The GOP's Self-Defeating ‘Defunding’ Strategy  —  It will only strengthen the president while alienating independents.  —  In 2010, Republicans took the House of Representatives by gaining 63 seats.  They also picked up six U.S. senators and 675 state legislators, giving them control …

Pope Bluntly Faults Church's Focus on Gays and Abortion  —  Alessandro Di Meo/European Pressphoto Agency  —  Pope Francis, who has said the church should be a “home for all,” on Sept. 4 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.  —  Pope Francis, in the first extensive interview of his six-month-old papacy …

Senator John McCain: Russians deserve better than Putin  —  When Pravda.ru editor, Dmitry Sudakov, offered to publish my commentary, he referred to me as “an active anti-Russian politician for many years.”  I'm sure that isn't the first time Russians have heard me characterized as their antagonist.

Texas appeals court overturns Tom DeLay money laundering conviction  —  HOUSTON — A Texas Court of Appeals in Austin has overturned the conviction of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, attorney Brian Wice tells KHOU 11 News.  —  DeLay, 66, was convicted in 2010 for his alleged role in a scheme to influence Texas elections.

Creepy Obamacare ad hits college campuses and your nightmares  —  There will be girls.  There will be beer.  There will be cornhole.  And someone will be dressed in the creepiest Uncle Sam costume you've ever seen.  —  Welcome to the strange new front in the war over Obamacare.

Obama: ‘Raising the Debt Ceiling...Does Not Increase Our Debt,’ Though It Has ‘Over 100 Times’  —  Raising the debt ceiling doesn't increase the nation's debt, Pres. Obama declared in a speech today.  —  In a speech at the Business Roundtable headquarters in Washington, D.C. …

Through Diplomacy, Obama Finds a Pen Pal in Iran  —  WASHINGTON — Few American presidents have held a deeper belief in the power of the written word than President Obama.  And in few ways has that belief been more tested than in his frustrating private correspondence with the leaders of Iran …

The Case Against High-School Sports  —  The United States routinely spends more tax dollars per high-school athlete than per high-school math student—unlike most countries worldwide.  And we wonder why we lag in international education rankings?  —  Every year, thousands of teenagers move …

Dem tries to shame members on food stamps with props  —  Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) on Thursday used food props on the House floor to portray members of Congress as steak-eating, vodka-swilling socialites in a bid to get Congress to reject a GOP bill cutting $40 billion in food stamps.

The surprising value of not tapering  —  I'm very late to this — I was a bit distracted by other things today — but the big storyline of the day seems clear: the Fed didn't taper, and markets surged in response.  —  So here's my question.  If you take the amount of tapering …

Dallas - 4 dead  — Erbie Lee Bowser, 44, a former teacher and Dallas Mavericks hip-hop dancer, was charged with two counts of capital murder after police said he attacked the homes of his estranged wife and his girlfriend, killing both women and two of their children.  Four additional people were wounded in the attacks.

Report: Phil Gingrey gripes $172K salary  —  In an argument against a special exemption allowing Hill staffers to buy health insurance, one lawmaker said he's “stuck” making $172,000 a year, while aides will go on to make in big bucks lobbying on K Street, according to a report.

Congress's Fiscal Fiasco Forces Americans to Wear Badge of Shame  —  As readers of my past columns know, I was not exactly optimistic as we approached crunch time over the debt limit in 2011.  But I am far more pessimistic now.  At a dinner I attended Monday night with a host …