Michele Bachmann rally draws over 1,000 in Sarasota, but some prefer Rick Perry  —  SARASOTA — Hurricane Irene bypassed the state and spared Michele Bachmann's first campaign foray in Florida this weekend, but now she has to contend with Hurricane Perry.  —  Even as the Minnesota congresswoman …

Is Rick Perry dumb?  —  Another Texas governor who drops his “g's” and scorns elites is running for president and the whispers are the same: Lightweight, incurious, instinctual.  —  Strip away the euphemisms, and Rick Perry is confronting an unavoidable question: is he dumb - or just misunderestimated?

Labor Economist to Fill Key Post  —  President Barack Obama on Monday plans to nominate Princeton University's Alan Krueger to be chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, a White House official said.  —  If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Krueger, a labor economist …

Cantor: No Disaster Relief Funding For Hurricane Irene Without Budget Cuts  —  Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene this weekend, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) today stood by his call that no more money be allocated for disaster relief unless it is offset by spending cuts elsewhere.

Republicans Against Science  —  Jon Huntsman Jr., a former Utah governor and ambassador to China, isn't a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination.  And that's too bad, because Mr. Hunstman has been willing to say the unsayable about the G.O.P. — namely, that it is becoming the “anti-science party.”

Joe McQuaid's Publisher's Notes  —  The waitresses at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester weren't happy with the Mitt Romney picture they have on their wall of fame.  It's out of focus, they told him the other morning.  —  As he was about to leave, one of them grabbed him by the arm.

Dangerous White Stereotypes  —  ONE of the most noteworthy movies of the summer is “The Help.”  Set in Jackson, Miss., in the early 1960s, it focuses on the relationships between white upper-middle-class women and the black domestics who took care of them and their children.

American Theocracy Revisited  —  During George W. Bush's presidency, many liberal and secular Americans came to regard religious conservatives not merely as their political opponents, but as a kind of existential threat.  The religious right, they decided, wasn't a normal political movement.

Santorum: Gay community on ‘jihad’ against me for stance on marriage  —  Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said the gay community has “gone out on a jihad” against him for his stance against gay marriage.  —  “So the gay community said, 'He's comparing gay sex to incest and polygamy …

Ugly?  You May Have a Case  —  Daniel S. Hamermesh, a professor of economics at the University of Texas, Austin, is the author of “Beauty Pays,” published this month.  —  BEING good-looking is useful in so many ways.  —  In addition to whatever personal pleasure it gives you …

When the cost of victory is too high  —  Dick Cheney and Colin Powell are debating the run-up to the Iraq war in a messy public spat.  While the former vice president's memoir, “In My Time,” may be causing “heads to explode” all over Washington, most would probably agree that the world is a safer place with Saddam Hussein out of power.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — August 2011  —  The August tracking poll examines the views of Americans without health insurance, with a particular focus on how they think the health reform law will affect them.  Findings from the poll include:  — Although estimates are that 32 million …

New Blue Nightmare: Clarence Thomas and the Amendment of Doom  —  Lord of the Rings aficionados know that the evil lord Sauron paid little attention to the danger posed by two hobbits slowly struggling across the mountains and deserts of Mordor until he suddenly realized that the ring …

Editorials: Dance of the duds  —  Miss him yet?  The candidates for his seat might make you.  —  The two candidates seeking to fill the Brooklyn-Queens congressional seat vacated by Anthony Weiner sat for interviews with the Daily News Editorial Board last week.  “Horribly dispiriting” is the capsule review of the sessions.

Americans Rate Computer Industry Best, Federal Gov't Worst  —  Image of federal government is at an all-time low  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans view the computer industry the most positively and the federal government the least positively when asked to rate 25 business and industry sectors.

The City: Beijing  —  Ai Weiwei finds China's capital is a prison where people go mad.  —  Beijing is two cities.  One is of power and of money.  People don't care who their neighbors are; they don't trust you.  The other city is one of desperation.  I see people on public buses, and I see their eyes, and I see they hold no hope.