A combative President Barack Obama rolled out a long-term jobs program Monday that would exceed $50 billion to rebuild roads, railways and runways, and coupled it with a blunt campaign-season assault on Republicans for causing Americans' hard economic times.

GOP leaders instantly assailed Obama's proposal as an ineffective one that would simply raise already excessive federal spending. Many congressional Democrats are also likely to be reluctant to boost expenditures and increase federal deficits just weeks before elections that will determine control of Congress.

US President Barack Obama unveils plans Monday to spend at least 50 billion dollars to expand and renew US roads, railways and airports, in a fresh bid to fire up sluggish economic growth.

Obama, under intense pressure over November's mid-term congressional elections in which his Democrats fear heavy losses, was set to make the announcement in a speech in Wisconsin, an official said.

The event, marking Labor Day, the traditional kick off date for US election campaigns, heralds a week in which Obama travels to another struggling midwestern state, Ohio, and holds a press conference in a bid to shore up his political position.

Stipends subject of probe; Butterfield says he’ll cooperate

By David N. Bass| Carolina Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Congressman G.K. Butterfield is one of a half-dozen federal lawmakers facing an ethics probe for allegedly pocketing portions of his taxpayer-funded travel stipend.

The investigation comes on the heels of calls for Butterfield, a Democrat representing the state’s 1st Congressional District, to return $4,000 in campaign donations from a political action committee of embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. Butterfield has declined to do so or recuse himself from an investigation by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (aka the ethics committee) of Rangel. Butterfield is one of 10 members of that committee.

Congress seems increasingly reluctant to let taxes go up, even on wealthier Americans.

Worried about the fragile economy and their own upcoming elections, a growing number of Democrats are joining the rock-solid Republican opposition to President Barack Obama's plans to let some of the Bush administration's tax cuts expire.

Claiming no victory, President Barack Obama formally ended the U.S. combat role in Iraq after seven long years of bloodshed, declaring firmly Tuesday night: "It's time to turn the page." Now, he said, the nation's most urgent priority is fixing its own sickly economy.

From the Oval Office, where George W. Bush first announced the invasion that would come to define his presidency, Obama addressed millions who were divided over the war in his country and around the world. Fiercely opposed to the war from the start, he said the United States "has paid a huge price" to give Iraqis the chance to shape their future — a cost that now includes more than 4,400 troops dead, tens of thousands more wounded and hundreds of billions of dollars spent.

President Barack Obama said Sunday he isn't worried about a recent poll showing that nearly one-fifth of Americans believe he is a Muslim. "The facts are the facts," said Obama, who is a Christian. In an interview broadcast on "NBC Nightly News," the president blamed the confusion over his religious beliefs on "a network of misinformation that in a new media era can get churned out there constantly."

A poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center showed that 18 percent of people believe Obama is Muslim. That was up from 11 percent who said so in March 2009. Just 34 percent said Obama is Christian, down from 48 percent who said so last year.

OP/ED | By Jeff Gregory, Candidate

During the month of August I traveled to each and every one of the town hall meetings held by Congressman Patrick McHenry in our 10th Congressional District. I wanted to hear what the people had to say about the issues facing us in our state and country. While at each town hall meeting I witnessed a great outpouring of passion, patriotism and concern from the citizens.

However, I saw little if nothing of the same from McHenry.

500,000 Plus Show Up in Washington at Beck's "Restoring Honor"

WASHINGTON - Conservative commentator Glenn Beck and tea party champion Sarah Palin appealed Saturday to a vast, predominantly white crowd on the National Mall to help restore traditional American values and honor Martin Luther King's message. Civil rights leaders who accused the group of hijacking King's legacy held their own rally and march.

While Beck billed his event as nonpolitical, conservative activists said their show of strength was a clear sign that they can swing elections because much of the country is angry with what many voters call an out-of-touch Washington.

Palin told the tens of thousands who stretched from the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the grass of the Washington Monument that calls to transform the country weren't enough. "We must restore America and restore her honor," said the former Alaska governor, echoing the name of the rally, "Restoring Honor."

Tony La Russa doesn't understand the minor backlash that's been created by his participation in radio personality Glenn Beck's rally in Washington on Saturday, an event the St. Louis Cardinals manager said was more religious in tone than political. Before Saturday night's game against the Washington Nationals, La Russa said complaints had been made to the Cardinals' offices in St. Louis about his participation in what some viewed as an event with political overtones.

La Russa added that the Walnut Creek, Calif., Animal Rescue Foundation he operates had received questions about the manager's presence at the rally.

Speaking from notes scribbled on the back of a lineup card, La Russa introduced Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who was given an award for his off-field charitable work at the rally.

More than 13 million students and 1 million educators will share $3.4 billion from the second round of the federal "Race to the Top" grant competition, the U.S. Education Department said Tuesday.

The department chose nine states — Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island — and the District of Columbia for the grants. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said 25,000 schools will get money to raise student learning and close the achievement gap.

The "Race to the Top" program, part of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan, rewards states for taking up ambitious changes to improve struggling schools. The competition instigated a wave of reforms across the country, as states passed new teacher accountability policies and lifted caps on charter schools to boost their chances of winning.

House Republican leader John Boehner on Tuesday urged President Barack Obama to support an extension of tax cuts and to fire key economic advisers, arguing that more than a year of "government as community organizer" has failed to revive the economy.

In a speech to the City Club of Cleveland, Boehner said Obama needs to act immediately on several fronts to break what the Republican describes as "ongoing economic uncertainty." He said the president should work with the GOP to renew soon-to-expire tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush. Congress will tackle the issue when it returns next month.

Veteran Arizona Sen. John McCain sailed to nomination for a fifth term Tuesday over a challenger with tea party support, while big-spending political novice Rick Scott pushed past an experienced insider in Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary as voters split on the merits of establishment candidates vs. outsiders.

In other big-name races, Rep. Kendrick Meek prevailed for Florida's Senate Democratic nomination over upstart Jeff Greene, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska counted on voters to reward political experience as she faced a spirited Republican primary challenge 10 weeks before the general election.

DENVER – The East Lincoln Republican Women will hold their monthly meeting tonight, Tuesday, Aug 24th, at The Sports Page in Denver.

It will mostly be a social meeting and they cordially invite all Republican women from the East Lincoln area to join them.

Gathering begins at 6:45 p.m. with the meeting starting at 7pm.

It's official: Levi Johnston files papers to run for office of hometown Wasilla, Alaska

Levi Johnston, the father of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's grandson, has filed papers to run for office in his hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, next year.

Johnston filed his letter of intent Friday with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, a first step needed to begin campaigning.

Hundreds of impassioned demonstrators — all waving American flags, but separated into two groups by police — descended on the site of the proposed mosque near ground zero, with opponents chanting, "No mosque, no way!" and supporters shouting, "We say no to racist fear!"

The two leaders of the construction project, meanwhile, defended their plans on Sunday, though one suggested that organizers might eventually be willing to discuss an alternative site. The other, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, said during a Middle East trip that the attention generated by the project is actually positive and that he hopes it will bring greater understanding.

It says something when the most exciting moment of a presidential vacation is a trip to the bookstore.

Since arriving on Martha's Vineyard last Thursday, President Barack Obama has been in hard-core "no drama" form. He and his family have eschewed the island's ritzy restaurants and its swirling social scene, instead mostly staying close to home at the 30-acre farm they're renting.

Obama has appeared just once in public so far. On Friday a visit to the Bunch of Grapes bookstore in Vineyard Haven with daughters Sasha and Malia drew a crowd — and generated plenty of positive press. First lady Michelle Obama and the two girls went out separately for ice cream.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Sunday that he won't rule out another run for political office if federal prosecutors fail to convict him at a second trial.

Blagojevich spoke on "Fox News Sunday" less than a week after he was convicted of lying to federal agents. Jurors, however, deadlocked on 23 other more serious charges, including that he had tried to sell President Barack Obama's old Senate seat.

Australians chose Saturday between giving their first female prime minister her own election mandate and returning to a conservative government after just three years. With more than 75 percent of the votes counted, the results were too close to call.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she will remain the caretaker leader and hoped to form the next government.

"Obviously this is too close to call. There are many seats where the result is undecided and where it will take a number of days of counting to determine the result," she said.

Indiana Rep. Joe Donnelly is taking an unusual jab at his party's leadership in a campaign ad that refers to climate change legislation as "Nancy Pelosi's energy tax."

The two-term Democrat is pulling a page from Republican strategists in trying to distance himself from policies that have some voters wary.

In one ad, Donnelly says he voted against Pelosi's "energy tax on Hoosier families." Another ad touts his votes to crack down on illegal immigration. Donnelly says he doesn't work for the "Washington crowd" as a photograph of President Barack Obama, Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner flashes by.

Biden criticizes 'Republican tea party,' predicts Democrats will hold majorities

Vice President Joe Biden boldly predicted Friday that voters would reject a "Republican tea party" of extreme candidates and Democrats would retain control of Congress this November.

In a pep talk for the party's rank and file, the vice president challenged the widespread notion that significant losses in House races, and perhaps the Senate, could cost the party its comfortable majorities — a possibility White House press secretary Robert Gibbs suggested last month before saying Democrats will hang onto the House.

"On Nov. 3 ... there will be in Washington, D.C., a Democratic majority in the House and a Democratic majority in the Senate. That will be the case," Biden said in a speech to the Democratic National Committee. And, he said, Democrats will do better than expected in gubernatorial races, too.

Filmmaker Michael Moore praises soldier suspected in WikiLeaks case, promises financial aid

Filmmaker Michael Moore is praising an Army private suspected of releasing classified war records to WikiLeaks and said he would contribute to his defense.

Moore tells The Associated Press in an interview that he considers Pfc. Bradley Manning a courageous patriot for exposing what Moore called "war crimes."

Roughly one in five Americans wrongly says President Barack Obama is a Muslim, according to two new US opinion polls out Thursday amid a furor over a planned mosque near New York's "Ground Zero."

And about 30 percent of Americans say followers of Islam should be barred from running for president or serving on the US Supreme Court, according to one of the surveys, published in Time magazine and available on Time.com.

The Time poll found 24 percent of respondents said Obama -- a Christian church-goer who has repeatedly spoken out about his faith -- is a Muslim, while 18 percent said the same in a study from the non-partisan Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Palin endorses US House candidate Renee Ellmers in NC, calls opponent 'out of touch'

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is endorsing North Carolina congressional candidate Renee Ellmers.

Palin said in a statement Wednesday that the Republican Ellmers has an "uphill battle against a truly out of touch incumbent." Ellmers is challenging Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge, who kept his seat with two-thirds of the vote in 2008.

Ex-House Majority Leader DeLay says he's not surprised DOJ probe over without criminal charges

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Monday he always knew a Justice Department probe of his ties to disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff would end without criminal charges being filed against him because he did nothing wrong.

DeLay said he wishes the investigation hadn't taken six years, but added he isn't bitter.

"I know this is the price of leadership, but it doesn't have to happen this way," the 11-term Republican from suburban Houston told reporters during a conference call. "I hope people will look at my case and decide the criminalization of politics and the politics of personal destruction is not beneficial to our country and hopefully it will stop."

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that Anton J. Gunn will be appointed regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gunn will serve as director of Region IV, which includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“Anton Gunn has been a tireless advocate for increasing access and lowering the cost of health care for families, and I’m pleased he’ll be joining our team,” said Secretary Sebelius.