And what's right with Obama?  —  The British have a saying about the twin rules of journalism: first simplify, then exaggerate.  —  Perhaps Barack Obama can comfort himself with the reality that his current travails are both more complicated in their causes and less dire in their consequences …

De Blasio Far Ahead of Lhota: Poll  —  In the first poll of the general election, de Blasio leads Lhota 65% to 22%.  —  Democrat Bill de Blasio leads Republican Joe Lhota among likely voters by 43 percentage points in the general-election race for New York City mayor, an enormous starting advantage …

House to Vote on Defunding Obamacare  —  Leadership sources tell me the House GOP will soon vote on a continuing resolution that simultaneously funds the federal government and defunds Obamacare.  Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor are expected to announce the decision at Wednesday's closed-door conference meeting.

FRIEND: NAVY YARD SHOOTER LIBERAL, SUPPORTED OBAMA  —  Tuesday, on CNN's “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” Michael Ritrovato spoke at length about his friend, suspected Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis.  After expressing his condolences to the victims and their families, Ritrovato then expressed …

Undocumented LA County Parents On Pace To Receive $650M In Welfare Benefits  —  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A projected $650 million in welfare benefits will be distributed to illegal alien parents in 2013, county officials said Monday.  —  Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced …

Obama distress signal: President seeks help from first-term A-Team  —  A struggling President Obama is calling for help from members of his first-term A-Team, who have left the White House for other jobs.  —  With his poll numbers falling and his second-term floundering so far …

Dems split on new gun control push  —  Congressional Democrats are divided on whether to renew their push for gun control in the wake of Monday's deadly shooting at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.  —  Hours after Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday called for action on gun legislation …

FOX News announces new prime-time lineup  —  The Fox News Channel's new evening programming schedule will premiere on Oct. 7, with another show joining what is already cable news' top-rated lineup.  —  “On the Record” with Greta Van Sustren will air at 7 p.m. ET, followed by “The O'Reilly Factor,” continuing in its 8 p.m. slot.

IRS list reveals concerns over Tea Party ‘propaganda’  —  WASHINGTON — Newly uncovered IRS documents show the agency flagged political groups based on the content of their literature, raising concerns specifically about “anti-Obama rhetoric,” inflammatory language and “emotional” …

Obama: Everybody is wrong to doubt ObamaCare  —  President Obama said Tuesday that Americans were wrong to doubt his signature healthcare reform law, saying concerns over rising costs or worsening health outcomes were not supported by the evidence.  —  In an interview with Telemundo on Tuesday …

Wendy Davis to announce plans on Oct. 3  —  Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis will announce her future plans — which could include a gubernatorial run — early next month, she said in an email to supporters Tuesday.  —  “There's one question I've gotten quite often in the past few months,” the Democrat wrote in an email.

The Money Behind the Shutdown Crisis  —  Representative Aaron Schock is a conservative Republican from Illinois, but not conservative enough for the hard-right activist group Club for Growth, which is seeking someone to run against him in next year's primary.  —  His crime?

White House Shifts Debt-Ceiling Tone, Warning of Fiasco  —  In 2011, then-Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner repeatedly brushed off questions about whether Congress would raise the debt ceiling.  He wasn't worried, he would tell audiences.  Congress would raise it sooner or later.

51% Favor Government Shutdown Until Congress Cuts Health Care Funding  —  President Obama yesterday criticized congressional Republicans for insisting on spending cuts in any budget deal that continues government operations past October 1, saying they risk “economic chaos.”

Donors' Funds Sidestep Law, Aiding Christie  —  In early May, Gov. Chris Christie arrived at the Liberty National Golf Course in New Jersey for a political fund-raiser.  Donors, many of them longtime backers of his, enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and views of the Lower Manhattan skyline while he spoke …