Obama, a ‘huge’ Clint Eastwood fan, not offended by skit  —  DES MOINES - President Obama wants to make it clear that, in his own words, “I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan.”  —  “He is a great actor, and an even better director,” the president said in an interview with USA TODAY aboard Air Force One …

Axelrod: America in a ‘better position’ today than four years ago  —  Are Americans better off today than they were four years ago?  —  That's the question Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace immediately posed to President Barack Obama's Senior Adviser David Axelrod, who didn't quite answer directly.

HOW BARACK MOBILIZED BILL — HuffPost: Obama now a ‘creature of Washington’ — Romney down for debate prep during Dem. convention — Tom Manatos, James Rosen, Don Gonyea b'days  —  FIRST LOOK - RYAN LIZZA in The New Yorker, “The Political Scene: LET'S BE FRIENDS - Two Presidents find a mutual advantage” …

Rahm Emanuel: Weak Romney speech put focus on Eastwood  —  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) said Mitt Romney's convention speech was “devoid and vacuous” and allowed for Clint Eastwood's appearance to claim the spotlight.  —  President Obama's former chief of staff said Sunday on “Meet the Press” …

The Other Power in the West Wing  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama was in a bind, and his chief of staff could not figure out how he had ended up there.  —  Leaders of the Roman Catholic Church were up in arms last fall over a proposal to require employers to provide health insurance that covered birth control.

Orange Bowling On The Romney/Ryan Planes  —  A scene familiar to West Wing fans played out in real life on the Romney campaign's planes Saturday.  —  On Romney's plane, Saturday's orange asked a question about debate prep … Via: instagram.com  —  A transcript

Obama did not change Washington.  For each side, it's clear who's to blame.  —  View Photo Gallery — Obama on the campaign trail: Washington Post photographer Nikki Kahn has been following President Obama on the campaign trail.  Here are some of the images she has captured.

Huckabee whacks Rove, citing Giffords  —  The former Arkansas governor, who has been Todd Akin's highest-profile defender, dives into the Karl Rove murder joke controversy with a message arguing that either Akin should receive the same leniency for his awful verbal miscue as Rove, or Rove should be ostracized the same way as Akin:

Barack Obama Promised A New Kind Of Politics, But Played The Same Old Game … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Barack Obama , GOP, Barack Obama 2012 , Barack Obama 2012 , Republican Party, Video, Obama Politics, Obama Boehner, Obama Congress, Obama John Boehner, Politics News

For Mitt Romney, Ohio Remains a Vital Hurdle  —  CINCINNATI — Fresh off his nominating convention, Mitt Romney is cranking up a well-financed political machine that will now bring its full force to bear on President Obama with a hailstorm of ads and nonstop campaigning.

ICE chief of staff resigns after allegations of lewd conduct  —  ICE Chief of Staff, Suzanne Barr, left, is seen here with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.  Barr is resigning from her post amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior toward employees, according to a letter obtained by FoxNews.com.REUTERS/ICE