Pawlenty to take over as Financial Services Roundtable CEO  —  Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will take over one of K Street's most prestigious jobs as CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable.  —  The group announced Thursday morning that the former GOP candidate for president …

Rethinking Robert Rubin  —  Bill Clinton has a favorite Robert Rubin story.  It's 1999, and the Cabinet has gathered to discuss the business of the American people.  Except no one can focus because the impeachment crisis is raging, and even the most veteran Washington power players are, for lack of a better term, freaking out.

Obama: 'You Can't Change Washington from the Inside'  —  President Obama has learned something during his presidency: You can't change Washington from the inside.  —  “The most important lesson I've learned is that you can't change Washington from the inside,” he told a Univision forum Thursday.

Republicans at risk of losing the House?  —  Conditions through August showed a 2% lead on the generic Congressional ballot for Democrats.  As of September 20th, in the wake of the Democratic convention, the lead has widened to 4.0 +/- 2.0%.  Although it has yet to be appreciated by pundits …

Scott Brown, Harry Reid clash after Republican raises possibility of missing tonight's debate  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Scott Brown raised the possibility he might miss tonight's lead-off debate with Elizabeth Warren because of the Senate voting schedule, before Democratic leaders challenged …

Dave Matthews makes (and talks) history  —  (CNN) — Dave Matthews supported Barack Obama in the presidential race of 2008, and he's supporting him again in 2012 — but not without reservations.  —  The multi-platinum Grammy winner laments, “I wish there was a third party, but right now …

The Obama you don't know  —  Few if any of his predecessors took the oath of office with higher public hopes for his success than President Obama on Jan. 20, 2009.  —  Millions of Americans hailed his election as an end to partisanship, a renewal of the spirit of compromise and a reinvigoration …

Metcalfe says ‘lazy’ people don't deserve to vote  —  State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe is nothing if not blunt.  The Butler County Republican positions himself at the center of almost every controversial issue in the Capitol, be it immigration, gun control or voter ID.

Guess who's trashing Obama campaign signs in Austin, Texas?  —  Texas may be a red state but the capital of Austin is Obama country.  It's thus not unusual to see myriad Obama campaign signs in nice neighborhoods — displayed on one manicured front lawn after another.

Whoopi Goldberg: Mitt Romney ‘flushed his ideals down the drain’  —  Whoopi Goldberg went on a Twitter rant Wednesday night against Mitt Romney, calling him a “confused candidate” who “flushed his ideals down the drain” and “sheds ideas faster than a snake sheds skin.”

SHOCKING AUDIO: Paris Hilton Blasts Gays Who Have Sex With Strangers: ‘Most Of Them Probably Have AIDS’  —  Paris Hilton has been caught on tape making homophobic and derogatory statements about gay men who have random sex with strangers even stating “most of them probably have AIDS.”

Democratic Enthusiasm Swells in the Swing States, Nationally  —  Overall, 59% of swing-state voters now highly enthusiastic, up from 46% in June  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Voters in the 12 states USA Today and Gallup consider the key swing states that could decide the 2012 presidential election …

O eyes ‘blind sheik’ release  —  The Obama administration is weighing the release of blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman — the spiritual adviser to the 1993 World Trade Center bombers — in a stunning goodwill gesture toward Egypt that has touched off a political firestorm, officials said yesterday.

Secret Ryan Transcript: Social Security and Medicare are the Target  —  This isn't from a secret video, it's from the untranscribed portion of Ryan's 2005 speech at the Atlas Society's “Celebration of Ayn Rand.”  It fits well with the Romney video because it makes clear that middle class entitlements …

Source: Slain ambassador said he was on al Qaeda hit list  —  (CNN) — Protests fueled by an anti-Islam movie took place Thursday in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.  —  Here are key developments in the wave of demonstrations, the battle over the movie and the publishing of cartoons in a French publication:

Pakistan: new television ads with US Embassy seal condemn anti-Islam film and feature Obama  —  ISLAMABAD — Marked by the U.S. Embassy seal, advertisements condemning an anti-Islam video appeared on Pakistani television on Thursday in an apparent attempt to undercut anger against the United States, where the film was produced.

Fiona Apple — ARRESTED for Hash in Texas  —  ARRESTED  —  for Hash in Texas  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  All she needs is a good defense ...  Fiona Apple was arrested at a border stop in Texas yesterday ... after authorities claim they found hashish on the “Criminal” singer's tour bus ... TMZ has learned.

CAPTION THIS: Debbie Wasserman Schultz Wrote Something On Her Hand, Too.  What is this, middle school?  —  UPDATE: Meanwhile, on the just-plain-creepy side: Actress Jessica Alba asks voters to pledge allegiance to Obama.  I understand that actors are generally none-too-bright, and none-too-educated, but still. . . .

Ann Romney to appear on ‘Tonight Show’ Tuesday  —  Jay Leno will interview Ann Romney in her first late-night talk show appearance, NBC Universal announced Thursday.  —  The wife of the GOP presidential nominee chose “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” for her first late-night TV interview, which is set to air on NBC Sept. 25.

Romney: ‘This is a campaign about the 100 percent’  —  Updated at 8:02 a.m. ET: MIAMI — Mitt Romney said his campaign is about “100 percent” of Americans as his campaign continued to work to contain the fallout from controversial comments he made at a private fundraiser in May.

No One Left to Race Bait  —  Dave Weigel points out the difference between the covert racism of a young cagey Pat Buchanan in the days of the Southern strategy, and overt racism of the pariah Pat Buchanan banished to Fox News (emphasis added): … Calling the first black president a …

Elderly woman who botched religious fresco demands royalties  —  The elderly Spanish woman who ruined a religious fresco with her botched restoration is now demanding royalties from her work after it became an unlikely tourist attraction.  —  Ecce Homo by 19th-century painter Elías …

Kingswear's Dart Princess ferry thief ‘Jack Sparrow’ jailed  —  A woman who shouted “I'm Jack Sparrow” at police as she stole a ferry was lucky she was not injured, the owners of the vessel said.  —  Alison Whelan referred to the movie pirate character as she took the Dart Princess on the River Dart in Devon.

Romney's Video-Debunking Claim Is...Debunked  —  This is getting ridiculous.  —  After Mother Jones posted video of Mitt Romney sharing remarks with millionaire donors that he would never express to voters—noting that nearly half of the American electorate are moochers and that Romney …

Obama's Lead Looks Stronger in Polls That Include Cellphones  —  As I observed on Tuesday, and as The New Republic's Nate Cohn also found, Barack Obama seems to have received a much clearer bounce in some types of polls than others.  —  Although there are exceptions on either side …

Fueled by women voters, Obama widens lead in Michigan  —  President Barack Obama has opened up a double-digit lead over GOP challenger Mitt Romney in Michigan fueled by a wave of women moving toward the Democratic president following the national party conventions.

Ryan delivers pep talk to House GOP: ‘We are going to win this thing’  —  Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan delivered a pep talk to his House colleagues on Thursday, telling them not to be distracted by the daily polls and controversies of the campaign.

Romney Is Latest in a Long Line to Trip Over a Tongue  —  As critics pummel Mitt Romney over his secretly recorded comments at a fund-raiser, he can at least take comfort in this: he's not the first.  —  Presidential campaign history overflows with candidates who tripped over their own loose tongues …

Seven of nation's 10 most affluent counties are in Washington region  —  Ron Edmonds/AP - The Washington D.C. area, including suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, are benefiting from a healthy job market in 2012, much of it linked to the federal government.  Demand for homes is consistently strong …

In Senate debate, Kaine says he'd be open to minimum tax level  —  McLEAN, Va. — Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine said on Thursday that he'd be “open to a proposal that would have some minimum tax level for everyone,” a contrast with his normal position on taxation.

Republican Lynches Empty Chair in Racist Presidential Effigy in Northwest Austin  —  Update, 10:00 a.m. Thursday: the homeowner has added an American flag to his display.  Click here for more.  —  Today, Burnt Orange Report received the photo at right, taken in front of a home in Northwest Austin.