Washington Post polls: Obama lead in Ohio, edge in Fla. hamper Romney path to victory  —  President Obama has grabbed a significant lead over Mitt Romney in Ohio and holds a slender edge in Florida, according to two new polls by the Washington Post that indicate there are fresh hurdles …

In New York, defiant Ahmadinejad says Israel will be “eliminated”  —  (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be “eliminated,” ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session.

Sen. Scott Brown staffers caught on video chanting Indian war whoops, making tomahawk chops  —  Rally video surfaces after campaigns release ads about Warren's heritage  —  Staffers for Sen. Scott Brown chanted Indian “war whoops” and made “tomahawk chops” during a rally for the Republican senator this week in Boston.

Bill Clinton: ‘Red flag’ on Mitt Romney's plan  —  Mitt Romney's refusal to get into the specifics of his tax overhaul should raise a “red flag,” former president Bill Clinton said Tuesday, adding he doesn't think Romney can avoid a middle-class tax hike.  —  “We know what Governor Romney says …

The Conservative Mind  —  When I joined the staff of National Review as a lowly associate in 1984, the magazine, and the conservative movement itself, was a fusion of two different mentalities.  —  On the one side, there were the economic conservatives.  These were people that anybody …

Complaints Mount Against Michelle Obama's New Lunch Menu  —  In Wisconsin, high school athletes are complaining about not getting enough to eat each day, due to the skimpy new school lunch menu mandated by the United States Department of Agriculture and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Republicans to Pollsters: Too Many Democrats In Your Surveys  —  Party composition has become a conservative flashpoint, but pollsters say it reflects reality.  —  Mitt Romney at a rally Sept. 21 in Las Vegas.  Some Republicans say polls with too many Democrats underestimate his support.

Portman: Obama will be ‘formidable’  —  From the Department of Debate Expectations-Setting, Sen. Rob Portman told POLITICO's Alexander Trowbridge that President Obama has the upper hand in the presidential debates because Mitt Romney hasn't faced a Democrat in awhile:

Romney Doesn't Understand Why You Can't Roll Down Windows On A Plane … On Monday, Mitt Romney offered a remedy to the problem that caused his wife's airplane to land prematurely last week: Allow passengers to roll down the airplane windows.  —  Ann Romney's plane was grounded Friday after the main cabin filled with smoke.

A Measure of Change: Arab Spring Proves a Harsh Test for Obama's Diplomatic Skill  —  WASHINGTON — President Hosni Mubarak did not even wait for President Obama's words to be translated before he shot back.  —  “You don't understand this part of the world,” the Egyptian leader broke in.

Harry Reid: Mitt Romney is not the face of Mormonism  —  • Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he agrees with a fellow Mormon who wrote recently that Mitt Romney has “sullied” the LDS faith and that the GOP presidential candidate is “not the face of Mormonism.”

Full Text of Obama's Remarks to United Nations  —  Here are the remarks of President Barack Obama to the United Nations.  —  Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery  —  Address to the United Nations General Assembly  —  New York City, NY  —  As Prepared for Delivery -

Ralph Reed's Group Compares Obama Policies to Nazi Germany  —  In a “voter registration” mailer, the outfit founded by the ex-Christian Coalition leader also refers to Obama's “Communist beliefs.”  —  Ralph Reed.  Gage Skidmore/Flickr  —  A mailer blasted out by the Faith and Freedom Coalition …

Madonna gives odd Obama endorsement  —  At a concert in Washington, D.C. on Monday, Madonna declared her support for President Barack Obama but sounded confused about his religion.  —  “Y'all better vote for f—  g Obama, OK?  For better or for worse, we have a black Muslim in the White House …

I'm from the economics profession, and I'm here to help.  —  EconoTrolls: An Illustrated Bestiary  —  In your journey through the Econ Blogosphere, you will be beset by a great many curious and interesting species of EconoTroll.  At first you may be intimidated by their voluminous use of insider jargon …

Will Obama Free the Blind Sheik?  —  The theologian of terrorism inspired the 1993 and 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.  The White House should state clearly that he will serve out his life term in the U.S.  —  Are senior Obama administration officials considering transferring to Egypt …

Obama campaign had twice the staff as Romney last month at same cost  —  (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images / September 22, 2012)  —  This post has been updated, as indicated below.  —  WASHINGTON — One of the big challenges Mitt Romney faced after effectively clinching the GOP presidential nomination …