First on CNN: Romney memo seeks to lower debate expectations  —  Washington (CNN) - If it wasn't already clear that Mitt Romney and his allies are trying to lower expectations heading into next Wednesday's debate against President Obama in Denver, the campaign is now making it official.

Shock Photos of Netanyahu at U.N. from AP, Reuters  —  Two shocking photos coming off the wire of Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the United Nations moments ago.  —  The first is from the Associated Press:  —  Associated PressAssociated Press  —  The second is from Reuters:  —  ReutersReuters

The Truth About The Obama Phone  —  On Thursday, the Drudge Report splashed a video of an undentified woman who claims to have recieved a free “Obama Phone.”  —  The video has captured the attention of the right online, who see it as proof that Obama supporters are dependent on government.

Feds Arrest Producer Of Controversial Anti-Islam Film On Probation Violation Charge  —  Buster  —  The producer of the controversial anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” has been arrested for violating terms of his probation and is set for an appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

In the end, it's Mitt  —  It isn't the chair or the ho-hum convention.  Or the leaked video.  Or Stuart Stevens.  Or the improving economy.  Or media bias.  Or distorted polls.  Or the message.  Or Mormonism.  —  It's Mitt.  —  With Republicans everywhere wondering what has happened …

New Justice Department Documents Show Huge Increase in Warrantless Electronic Surveillance  —  Justice Department documents released today by the ACLU reveal that federal law enforcement agencies are increasingly monitoring Americans' electronic communications, and doing so without warrants …

Obama Takes Advantage of Romney's Lack of Details  —  The Obama campaign has run advertisements charging that Mitt Romney's Medicare plan “could raise seniors' costs up to $6,400 a year” and that his tax proposal “would give millionaires another tax break and raises taxes on middle-class families by up to $2,000 a year.”

Ann Coulter Causes Mass Hysteria on ‘The View,’ Whoopi Bleeped...  “The View” co-hosts get into heated discussion with Coulter, the author of “Mugged.”  —  Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.  —  The conservative commentator makes the case in her new book, “Mugged” …

Democrats to join call for more information on Libya terrorist attack  —  Senate Democrats on Thursday will join their Republican colleagues in pressing the administration for more information about the deadly attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi.

Not The Election They Were Expecting  —  A brief, mostly subjective note: This really isn't looking like the election anyone expected.  Obviously it's not the election Romney and the Republicans expected and wanted; but it's also looking very different from what Democrats expected.

Dems Darken Image of Black Republican House Candidate  —  A printed mailer sent out by the Utah Democratic party features what appears to be a darkened photo of Republican House candidate Mia Love.  Below is the image of the mailer:  —  Here's the original photograph, in color:

Todd Akin says Claire McCaskill is not as ‘ladylike’ as 2006  —  JEFFERSON CITY - More than a month after his comments about “legitimate rape” nearly derailed his campaign for U.S. Senate, Republican Todd Akin said Thursday that it has become clear to him that he will triumph over Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill this fall.

RNC cuts ties with firm over voter registration allegations  —  The Republican National Committee has fired a controversial consulting firm it was paying millions of dollars to conduct voter registration in five battleground states, NBC News has learned.  —  The move came after the Palm Beach County …

Sept. 26: Could 2012 Be Like 2008?  —  There's no point in putting it gently: Mitt Romney had one of his worst polling days of the year on Wednesday.  —  It began with a series of polls from The New York Times, CBS News and Quinnipiac University, released early Wednesday morning …

Poll Shows Romney Winning High Water Mark for Libertarian Vote  —  In a recent article on TheBlaze, Reason's Matt Welch, FreedomWork's Matt Kibbe, and David Boaz, speculated whether Romney can win over libertarians.  As we've shown in previous studies, libertarians represent a key swing vote that decides elections.

Security Fears Hobble Inquiry of Libya Attack  —  BENGHAZI, Libya — Sixteen days after the death of four Americans in an attack on a United States diplomatic mission here, fears about the near-total lack of security have kept F.B.I. agents from visiting the scene of the killings and forced …

Catholic bishop: Voting for Obama jeopardizes the ‘eternal salvation of your own soul’  —  A Catholic bishop from Springfield, Illinois is warning that the stakes for the 2012 election are even higher than most people think because voting for President Barack Obama could damn “you own soul” to hell.

Are We Doomed Yet?  —  TOLEDO, Ohio — The line to get into Mitt Romney's “victory rally” here Wednesday stretched up Jefferson Avenue to Huron Street and around the corner nearly to Monroe Avenue.  People stood in a drizzling rain to get into the event and, by the time Romney took the stage …