Carter: ‘Probably superior’ to other ex-presidents  —  Former President Jimmy Carter (right) standing off to the side in a photo with the living presidents (and then-President-elect Obama) in the Oval Office.  —  *** UPDATE 3:59 pm ET *** Former President Carter issued a written statement after his comments aired:

Watchdog: Christine O'Donnell “Clearly a Criminal”  —  Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, today filed a pair of complaints concerning Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's use of more than $20,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses.

Town Hall Questioner To Obama: “I'm Exhausted Of Defending You”  —  “I'm one of your middle class Americans.  And quite frankly, I'm exhausted.  Exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for,” a woman told President Obama at a town hall.

Republicans will unveil their new ‘Contract’ on Thursday in Virginia  —  Republicans will unveil their new “Contract With America” in Virginia on Thursday as they try to present a clear alternative to the Democrat-led Congress heading into the midterm elections.

Obama To Hedge Fund Manager Who Complains Of Being ‘Whacked’: ‘Most Folks On Main Street’ Feel Beat Up  —  Today, President Obama participated in a live CNBC townhall event.  Recently, Obama has been feeling the “rage of the rich,” as Paul Krugman describes it today.

White House: New York Times report ‘100 percent wrong’  —  The White House is pushing back hard against a New York Times report that the president's political team is considering a national ad campaign that would cast the GOP as taken over by tea party extremists.  (See: Tea party dominates the narrative)

Economists: Extend Bush tax cuts for everyone  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — With income tax rates set to go up on Dec. 31, Congress is hotly debating what to do next.  But most economists agree: Keep them where they are.  —  One option, to let the tax cuts passed during the Bush administration expire …

52% of Voters Say Their Views Are More Like Palin's Than Obama's  —  Fifty-two percent (52%) of Likely U.S. Voters say their own views are closer to Sarah Palin's than they are to President Obama's, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Koch Industries Lawyer to White House: How Did You Get Our Tax Information?  —  Lately, the White House and its allies have been drawing attention to the political activities of libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch.  In an August 9 speech, President Obama singled out Americans for Prosperity …

UK Proposes All Paychecks Go to the State First  —  The UK's tax collection agency is putting forth a proposal that all employers send employee paychecks to the government, after which the government would deduct what it deems as the appropriate tax and pay the employees by bank transfer.

Business Cycle Dating Committee, National Bureau of Economic Research  —  The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research met yesterday by conference call.  At its meeting, the committee determined that a trough in business activity occurred in the U.S. economy in June 2009.

Generic Ballot Virtually Tied: Democrats 46%, Republicans 45%  —  Republicans losing strength in September compared with August  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup's generic ballot for Congress for the week of Sept. 13-19 shows a 46% Democratic and 45% Republican split in registered voters' preferences for the midterm congressional elections.

Race ratings: Murkowski write-in shifts landscape in Alaska  —  Between the surprise primary win for Tea Party-backed Joe Miller and the decision of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to launch a write-in bid, there's a new level of uncertainty in Alaska's Senate race.

Andrew Breitbart Forces President Obama's Protesters to Fold Up Shop  —  On Saturday, September 18th, Glenn Beck and Andrew Breitbart headlined an event entitled “Right Nation 2010,” held just outside of Chicago, Illinois.  —  As you will see in our video report from the scene …

‘Dancing’ Studio on Red Sarah Palin Alert  —  There will be high security tonight when Sarah Palin shows up to watch daughter Bristol perform on “Dancing with the Stars” ... TMZ has learned.  —  Our spies say security guards at CBS Television City in L.A. — the place where “Dancing” is broadcast — is on “heightened alert.”

Rauf's Group Claims Credit for ‘Training’ NY Times Reporter  —  A reporter who helped write the first and positive New York Times story on the Ground Zero Mosque was trained by the group run by mosque leader Feisal Abdul Rauf, according to that group's website.

Lady Gaga Goes Political in Maine  —  PORTLAND, Me.  — There were no strobe lights, no outlandish costumes and only a mediocre sound system.  But Lady Gaga was here and the crowd jumped up and down, snapping photos as a whirl of platinum-blond hair emerged from an SUV and walked up a concrete ramp to a tiny stage.

Dem worries on Stewart rally  —  Jon Stewart's planned “Rally for Sanity” sounded a bit like a joke when he announced — without his permit application approved — that he'd hold it on October 30 in Washington, D.C.  —  But it's suddenly looking quite real: Nearly 100,000 people have written …

On the Cheapness of Life  —  Andrew and Jack Shafer's reminiscence over the legacy of Martin Peretz, and quasi-defense of his bigotry, motivated me to do some of my own reflecting.  To the present business, there is no actual defense of the statement “Muslim life is cheap, particularly to Muslims.”