Out Grassroots at 2:00 p.m. Today  —  At 2:00 p.m. today in Tampa, the Republican National Committee, led by Team Romney, is moving to shut down conservative grassroots activists.  I've been on the phone with several individuals involved in the fight …

Priorities USA does the disappointment ad  —  Priorities USA Action is releasing a new commercial today spotlighting a woman who says she was “duped by Mitt Romney” - and not because of his work at Bain Capital.  —  Back up a minute.  One of the staples of Republican messaging this cycle …

Karl Rove on the Defection of White Democrats  —  “Bush's brain” offers some casual remarks that reveal just how much this campaign is implicitly about race.  —  TAMPA — The emerging demographics of this campaign are pretty clear: To win, Barack Obama is trying to assemble a coalition …

Source: Former Sen. Arlen Specter battling for his life  —  (CNN) — Former longtime U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter was battling for his life early Tuesday after he was recently diagnosed with a “serious form of cancer,” a source close to his office told CNN.  —  Specter, who has overcome numerous …

McMahon By A Nose In Close Connecticut Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Obama Tops Romney By 7 Points  —  Connecticut likely voters put Republican former wrestling executive Linda McMahon on the right side of a 49 - 46 percent too-close-to-call U.S. Senate race against Democratic U.S …

Court Rules Israel Is Not at Fault in American Activist's Death  —  JERUSALEM — An Israeli judge ruled on Tuesday that the state bore no responsibility for the death of Rachel Corrie, the young American woman who was run over by a military bulldozer in 2003 as she protested the demolition of Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.

Who's on the inside track for a Romney Cabinet  —  Mitt Romney said his Cabinet and White House staff will be stacked with men and women from the business world, but his top advisers sketched out for POLITICO a team compromised of many familiar faces in Washington.

US Consumer Confidence Tumbles to 9-Month Low  —  U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly weakened in August to its lowest in nine months as Americans turned more pessimistic about the short-term outlook, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday.

Alaska couple admits to plot to kill federal judge and others  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - An Alaska couple pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of conspiring to kill a federal judge in what prosecutors said was a revenge plot over income-tax rulings against them.

Chris Matthews defends attack on Priebus: GOP ‘dividing country along racial lines’  —  TAMPA — In an emotional interview with POLITICO tonight, MSNBC host Chris Matthews defended his spirited attack against RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, in which he alleged that the Republican party was guilty …

Coal miners lost pay when Mitt Romney visited their mine to promote coal jobs  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — When GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited an Ohio coal mine this month to promote jobs in the coal industry, workers who appeared with him at the rally lost pay because their mine was shut down.

EPA issues new fuel-efficiency standard; Autos must average 54.5 mpg by 2025  —  The Obama administration announced strict new fuel-efficiency vehicle standards Tuesday, requiring the U.S. auto fleet to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.  —  The new rules, announced …