Poll finds Obama losing ground to Republicans  —  WASHINGTON — Look out President Barack Obama.  Even Sarah Palin's gaining on you.  —  A new McClatchy-Marist poll finds that Obama looks increasingly vulnerable in next year's election, with a majority of voters believing he'll lose to any Republican …

No more stimulus, Republican leaders say  —  Republican House and Senate leaders told Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to “resist further extraordinary intervention in the U.S. economy,” saying in a letter sent Monday that steps intended to boost growth might actually make things worse.

Rick Santorum contacted Google, says company spreads ‘filth’  —  A Google search for Santorum has generated some inappropriate results since gay columnist Dan Savage organized an online campaign to link graphic sexual terms to the socially conservative senator's name.

Gary Johnson's Big Breakthrough  —  The former New Mexico governor has just landed a spot in the next presidential debate Thursday night.  Howard Kurtz on why that could take the heat off Perry and Romney.

Chart of the Day: ‘Buffett Rule’ Wouldn't Bring In Much Revenue  —  This week, President Obama announced a new way for the government to make more money: put a floor on the tax rates that millionaires face.  He coined the idea the “Buffett Rule,” after billionaire investor Warren Buffett …

Recounting the Dead  —  Even as Civil War history has gone through several cycles of revision, one thing has remained fixed: the number of dead.  Since about 1900, historians and the general public have assumed that 618,222 men died on both sides.  That number is probably a significant undercount, however.

U.S. assembling secret drone bases in Africa, Arabian Peninsula, officials say  —  The Obama administration is assembling a constellation of secret drone bases for counterterrorism operations in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as part of a newly aggressive campaign …

Rep. Ryan: Rick Perry is right on Social Security  —  The Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee on Tuesday drew fire from Democrats for backing Texas Gov. Rick Perry's description of Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme.”  —  Social Security fits the technical definition of a Ponzi scheme …

Marine Recruiters Visit Gay Center in Oklahoma  —  TULSA, Okla. — Master Sgt. Anthony Henry, a top Marine recruiting trainer for the southwestern United States, pulled up to Tulsa's biggest gay community center on Tuesday morning and left his Chevy where he could make a fast getaway.

Report: At least 200 murders in Mexico now linked to Fast & Furious weapons  —  A conservative estimate from this morning's conference call with Darrell Issa, via our Townhall cousin Katie Pavlich. … They're discovering more every day, you know.  But as I say, 200 is the conservative number.

Obama's Push to Stop Palestine Statehood Bid  —  Scrambling to head off a diplomatic clash, President Barack Obama will publicly push for the Palestinians to drop a statehood bid when he addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday.  —  Obama will follow up his speech with separate meetings …

$16 Muffins Found at U.S. Meetings  —  U.S. Justice Department agencies spent too much for food at conferences, in one case serving $16 muffins and in another dishing out beef Wellington appetizers that cost $7.32 per serving, an audit found.  —  “Some conferences featured costly meals …

Dan Choi re-enlisting  —  More than two years after former infantry officer Daniel Choi came out on a talk show as a gay service member - an event that led to his discharge - the Iraq war veteran says he will re-enlist in the U.S. Army following Tuesday's repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Texas GOP Rep On Cuts To Family Planning: ‘Of Course This Is A War On Birth Control’  —  The GOP's concerted campaign against women's health has resulted in about 1,000 anti-abortion bills in state legislatures across the country and numerous federal attempts to eradicate a woman's right to choose.

Barack Obama joins Open Government Partnership for group photo … Barack Obama joins Open Government Partnership for group photo  —  Rich Shulman writes  —  I don't know much about diplomatic protocols, but I would guess that waving during the group photo is something to avoid.

Apple's Next Event to Be Held on October 4, Starring Its New CEO  —  That's the day Apple is currently expected to hold its next big media event, according to sources close to the situation, where the tech giant will unveil the next iteration of its popular iPhone.

The 411 On Death Row Inmate Troy Davis (PHOTOS)  —  It has been 20 years since Davis was convicted of the killing and on Tuesday morning, the 42-year-old death row inmate was been DENIED clemency by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole.  He is scheduled to be killed on Wednesday, September 21st at 7pm.

Santorum: Perry ‘ignores reality’  —  Rick Santorum lambasted Rick Perry as a lightweight on Israel policy Tuesday, dismissing Perry's speech in New York as boilerplate rhetoric crafted by political handlers.  —  “I've forgotten more about Israel than Rick Perry knows about Israel,” …

Phone hacking: Met police drop Guardian demands  —  Scotland Yard is investigating phone hacking at the News of the World  —  Scotland Yard has “decided not to pursue” its legal bid to force the Guardian to reveal the sources it used for stories about phone hacking.

Alter vs. Suskind: Not longing for Clinton  —  On MSNBC, Jonathan Alter — the author of a more sympathetic book on Obama's first year than Ron Suskind's — offers a different theory of the White House:  —  ANCHOR: What about the claim he makes about Peter Orzag and Larry Summers saying they were “home alone” in the White House.

Poll: Economic pessimism deepens, and more blame Obama  —  WASHINGTON - Americans' pessimism about the economy and its future is deepening, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, and they are increasingly willing to hold President Obama responsible for hard times.  —  Eight of 10 say the economy …