From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Reacting to August's jobs report, President Obama said that while there is no one solution for economic recovery, he would be announcing a "broader package" of ideas to spur job growth next week, and urged Congress to move on small business legislation when it resumes session.

The president's remarks came shortly after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released last months' unemployment figures which showed an uptick from 9.5% in July to 9.6%, but an addition of 67,000 to the private sector - a better than expected increase.

Still, the private sector increase was not large enough to represent significant recovery, outgoing Council of Economic Advisors chair Christina Romer said. In a blog released by the White House today, she wrote that the increase is "not as large as needed to bring the unemployment rate down quickly."

In the midst of criticism that his administration isn't focusing on jobs, Obama said he would be announcing further steps aimed at lowering unemployment in a series of economic events next week: first, a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee, WI, then an event in Cleveland, OH on Wednesday, and a Friday press conference at the White House.

Speaking in the Rose Garden today, Obama said that the private sector increase "reflects the steps we've already taken to break the back of this recession but it's not nearly good enough," urging Congress, as he has repeatedly this week, to double down on passing a package of tax cuts and loans for small businesses that could not make it past a Republican filibuster in the Senate.

"Put simply, this piece of legislation is good for workers, it's good for small businesspeople and its' good for our economy," Obama said, condemning Republicans for inflicting "needless delay" on passage of the bill.

House Minority Leader John Boehner also responded to the unemployment rate, saying the high figure is a direct result of the Obama administration's economic decisions.

"President Obama's agenda represented 'change' once, but now it is time for him to change course, abandon his job-killing policies, and find himself a new economic team," Boehner said, according to the AP.

Today's top news:
A better-than-expected August jobs report? Even though the economy lost 54,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.6%, private employers added 67,000 jobs. The New York Times: "The numbers for July were also revised, with 54,000 jobs lost, rather than the 131,000 in the initial estimate. And the private sector added 107,000 jobs, rather than 71,000. The overall number in June was revised to a loss of 175,000 jobs from 221,000."

President Obama is making remarks on the economy at 10:00 am ET.

Another round of stimulus (in the form of targeted tax cuts)? The Washington Post reports, "With just two months until the November elections, the White House is seriously weighing a package of business tax breaks - potentially worth hundreds of billions of dollars - to spur hiring and combat Republican charges that Democratic tax policies hurt small businesses... Among the options under consideration are a temporary payroll-tax holiday and a permanent extension of the now-expired research-and-development tax credit, which rewards companies that conduct research into new technologies within the United States."

Midterm news:
ARIZONA: Could Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) disastrous performance in Wednesday's debate have an impact in November? Check out this news report from the debate, as well Brewer's long pause.

ILLINOIS: Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Mark Kirk (R) are tied at 34% each in the state's Senate contest, per a new Chicago Tribune/WGN poll.

Note: This is the last Friday we scale back our morning note. Below is a fun Top 10 list to read as you take advantage of (hopefully) a long Labor Day weekend. Our morning note will return this coming Tuesday.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Ali Weinberg
*** First Read’s Top 10 events that shaped the midterm season: Now less than two months before Election Day, we look at what we consider the Top 10 events that have shaped this midterm season.

1. Health-care reform signed into law (March 23, 2010): It was a historic event, but -- in the short term -- no issue has been more responsible for energizing Republicans and conservatives in November, and for fueling the charge of government overreach.

2. Greece riots, Dow plunges 1,000 points before partially recovering (May 6, 2010): As we argued yesterday, this event might have killed all the economic progress the U.S. was making in the first part of the year. What has created more uncertainty for investors and business -- the Obama administration, or that European instability? http://bit.ly/csc8Rp

3. The Deepwater Horizon explosion (April 20, 2010): This explosion -- and the oil spill it produced -- created an ongoing crisis for the Obama administration, it distracted them from being able to focus on other things (like the economy), and it delivered a psychological blow to the entire country.

4. Scott Brown's victory (Jan. 19, 2010): The precursor of things to come for Republicans in November? Brown winning Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat displayed GOP energy and enthusiasm. What's more, the Republicans' win eliminated the Dems’ filibuster-proof majority and forced them to spend another two months to pass health care -- which essentially killed the chances to pass energy reform.

5. Charlie Crist leaves the GOP (April 29, 2010): This was truly the first event signaling that the Tea Party had taken over the GOP. Robert Bennett's loss in Utah loss and wins by Rand Paul in Kentucky and Sharron Angle in Nevada would soon follow.

6. Obama fires GM’s CEO (March 30, 2009): In retrospect, this move appears to have been a success. But at the time, it furthered the GOP critique that the government was getting too involved in private business.

7. PA-12 (May 18, 2010): Despite the favorable political climate for them, Republicans lost this special congressional election -- their third-straight loss in a competitive House special since Obama took office. Democrats believe these victories show their strength (and the GOP's weakness) in winning contested House races. Will that play out in November?

8. Michael Steele's Afghanistan gaffe (July 1, 2010): Here's another hope for Democrats -- the problems at the RNC, an institution that has been essential for the GOP in funding their races and turning out the vote. But this gaffe by Steele -- essentially saying that the war there was a mistake -- was really the last straw for many Republicans, and the GOP heads into November without a strong RNC.

9. Obama wades into the mosque controversy (Aug. 13, 2010): Democrats also have had their share of distractions, and President Obama wading into the controversy over the mosque near Ground Zero, and then appearing to walk it back the next day, was the latest one -- following the Shirley Sherrod firing and Robert Gibbs’ the-House-is-in-play comment. All of these distractions turned into multi-day stories, knocking Democrats off message.

10. J.D. Hayworth challenges McCain (Feb. 15, 2010): Had McCain not received a legitimate primary challenge from Hayworth, we might have seen more bipartisanship in the Senate -- if not from McCain then from his friend Lindsey Graham.

The Tea Party Express' political action committee, Our Country Deserves Better, puts out an ad in support of Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell, who is challenging Rep. Mike Castle in the primary; Crossroads GPS has new ads up in Missouri and Nevada; and Patty Murray touts a project brought to the state thanks to her position in the Senate.

DE SEN, pro-O'Donnell
(Our Country Deserves Better PAC) "Common Sense Conservative"
9/2
ANNCR: In 2008, the American Conservative Union ranked Mike Castle one of the most liberal Republicans in Congress, giving him a score of just 28 out of 100. Delaware Republicans deserve better. That's why the Tea Party Express and Mark Levin support common sense conservative Christine O'Donnell for U.S. Senate. O'Donnell opposed the bailouts and Obama's massive deficit spending. And she strongly supports repealing Obama's health care scheme.

MO SEN, anti-Carnahan (Crossroads GPS) "Missouri 'Baby'"
8/31
ANNCR: "She begins her life in the care of others. But what kind of care will be there in her future? Missourians want to make their own health care decisions. But Robin Carnahan disagrees. She supports the Obamacare law. That could raise our health insurance premiums... and cuts billions from Medicare. Now our lieutenant governor is suing, so her health care will be there. Tell Robin Carnahan, start fighting for Missouri. Fight against Obamacare. Crossroads GPS is responsible for the content of this advertising"

NV SEN, anti-Reid (Crossroads GPS)
8/31
ANNCR: "With spending already out of control, Harry Reid spearheaded the stimulus spending bill. Harry's stimulus sent nearly $2 million to California. To collect ants -- in Africa. $25 million for new chairlifts and snowmaking in Vermont. Almost $300,000 to Texas to study weather -- on Venus. Meanwhile back in Nevada, we still have the highest unemployment, and record foreclosures. Really Harry. How about some help for Nevada? Crossroads GPS is responsible for the content of this advertising"

NH SEN, Ayotte, "Liberal"
8/31
ANNCR: "Bill Binnie's false attacks. Newspapers call Binnie a quote, attack dog and a bully with a big bag of money. Binnie attacks to hide liberal positions like on Arizona's tough immigration law." BINNIE: "I'm not going to pander to you, I don't believe in the Arizona law." ANNCR: "Amnesty, bailouts, European style taxes. Liberal Bill Binnie. Kelly Ayotte is a strong conservative who supports the Arizona law and will cut spending." AYOTTE: "I'm Kelly Ayotte and I approved this message"

NH SEN, Binnie, "Why I'm Running"
8/30
BINNIE: "Last summer my company ran a help wanted ad. We received over 350 applications for one job. That drove home the problem. We all know someone who's lost a job or is simply struggling to hold on, like my family did when I was growing up. I'm running for the United States Senate because political insiders can't fix our economy but as a successful businessman, I can. I'm Bill Binnie, and I approved this message"

WA SEN, Murray, "Wenatchee"
9/2
DENNIS JOHNSON, MAYOR OF WENATCHEE: This hospital serves an area about the size of the state of Maryland. DAVID WEBER, CEO, CHMN OF THE BOARD: We were in real jepoardy of losing this hospital. JEANETTE WOOD, MANAGER EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPT: But Senator Murray came through for us. WEBER: She cut through the federal red tape and got the support to pass a law that saved the hospital. JOHNSON: Patty saved fifteen hundred local jobs. WOOD: Today, we have the top-rated hospital in the state, a state of the art hospital right here in Wenatchee. WEBER: Thanks to Senator Murray. MURRAY: I'm Patty Murray and I approve this message because I want to continue helping people and solving problems.

HI GOV, pro-Aiona (RGA) "Energy"
8/1
ANNCR: "A truly clean environment requires clean energy. Hawaii is the most oil dependent state but Duke Aiona's ideas will allow 70 percent of Hawaii's energy to come from clean and renewable sources by 2030." AIONA: "Clean energy is not an option, it's a necessity." ANNCR: "Duke's plan keeps five billion dollars in our local economy and creates jobs. Rise and shine, Hawaii"

MA GOV, Cahill, "Tim for Governor"
8/25
K. CAHILL (in treas. campaign ad): "Vote Tim for Treasurer." CAHILL: "And since then, Kendra has grown up. And I made a difference as treasure." ANNCR: "Tim Cahill runs the lottery with no scandals and record returns. He created a school construction program that cut building costs with audits and accountability. And now, Tim has a jobs plan to finally fix our state's economy." CAHILL: "I'm proud to have saved this state money. And I'll do the same as governor." KENDRA: "Vote Tim for governor"

MA GOV, Baker, "We Can Do Better"
8/24
BAKER: "I love the state of Massachusetts and I think it's time for us to turn things around here. I spent the last 30 years of my life fixing things that are broken, holding people accountable and getting stuff done. Right now, under this administration, state government is not working. Balancing the budget, cutting taxes, and focusing on getting people back to work. That's what this race has to be about and that's what it will be about"

MA GOV, anti-Baker (MA Dems) "Charlie Baker -- Had Enough of Big Insurance?"
8/26
TEXT: "Charlie Baker, Corporate Executive 2009. Charlie Baker, former CEO: Harvard Pilgrim Health. As a health insurance CEO, Charlie Baker's salary tripled from $500,000 to $1.7 million. At the same time, Baker's company raised rates by 150%. When the company got in financial trouble, it got a government bailout. HAD ENOUGH OF BIG INSURANCE? WE CAN'T AFFORD CHARLIE BAKER"

OR GOV, Kitzhaber, "Hire"
9/1
ANNCR: "OK, the job is governor and you're hiring. You can hire Chris Dudley who has never managed anything, never tried to create jobs to help Oregon's families, and never shown much interest in Oregon...Because Dudley lived in Washington to avoid paying taxes that support our schools and health care. Or you can hire John Kitzhaber, who spent his life working for Oregon -- creating over a hundred thousand jobs and giving healthcare to tens of thousands of children. It's your hire, but if we want to create jobs and create change -- vote for someone who already has. John Kitzhaber"

From NBC's Pete Williams
In an atmosphere of tension between the federal government and Arizona, the Justice Department today dialed it up some more, filing a lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- accusing him, the county, and his office with failing to cooperate with a civil rights investigation of his office.

The Justice Department has been investigating allegations that the sheriff's office has engaged in discrimination against Hispanics. As a recipient of federal funds, the sheriff's office is required to cooperate with such investigations.

But today, the Justice Department said it's been trying to get the sheriff's cooperation for more than a year without success. That makes his department "an extreme outlier," given that no other local law enforcement organization has refused to cooperate with a civil rights investigation in the last 30 years, the government says.

"The actions of the sheriff's office are unprecedented. It is unfortunate that the department was forced to resort to litigation to gain access to public documents and facilities," says Thomas Perez, the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.

*** UPDATE *** Arpaio responded to the lawsuit during a news conference in Phoenix, alleging that it amounted to harassment, the AP reports. "I think they know we have not been racial profiling, so what's the next step — camouflage the situation, go to the courts, and make it look like I'm not cooperating," he said.

What explains the Democrats’ summer slide and where did it begin? Here’s one theory: go back to May… The two big external forces that month: the BP spill and the Greek/European economic instability… Wrapping up the Boxer-Fiorina debate… Bud Chiles (I) drops out of Florida gubernatorial contest, possibly benefiting Alex Sink (D)… National Taxpayers Union starts $4 million ad buy… Previewing FL-2… And following the Brewer-Goddard debate from last night.

From Mark Murray and Ali Weinberg
*** Mayday, Mayday: There’s no question that this summer has been brutal for Democrats and the Obama White House. Just look at the national and race-by-race polls, and listen to the pundits who are predicting significant midterm losses for the party in power. But how do we explain -- both politically and economically -- this summer slide for Democrats? Where did it begin? Here's one theory: go back to May. At the beginning of that month, the NBC/WSJ poll showed President Obama's approval rating back at 50%, after the conclusion of the health-care debate; the same poll found that Obama’s economic handling number had inched up; and the jobs report for April revealed the economy added some 300,000 jobs, including sizable gains in the private sector. Happy days, it seemed, were here again.

*** Two disasters in May: But in May, there also were a series of disasters -- both figuratively and literally. The BP spill, which began in late April, became an ongoing news story that month, with Americans able to see on their TV sets all the oil gushing from the well. Yet the more significant event might have been what took place on May 6, when the economic instability in Greece and Europe took center stage and when the Dow tumbled nearly 1,000 points before partially recovering. And look at the numbers afterward: In our June NBC/WSJ poll, the president’s approval rating dropped to 45%; his economic handling went down; and the jobs report for May showed that while the economy added more than 400,000 jobs, almost all of them were Census jobs. Since then, the monthly jobs numbers have been on the minus side, and forecasters are predicting another net-negative report when the August numbers come out tomorrow.

*** External forces matter: Of course, the BP spill, the instability in Europe, and the Dow’s plunge don’t explain the entire political and economic situation. The winds were already at the GOP’s back well before May (see Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts in January). The U.S. economy was severely weakened after the financial crash in 2008. The divisive debate over health care took a toll on Obama and the Democrats. And a series of distractions knocked the White House off message. But what May did was wipe out any Democratic hope for economic or political recovery in enough time for the midterms. That month also shows us that external forces do matter in politics; Team Obama should know after it benefited from Lehman Brothers’ collapse in Sept. 2008. And an external force or two might be the only thing standing in the way of big GOP gains come November.

*** Boxer vs. Fiorina: Outside of the Reid-Angle race in Nevada, there might not be a more contentious Senate contest than the one between Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) and ex-Hewlett Packard chief Carly Fiorina. Check out the San Francisco Chronicle’s write-up of last night’s Boxer-Fiorina debate: The two women “agreed on one thing Wednesday during their hourlong televised debate at St. Mary's College in Moraga: California voters have a clear choice between the two very different candidates from opposite ends of the political spectrum. They sparred over how best to produce jobs and protect the environment, and about their records in business and government. Their first face-to-face debate was pointed, its tone mirroring the bare-knuckled exchanges the candidates have been trading from afar since winning their primaries in June.” http://bit.ly/c227Nm

*** Sweet Chiles O’ Mine: Independent Bud Chiles, the son of ex-Gov. Lawton Chiles (D), will drop out of Florida’s gubernatorial contest today and endorse Alex Sink (D), Politico writes. This has the potential of helping Sink, given that there was concern that Chiles -- with his familiar last name to Florida Democrats -- could take votes away from her in her race against Rick Scott.

*** Other odds and ends: The National Taxpayers Union is beginning a $4 million ad campaign tomorrow. It’s a combined national/state-based buy, with some radio. Here’s the national TV ad. Also today, Organizing for America is releasing a new canvassing tool for the OFA iPhone application. “The tool,” a spokeswoman emails, “allows volunteers to access information on voters in their area on their iPhone so they can engage their neighbors door-to-door.”

*** 75 House races to watch: FL-2: The Democratic nominee is seven-term incumbent Rep. Allen Boyd, who was first elected in 1996; Boyd won just 51% in his Dem primary. The GOP nominee is funeral home owner Steve Southerland. McCain won 54% in this district in ’08, and Bush won an equal percentage in ’04. As of Aug. 24, Boyd had nearly $1.8 million in the bank, while Southerland had $400,000. Boyd voted against the stimulus, but for cap-and-trade and health care. Both Cook and Rothenberg rate the contest as a Toss Up.

*** More midterm news: In Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer (R) and challenger Terry Goddard participated in a debate that was mostly about immigration… In Arkansas, Bill Clinton will appear at a Sept. 8 event in Little Rock for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D)… And in Illinois, Rudy Giuliani will stump for Mark Kirk (R) on Sept. 13.

Countdown to DC, MD. MA, NH, NY, RI, and WI primaries: 12 days
Countdown to HI primaries: 16 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 61 days

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“The Israeli and Palestinian leaders were to open direct peace negotiations Thursday after committing to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades,” the New York Times writes. “The talks are to be held at the State Department, where they will take place under the eye of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The negotiations follow a remarkable tableau at the White House on Wednesday night, where President Obama, flanked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established.”

Media research firm Kantar Media predicts that political ad spending is “on track to approach $3 billion” this year, according to AdAge. “Spending so far on political and issue TV ads is $864 million, $50 million more than 2008, and $185 million ahead of 2006 at the same period of time,” said Kantar’s Evan Tracey.

ARIZONA: Not surprisingly, last night’s debate between Gov. Jan Brewer (R) and Democrat Terry Goddard focused on the issue of immigration and the state’s anti-immigration law. "Illegal immigration and Senate Bill 1070 dominated the first 20 minutes of the hourlong debate, with Goddard saying the tough new immigration law will do little to secure the border. He touted his work as attorney general in going after drug and smuggling cartels... Even after the debate moderator tried to turn the discussion to the economy, the two leading candidates still found a way to tie the issues together and spar over immigration.”

More: Goddard "said the governor had driven economic development away by saying in June that local law enforcement had found headless bodies in the Arizona desert, part of increased violence along the border with Mexico. 'You need to stop saying things that are untrue, that defame our state, like there are beheadings in the desert,' Goddard said. 'Our men and women of law enforcement have done a great job, and it's time we recognize and thank them rather than tear them down.' After the debate, reporters asked Brewer whether she would take back her statement about the beheadings. She refused to answer and left the studio without taking any more questions."

ARKANSAS: “Former President Bill Clinton is coming to the aid of endangered Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln,” the AP writes. Clinton will headline an event celebrating Lincoln’s one-year anniversary as Senate Agriculture Committee chairwoman next week.

CALIFORNIA: The San Francisco Chronicle on last night’s Barbara Boxer-vs.-Carly Fiorina debate: “Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina agreed on one thing Wednesday during their hourlong televised debate at St. Mary's College in Moraga: California voters have a clear choice between the two very different candidates from opposite ends of the political spectrum. They sparred over how best to produce jobs and protect the environment, and about their records in business and government. Their first face-to-face debate was pointed, its tone mirroring the bare-knuckled exchanges the candidates have been trading from afar since winning their primaries in June.”

Here's NBC's Los Angeles affiliate: "Republican challenger Carly Fiorina took aim at the nation's troubled economy Wednesday night during her first debate with Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, blaming the incumbent for policies 'that are devastating the state.'... Boxer, 69, fired back at Fiorina, criticizing her for shipping 30,000 jobs overseas during her time as CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. She said Fiorina fights not for average Americans but for billionaires, millionaires and companies that outsource jobs."

The L.A. Times adds, “For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005… For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005.”

COLORADO: At a campaign breakfast yesterday, Ken Buck and Jane Norton -- whom Buck defeated in the primary -- shared a stage for the first time since primary night on Aug. 10. "The fact that we don't hold a unity rally and hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya' like the Democrats doesn't mean we're not unified," Buck was quoted as saying. http://bit.ly/c4a5eY

FLORIDA: “Independent candidate Bud Chiles confirmed Wednesday he would drop out of Florida’s race for governor and back Democratic nominee Alex Sink,” Politico writes.

ILLINOIS: “Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani headlines a fund-raiser for Rep. Mark Kirk's Illinois Senate campaign Sept. 13 in Chicago,” the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Ovide Lamontagne's first TV ad goes up; Sharron Angle tries to explain that Harry Reid is the one with extreme policies that have damaged Nevada's economy; Meg Whitman hits her Democratic gubernatorial opponent Jerry Brown on his record as Oakland mayor; and the ad wars continue in New Mexico, with Democrat Diane Denish and Republican Susana Martinez both releasing new spots.

NH SEN, Lamontagne, "Ovide's Oath"
8/31
LAMONTAGNE: "I'm not the establishment candidate, nor a new conservative trying to buy your vote. But I am the only candidate with a 15-point pledge, Ovide's Oath, and it's my bond. I'll work to cut spending, lower taxes, repeal Obamacare and defend the right of states to protect their citizens. I'm Ovide Lamontagne and I approved this message. I'll commute to Washington and I'll only serve you." ANNCR: "The only true conservative for the U.S. Senate: Ovide Lamontagne"

NV SEN, Angle, "Faces"
8/31
ANGLE: "On (Senate Maj. Leader) Harry Reid's (D) watch, Nevada's unemployment rate has shot past 14 percent-highest in the country. Our foreclosure rate is highest in the nation. Home values have dropped almost 50 percent. Those aren't just numbers. They're people who've lost their jobs. Families who've lost their homes. Harry Reid has dragged Nevada down to perhaps its lowest point ever. And he wants to call me an extremist? I'm Sharron Angle and I approve this message"

NY SEN, DioGuardi
8/31
DioGuardi: "I'm Joe DioGuardi. In Congress, they use this card to vote. But they've turned it into the most expensive credit card in the world, with no limit. And you get the bill. It's a ticking time bomb that cripples the economy, stops job creation and will make us poor. I'm a certified public accountant running for the U.S. Senate to get spending under control. And to stop this madness that's costing us jobs and the American Dream. I'm Joe DioGuardi and I approve this message"

OH SEN, Portman
8/31
JANE PORTMAN: "Well, Rob and I met on a blind date." ROB PORTMAN: "On a blind date, and I totally lucked out." JANE: "We have three kids." ROB: "We want our kids to be able to have a future here in Ohio and we are falling behind. Our unemployment rate in Ohio is now over 10 percent. We've got to figure this out, and figure it out quickly. I mean, we've still got the best work force in the world. And part of the Portman plan for jobs that we've laid out is to provide some hope, to let people know there is an alternative. There's a different way to approach our tax system, our regulation system. You know, there are solutions and there is a better way. I'm Rob Portman, and I approve this message."

CA GOV, Whitman, "Facts on Oakland"
8/30
ANNCR: "We know (AG/ex-Gov.) Jerry Brown (D) was Mayor of Oakland, but what were the results? Fact: Brown promised to improve schools. But the dropout rate increased 50% and the state had to take over the schools. Fact: The city controller found employees paid for 22,000 hours they never worked. Fact: Brown promised to cut crime but murders doubled making Oakland the fourth most dangerous city in America. Jerry Brown, he just can't deliver the results California needs now"

MN GOV, anti-Emmer (Alliance for a Better Minnesota Action Fund) "Minnesota Can't Afford Tom Emmer as Governor"
8/30
ANNCR: "In a tough economy we need a Governor who's on our side. But Tom Emmer sides with corporations and CEOs -- and opposes a plan requiring them to pay their fair share of taxes. Emmer backs a plan that creates a huge deficit -- putting Minnesota's economic future at risk. And Emmer voted to cut things Minnesotans rely on. Education, health care and even job training. Emmer's drastic cuts will make it harder to get our economy back on track. Minnesota can't afford a Governor who'll put our economy at risk"

NH GOV, Lynch, "Strongest"
8/30
ANNCR: "Even in hard times, we've got the the second fastest job growth in the country." MARK MCDONNELL: "We are refitting a portion of our business to manufacture wind turbines and Governor Lynch is backing us." DEB BUXTON: "Governor Lynch's Back To Work program allowed our company to hire two new employees." ANNCR: "We've got the strongest economy in New England." PATRICK MANSFIELD: "We're starting a new green ecology business with the help of the governor." ANNCR: "And the nation's second lowest taxes because Governor Lynch cut spending and balanced the budget." KEN MERMER: "Governor Lynch has the state moving forward." ANNCR: "John Lynch, he's working for us"

NM GOV, Denish "Communities"
8/31
ANNCR: "Another false attack by Republican (Doña Ana Co. DA) Susana Martinez (R). The truth? Diane Denish is working in communities across the state helping small businesses, and especially our local schools. Diane expanded pre-k, helping 17,000 kids learn to read. While Martinez would give public school dollars to wealthy private schools." DENISH: "As governor, I'll take on anyone to keep money in the classroom, where it belongs. Because standing up for New Mexico families means giving our kids a great education"

NM GOV, Martinez, "License"
8/31
ANNCR: "Another Denish smear proven false by the Southwest border director. Susana Martinez prosecutes thousands of border cases. Prosecutor of the year. Martinez gave criminal illegals prison time. Richardson/Denish gave them driver's license. 50,000 to illegal immigrants, even violent criminals. Diane Denish won't revoke it. We need real change." MARTINEZ: "Criminals take advantage of weak laws. Like giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. As governor, that will change." ANNCR: "Susana Martinez for governor"

PA GOV, Corbett, "Predictable"
8/30
CORBETT: "When I announced my pledge that, as governor, I will oppose all new tax increases, the response from the politicians was quite predictable. (Gov.) Ed Rendell (D) said I should have my head examined. (Allegheny Co. Exec.) Dan Onorato (D) called any promise to not raise taxes a gimmick. The politicians were just as skeptical when I promised to fight corruption in Pennsylvania and, boy, were they wrong. So if any of them truly believe we can't stop Harrisburg's reckless spending and high taxes, just watch me."

From NBC's Athena Jones
Calling the status quo between Israel and the Palestinian Authority "unsustainable," President Obama today urged leaders from both sides to seize a moment of opportunity to reach a peace agreement as they begin direct talks in D.C. tomorrow.

The president spoke to reporters in the Rose Garden after holding four separate bilateral meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Both Egypt and Jordan have reached peace agreements with Israel.

Flanked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Sen. George Mitchell, special envoy to the Middle East, Obama said the U.S. would actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians and a comprehensive peace between Israel and all of its Arab neighbors.

The president spelled out the aim of the direct talks that will be led by Clinton. "Our goal is a two-state solution that ends the conflict and ensures the rights and security of both Israelis and Palestinians and despite the inevitable challenges we have never wavered in pursuit of this goal," he said, adding that both sides had taken "important steps" to build confidence over the last year.

The relaunch of direct talks after nearly two years comes amid news of the murder of four Israeli settlers by Hamas gunmen in the West Bank town of Hebron -- violence which Obama, Netanyahu, and Abbas condemned. Israeli settlement construction on occupied territory has remained a thorny matter between the two sides as they seek to reach an agreement on final status issues.

"The goal is a settlement negotiated between the parties that ends the occupation, which began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with a Jewish state of Israel and its other neighbors," Obama said. "That's the vision we are pursuing."

He went on to acknowledge this latest round of negotiations would be met with skepticism, saying the parties were "under no illusions," that years of mistrust would not disappear overnight, and that building confidence between the parties would require "painstaking diplomacy. But Obama also said that peace was in the national interests of Israel, the Palestinians, the United States, the region, and the world.

"The hard work is only beginning," Obama said. "Neither success nor failure is inevitable. But this much we know: if we do not make the attempt then failure is guaranteed."

The president will hold a working dinner with the four leaders at the White House tonight. They will be joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Secretary of State Clinton.

As Joe Miller's official victory over Sen. Lisa Murkowski sets in, both liberal and conservative bloggers consider the implications of yet another established Republican losing to an ideologically stringent conservative.

Some conservative blogs noted the need for Murkowski to support Miller in order to maintain party unity in the general election. And while liberal blogs have in the past celebrated Republican establishment upsets as increasing Democrats' chances in the fall, they made no such predictions about Alaska's results.

Hot Air's Allahpundit linked back to an older post where he emphasized the importance of Murkowski embracing Miller's win in order to maintain party unity.

The more corrosive things get between him and Murky, the better the Democrats’ chances at an upset are. Increase the peace.

Red State's Erick Erickson also noted that Murkowski withheld any endorsement of Miller, much like some other establishment-backed candidates who lost.

This is getting to be a trend among beaten Republicans that they don’t endorse their more conservative challengers. See e.g. Bill McCollum.

Miller's win also spurred a conversation between NRO's Jim Geraghty and blogger Will Cain about "whether you would rather have 60 Lindsey Grahams or 40 Jim DeMints" in the Senate: more moderate, compromise-ready Republicans or a minority of stricter ideologues.

Geraghty's conclusion:

It’s odd; the people who talk the most about how they want to stand for principle, and how they oppose conceding any ideologicalpositions find themselves conceding many winnable House and Senate seats... Show me a principled, dedicated and noble loser and you know what you have? A loser.

Liberal blogger Joe Sudbay at AMERICAblog lamented Miller's victory, and the fact that it added "another scalp" to habitual Facebook endorser Sarah Palin.

When the Senate reconvenes in September, John McCain's GOP colleagues should thank him for picking Sarah Palin as his V.P. He created a monster.

Miller is a hard-core right-wing teabagger. He's way, way, way out there. Miller thinks Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional.

Unlike other states in which ultra-conservative candidates won, like Nevada, Kentucky and Colorado, however, Sudbay did not seem to think that Miller's primary win increased Democrats' chances in the fall, writing little about Miller's general election opponent:

The Democratic nominee is Scott MacAdams, an 'Alaska Populist.' His campaign website is here.

Daily Kos's Joan McCarter lumped Miller in with other conservative, nominees.

So we've got classy Joe Miller to join Rand Paul, Sharron Angle, and Ken Buck in crazyville and a bitter rift among Republicans.

And even though MyDD's Charles Lemos thought Miller was "perhaps the most extreme candidate running this cycle," he also doesn't hold out too much hope for McAdams.

There had been talk of replacing McAdams with a higher profile Democratic candidate but Senator Mark Begich and the Alaska Democratic Party have reaffirmed their support. The key now is raising at least a million dollars to run an effective campaign. McAdams had raised less than $10,000 as of his last FEC filing.

From msnbc.com’s Tom Curry and Carrie Dann

At this point in a re-election race, secure Democratic senators in Democratic-leaning states generally poll at a comfortable 55 percent or better in the matchup against a Republican opponent (Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland are examples).

But that’s not the case in California, where three-term Sen. Barbara Boxer will square off against GOP challenger Carly Fiorina in the pair's first debate Wednesday night. An average of the five most recent public polls shows Boxer getting 45 percent to Fiorina’s 41 percent. About 12 percent of respondents remain undecided.

President Barack Obama has trekked to California twice in recent months to help raise funds for Boxer, and Vice President Joe Biden held a fundraiser for her in July.

“I don't travel for just anybody,” Obama told attendees at a San Francisco fundraiser in May. “But when it comes to Barbara Boxer, I'm a lot like many of you, which is, if she calls and she says, ‘I need some help,’ then we're going to give her some help...”

While not as astonishing as Republican Sen. Scott Brown’s upset win last January in Massachusetts, a Fiorina victory would be dramatic. California hasn't elected a Republican senator since 1988. That was also the last time a Republican presidential candidate carried California.

Democrats enjoy an edge in party registration, with about 7.5 million Democrats to 5.2 million Republicans in the state; there are 3.4 million registered independents.

Boxer won her seat in 1992, lifted on the wave led by Bill Clinton in what was then dubbed “the Year of the Woman.” She beat conservative Los Angeles television and radio pundit Bruce Herschensohn by about half a million votes, or 5 percentage points.

In 1998 and 2006, Boxer easily fended off weak Republican rivals. In 2006, her victory margin was nearly 2.4 million votes.

Boxer’s current struggle isn’t entirely surprising in a year in which polls indicate a striking enthusiasm deficit among Democratic voters and in which fellow Democratic senators Patty Murray in Washington and Russ Feingold in Wisconsin are also locked in competitive contests, despite their states' Democratic lean.

Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, served as a high-profile broadcast surrogate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. She was ubiquitous on cable television before she was shunted aside after making the impolitic comment that McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin (and Obama and Biden) lacked the experience to run a corporation such as HP. (Palin endorsed Fiorina this year.)

“Boxer is out of practice” for a campaign debate, said John Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. “Six years ago, she debated Bill Jones exactly once. She has taken part in floor discussions in the Senate, but the institution does not conduct ‘debate’ in the normal sense of the term.”

But, Pitney added, “don't count Boxer out. She knows the issues cold. Expect her to go after Fiorina on issues such as the environment. Her goal will be to portray Fiorina as too conservative for the California electorate.”

Democrats have slammed Fiorina for being rated “worst technology company CEO” in a 2005 USA Today story and for the job cuts she ordered when heading HP. They’ve assailed her for accepting Palin’s endorsement, for calling herself “pro-life,” and supporting the Arizona immigration law which would allow police to check the immigration status of people they stop during their routine duties.

Democrats have also tried to raise expectations for Fiorina’s performance, circulating a video showing GOP consultant and former Reagan speechwriter Ken Khachigian saying, “Next to Ronald Reagan and Bruce Herschensohn, she's very close to being one of the finest communicators on television that I've ever worked with.”

Fiorina has a penchant for hard-edged comments. She recently mocked Boxer’s concern that greenhouse gas emissions pose a national security issue: "Terrorism kills -- and Barbara Boxer's worried about the weather," said Fiorina in a TV ad.

Fiorina has also painted Boxer as a lifetime politician: she was first elected to public office in 1976 as a member of the Board of Supervisors in Marin County, north of San Francisco.

“When Barbara Boxer started getting a paycheck from us, a gallon of gasoline was 55 cents … and the number one song was Barbra Streisand’s ‘The Way We Were,’” Fiorina said in a recent speech.

"It's true that this is what I like to do. I'm proud of it," Boxer replied in comments to the San Francisco Chronicle Tuesday.

Senate contests between two female candidates are rare. Since 1944, there have been eight Senate elections that pitted two women against each other, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Of the seventeen women now serving in the Senate, seven have defeated another woman at some point in their Senate career. Of those, five were incumbents when they defeated a female challenger; one, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, was running for an open seat; and one, North Carolina Democrat Kay Hagen, challenged a sitting female senator -- Republican Elizabeth Dole.

The Boxer-Fiorina contest could end up being the closest woman v. woman race in history. The closest such race to date occurred in 2002, when Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., won re-election against Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell. Landrieu won with 52 percent of the vote to Terrell's 48 percent.

(The Boxer-Fiorina debate, from 7 to 8 p.m. Pacific Time, will be streamed live on SFGate.com, KTVU.com and KQEDnews.org.)

From NBC's Mark Murray
Sarah Palin -- once again -- is in the news.

She is set to attend an Iowa Republican dinner on Sept. 17. The candidate she endorsed for Senate in Alaska, Joe Miller, beat Lisa Murkowski. And now comes a very unflattering Vanity Fair piece on Palin. The article, citing mostly anonymous sources, describes Palin's temper, her quest for privacy, and her new money-making empire.

But the most striking -- and relevant -- part to me was the piece's acknowledgment how Palin is able to constantly make news, even though she's unwilling to answer follow-up questions from anyone but friendly news organizations. And the "Lame Stream" media she despises eats it up.

In accordance with the terms of a reported $1 million annual contract with Fox News, Palin regularly delivers canned commentary on that network. But in the year since she abruptly resigned the governorship of Alaska, in order to market herself full-time—earning an estimated $13 million in the process—she has submitted to authentic, unpaid interviews with only a handful of journalists, none of whom have posed notably challenging questions. She keeps tight control of her pronouncements, speaking only in settings of her own choosing, with audiences of her own selection, and with reporters kept at bay. (Despite many requests, neither Palin nor her current staff would comment for this article.) She injects herself into the news almost every day, but on a strictly one-way basis, through a steady stream of messages on Twitter and Facebook. The press plays along. Palin is the only politician whose tweets are regularly reported as news by TV networks. She is the only one who has been able to significantly change the course of debate on a major national issue (health-care reform) with a single Facebook posting (in which she accused the Obama administration, falsely, of wanting to set up a “death panel”).

Just to let you readers know: This blog recently made it a practice not to uncritically report on Palin's Facebook or Twitter messages, unless there's an extraordinary reason to.

A day after outgoing Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) issued an executive order aimed at blunting the federal health-care law -- which was interpreted as yet another sign that the governor is running for president -- a new poll suggests that Minnesotans aren't pleased with his White House ambitions.

Per the Minnesota Public Radio News/Humphrey Institute poll, 54% of likely voters in the state disapprove of his campaign swings outside of Minnesota.

More:

And when it comes to whether Minnesotans would vote for Pawlenty for president, a majority, or 53 percent, consider that unlikely. Even nearly one in four Republicans, or 23 percent, say they've be unlikely to vote for him.

[snip]

Possibly even more stinging for the governor is a question about who would make a better president among potential Republican competitors. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney outpolls Pawlenty on that question, 45 percent to 32 percent. But Pawlenty easily beats former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, 59 to 24 percent.

[snip]

According to the poll Pawlenty's approval rating among likely Minnesota voters stands at 46 percent. That's low, but not as low as President Obama's 42 percent approval rating. Although Pawlenty is struggling with support in his home state, a plurality of respondents, or 37 percent, said they think Republicans are better able to handle the state budget than Democrats.

In Oval Office address last night, Obama said the country was turning the page on Iraq… But it’s still something we’ll have to return to -- when violence continues and when judging whether the war was worth the sacrifice… Surprisingly, Obama used a good part of the speech to discuss the economy… He also talked about Afghanistan, his opposition to the war, and George W. Bush… What he didn’t say: whether the surge worked… Today, Obama turns the page from Iraq to Middle East peace, meeting individually with the heads of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and Egypt… The president makes statement to reporters at 5:20 pm ET… Murkowski concedes, becoming the seventh incumbent to lose a primary for re-election this cycle… Three takeaways on Pawlenty’s executive order… Profiling AZ-8… And Boxer and Fiorina debate.

From Mark Murray and Ali Weinberg
*** Turning the page: It’s perhaps fitting that when Barack Obama started using the phrase “It’s time to turn the page,” he was just beginning his bid for the presidency. (When he uttered it on the cold 2007 day officially announcing his run, though, the context was describing how special interests controlled Washington, which hasn’t necessarily ended in this town.) And he used the phrase again in his primetime address last night to officially mark the end of combat operations on the issue that catapulted him to the Democratic nomination and the presidency: the Iraq war. “The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people,” Obama said in his second Oval Office speech. “Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it’s time to turn the page.”

*** But certain to revisit it: But while this country can now turn the page, it’s more than likely that we’ll have to thumb back to it whenever violence continues to haunt Iraq. “Of course, violence will not end with our combat mission,” Obama noted last night. “Extremists will continue to set off bombs, attack Iraqi civilians and try to spark sectarian strife. Only Iraqis can build a democracy within their borders. What America can do, and will do, is provide support for the Iraqi people as both a friend and a partner.” And we’ll also have to revisit it to answer a question Obama didn’t address last night, Politico’s Roger Simon says: “Did it make America safer, and was it really worth it?”

*** It’s the economy, of course…: Maybe the most surprising part of the president’s speech was its focus on the U.S. economy; in fact, it was about one-third Iraq, one-third Afghanistan, and one-third the economy. “Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work,” the president said. “To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy.” Obama clearly realized he couldn't waste this primetime opportunity without addressing the economy at home.

*** What else was said -- and what wasn’t: Indeed, last night’s speech almost had it all. He discussed Afghanistan (saying that he was sticking to his call to begin a conditions-based transfer of responsibility there by next summer, “because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people’s”). He talked about his opposition to the Iraq war (“As I’ve said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it”). And, as promised, he mentioned George W. Bush (“It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one can doubt President Bush’s support for our troops”). But what Obama didn’t say, as some Republicans urged him to, was credit Bush’s troop surge for the success in Iraq. But if one wants credit for what worked, doesn’t that also require one to acknowledge what didn’t work, especially from 2003-2006? As one of us asked yesterday, what was the more consequential decision relating to Iraq -- the surge or the decision to go to war in the first place?

*** From Iraq to Middle East peace: One other brief topic in last night’s speech -- Middle East peace -- is today’s top story. Obama meets, individually, at the White House with the stakeholders in the direct talks on Middle East peace that are scheduled to begin tomorrow: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (at 10:45 am ET), Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (1:30 pm), Jordanian King Abdullah (2:45 pm), and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (at 4:00 pm). Then, at 5:20 pm, the president will make a statement to the press about these meetings. By the way, Mubarak has a New York Times op-ed, in which he says, “Many claim that this new round of talks … is doomed to fail like all the others. However, President Obama’s determined involvement has revived our hopes for peace and we must seize this opportunity.”

*** Murkowski concedes: After failing to make up considerable ground in the counting of absentee ballots, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski last night conceded to GOP primary opponent Joe Miller. "We know that we have outstanding votes to count in the primary, but based on where we are right now I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor. And that is a reality that is before me at this time," Murkowski said, per the Anchorage Daily News. The paper adds that Murkowski didn’t endorse Miller in his general election against Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams. Murkowski now becomes the seventh incumbent to lose this cycle, joining Bob Bennett in UT, Alan Mollohan in WV, Arlen Specter in PA, Parker Griffith in AL, Bob Inglis in SC, and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in MI. But more importantly, Miller is the fifth Tea Party insurgent to win a GOP Senate primary, following Mike Lee in UT, Rand Paul in KY, Sharron Angle in NV, and Ken Buck in CO.

*** Three takeaways on T-Paw’s executive order: We have three quick takeaways on Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) executive order yesterday prohibiting Minnesota from applying for some new grants under the health-care law: 1) If you didn't already know it, he's running for president; 2) He wants to be able to make health care THE issue in 2011, to draw the comparisons between ObamaCare and RomneyCare; and 3) We might see some other governors with their eyes on the White House -- Barbour? Daniels? -- issue similar executive orders. One other thing: This executive order will surely be an issue in the Mark Dayton (D)-vs.-Tom Emmer (R) gubernatorial contest. In fact, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine holds a previously scheduled press conference with Dayton today in Minnesota at 10:30 am ET, where Pawlenty’s executive order will certainly be a topic of discussion.

*** 75 House races to watch: AZ-8: The Democratic nominee is two-term incumbent Gabrielle Giffords, who was first elected in 2006. The Republican nominee is political newcomer Jesse Kelly. McCain won 52% in this district in ’08, while Bush won 53% there in ’04. As of Aug. 24, Giffords had nearly $2.4 million in the bank, compared with almost $600,000 for Kelly. Giffords voted no on the stimulus, but yes on cap-and-trade and health care. Cook rates it Lean Democratic, but Rothenberg lists it as a pure Toss up.

*** More midterm news: “Debate season for California's major political candidates begins Wednesday in Moraga, with a televised U.S. Senate matchup at St. Mary's College between Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina,” the San Francisco Chronicle writes.

Countdown to DC, MD. MA, NH, NY, RI, and WI primaries: 13 days
Countdown to HI primaries: 17 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 62 days

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“Saying it is ‘time to turn the page’ on one of the most divisive chapters in American history, President Obama declared the U.S. war in Iraq over Tuesday night, telling the nation that he was fulfilling his campaign pledge to stop a war he had opposed from the start,” the Washington Post writes.

USA Today: “President George W. Bush announced the beginning of combat operations in Iraq in an unyielding four-minute speech to the nation in March 2003, declaring, ‘We will accept no outcome but victory,’ and promising that the U.S.-led invasion would ‘bring freedom to others.’ Seven years later, sitting behind the same historic desk, President Obama announced the end of combat operations by U.S. forces with a restrained 19-minute address that didn't claim the war had been ‘won’ and offered only measured predictions of what lies ahead in Iraq.”

The Los Angeles Times adds, “Addressing the nation for only the second time from the Oval Office, the president appealed for support from a country impatient for progress on unemployment and other economic woes and increasingly weary of wars, including the one in Afghanistan, which Obama has chosen to escalate.”

The Wall Street Journal: “The Oval Office address and a quick trip to the Army's Fort Bliss, outside El Paso, Texas, culminated a two-day commemoration of the end of combat operations in Iraq. Vice President Joe Biden touched down in Baghdad on Monday and declared Tuesday morning that "not withstanding what the national press says," the nation of Iraq is "much safer" than understood.”

Per NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, senior officials say "it was a slip" when the president said "next August, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility." The officials emphasize it is NOT a change in the Afghanistan withdrawal policy, which states the conditions-based drawdown will begin in July 2011. The prepared remarks the White House distributed just prior to the speech read: "next July, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility. The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure." So the president changed the month on the fly.

The New York Times editorial page: “The speech … made us reflect on how little Mr. Bush accomplished by needlessly invading Iraq in March 2003 — and then ludicrously declaring victory two months later. Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction proved to be Bush administration propaganda. The war has not created a new era of democracy in the Middle East — or in Iraq for that matter. There are stirrings of democratic politics in Iraq that give us hope. But there is no government six months after national elections.”

More: “Mr. Obama graciously said it was time to put disagreements over Iraq behind us, but it is important not to forget how much damage Mr. Bush caused by misleading Americans about exotic weapons, about American troops being greeted with open arms, about creating a model democracy in Baghdad.”

All things considered, neoconservative writer Bill Kristol liked Obama’s speech. “President Obama opposed the war in Iraq. He still thinks it was a mistake. It's therefore unrealistic for supporters of the war to expect the president to give the speech John McCain would have given, or to expect President Obama to put the war in the context we would put it in. He simply doesn't believe the war in Iraq was a necessary part of a broader effort to fight terror, to change the Middle East, etc. Given that (erroneous) view of his, I thought his speech was on the whole commendable, and even at times impressive.”

But the Wall Street Journal editorial page didn’t like it. “President Obama has often struck us as an ambivalent Commander in Chief, and last night's 19-minute Oval Office address will do little to change that perception—especially abroad, where an American President's determination is most carefully parsed.”

Politico's Roger Simon: "For almost the entire speech, Obama remained impassive. He was not awesome." More: "The Iraq war started over an appalling mistake or an outrageous lie: that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that a madman, Saddam Hussein, was sitting in his palace with his finger on the nuclear button... But in his speech, President Obama let President Bush off the hook for all of that.

Rather than writing on last night’s speech, Maureen Dowd instead focused on the redecorated Oval Office.

“Take note, Mitt Romney,” the AP writes. “Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is burnishing his standing among Republican primary voters who overwhelmingly oppose President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The law is likely to be a central theme in the 2012 presidential race.”

“[O]n Tuesday he ordered state agencies to decline ‘discretionary’ involvement with the federal law ‘unless otherwise required by law or approved by the governor's office.’ He said his office will determine whether federal funding would support state initiatives or create ‘new encroachments by the federal government.’”

Here’s how HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ responded to this news: “I’m afraid of citizens of Minnesota may be the victims of whatever it is that’s coming their way. I know we have companies from the great state of Minnesota who have applied to be part of this plan.…I know that we have seniors in Minnesota who have received $250 checks for prescription drug coverage because they have reached the prescription drug doughnut hole… So I have no idea if those are the kinds of benefits he intends to eliminate for the citizens of Minnesota.”