Sen. Tom Coburn has endorsed New Hampshire Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte.

Washington (CNN) - The New Hampshire Republican hoping to keep an open Senate seat in GOP hands picked up the endorsement of another out of state conservative on Friday.

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma announced his support for Kelly Ayotte, the former New Hampshire Attorney General who also has the backing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"I look forward to having Kelly Ayotte join us in the Senate next year to help defend the Constitution's limitations on federal power and to fight for the fiscal survival of our country," Coburn said in a statement. "She has the experience, the commitment and the integrity to be a strong force for reducing spending, protecting freedom and making government effective yet manageable."

Ayotte has three opponents in the GOP primary, but the race has shaped up as a battle between her and Bill Binnie, a millionaire businessman who has loaned huge chunks of cash to his own campaign.

Palin's July endorsement of Ayotte got a chilly reception from one of the state's most conservative and influential newspapers, a reaction not uncharacteristic of a state known for its political independence.

Shortly after Palin's endorsement, a blistering Op-Ed on the front page of the New Hampshire Union-Leader by publisher Joseph McQuaid said Palin knows little about the Granite State and even less about its residents. Earlier this week, the paper endorsed Ayotte rival Ovide Lamontagne.

New Hampshire voters will decide the Republican Senate nominee in the state's September 14 primary.

Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is facing calls to end his bid from several Colorado Republican leaders.

(CNN) – Colorado Senate candidate Ken Buck is calling on fellow Republican Dan Maes to quit his bid for governor, the latest in a string of Colorado Republicans calling on the Tea Party favorite to step down before he is officially certified as the party's nominee later Friday.

"After having a lengthy conversation with Dan Maes, it is clear to me that Dan is struggling to determine the best path for his campaign, his family and for Colorado," said Buck in a statement. "I have decided that I can no longer support his candidacy for governor of Colorado."

Buck's statement comes after revelations Maes had embellished his resume about his business background and accused a Denver bike-sharing program of being an undercover plot orchestrated by the United Nations to advance an environmentalist agenda.

Maes – a Tea Party favorite who beat the establishment candidate and former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis in the GOP primary last month – is facing calls to resign from several state Republican leaders as well as two of the state's major newspapers.

If Maes does not resign before he is officially certified the winner at 7 p.m. ET, Republicans have little chance of removing him from the ballot.

Beck is laughing at critics who are making a big deal over his 'lie.' at last weekend's rally.

(CNN) -Glenn Beck is scoffing at recent attacks from MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and others after the Fox News host inaccurately told the crowd at his recent Washington, DC rally that he "held" George Washington's handwritten inaugural address.

"I thought it would be a little easier in the speech," Beck told his radio listeners Thursday as he dismissed the most recent liberal attack directed at him.

The uproar from the left came in response to a comment Beck made during his Restoring Honor rally on the National Mall last weekend in which he said, "I went to the National Archives and held the First Inaugural Address written in his own hand by George Washington."

Turns out the Archives' policy doesn't allow members of the public to touch rare documents like the First Inaugural Address. Instead, Beck was permitted to view the document through plastic – prompting Olbermann to declare "his story that he actually got to hold it…is wrong."

"His fib stands in stark contrast to the point of the rally, which was all about restoring the principles of courage and honor that the nation was founded upon," the publication Mother Jones chimed in.

But Beck himself didn't seem frazzled by the allegations.

"They are like, 'He's such a liar. Glenn Beck is such a lair!' said Beck laughing off the criticism.

"I thought I'd be a little easier than to say, 'Yesterday, I went to the National Archives, and they opened up the vault, and they put on their gloves, and then they put it on a tray, and they wheeled it over, and it's all in this hard plastic, and the because you're sitting down at a table and you can't – because of [Former National Security Advisor] Sandy Berger - you can't actually touch any of the documents because they are very rare'…..I thought it was a little clumsy to explain it that way."

"Might have been a little too much useless information!" Beck exclaimed. "Once again, they caught me."

President Obama is going to hold a fundraiser for Joe Sestak.

(CNN) - Time - and apparently campaign money - can heal old wounds.

Two Democratic officials confirm President Obama is headed to Philadelphia on September 20 to host a fundraiser for the Senate campaign of Democrat Rep. Joe Sestak, who survived a nasty primary battle that featured Obama backing incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (D) over the Congressman.

Top White House officials, including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, were enmeshed in a huge controversy over whether they used former President Bill Clinton to dangle before Sestak an advisory job in the executive branch in exchange for him dropping out of the primary contest.

The Congressman refused the offer while White House officials have denied that any laws or ethical regulations were breached, and Sestak's campaign staff now says it's time for Democrats to put everything behind them.

"We're honored that the President would do an event with Joe during his trip to Pennsylvania," Sestak spokesman Jonathon Dworkin told CNN. "He and Joe may have had their differences, but they can agree that it is critical to elect a Senator who will put Pennsylvania's working families first."

Sestak needs as much help as he can get right now because recent polls show him trailing Republican nominee Pat Toomey, though a significant portion of the Pennsylvania electorate appears to still be undecided.

A recent poll by Ipsos/Reuters poll found Toomey up double digits, 47 percent to 37 percent, with 15 percent undecided. Meanwhile, a Franklin and Marshall College poll found Toomey leading 40 percent to 31 percent, but there was a whopping 26 percent undecided.

That may be one reason why Sestak officials have also been lobbying White House official to send the extremely popular First Lady Michelle Obama to Pennsylvania for a separate visit, according to Democratic officials.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist received a surprising endorsement on Thursday.

(CNN) – The highest ranking Democrat in Florida's state Senate on Thursday endorsed Republican-turned-independent Gov. Charlie Crist in his bid for the U.S. Senate.

In doing so, Florida state Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson passed on an opportunity to endorse fellow Democrat, Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Lawson, known as the "Dean of the Legislature" for his tenure as the longest serving member of Florida's state Senate, is the only African-American state senator from North Florida; Meek is Florida's first ever African-American U.S. Senate nominee.

"Florida desperately needs an independent senator in Washington who will fight for good jobs and economic opportunity, a quality education for every child, and Social Security for all of our seniors regardless of what the political party bosses want," Lawson said in a statement. "Charlie Crist will be exactly that Senator, and I am proud to endorse his candidacy."

Crist said he was "honored" to receive the endorsement.

Lawson mounted a primary challenge against incumbent Democratic Rep. Alan Boyd in Florida's 2nd congressional district, but came up short in last week's election with 48.5 percent of the vote. The national Democratic grassroots network Organizing for America, which is run out of the Democratic National Commmittee, backed Boyd in the race, while Meek did not endorse either candidate.

"This is all about Al Lawson," Meek's campaign said in a statement provided to the Tallahassee Democrat. "We stand firm with our Big Bend supporters who need a strong Democrat like Kendrick Meek to fight for the middle class in the U.S. Senate."

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted August 11-16 showed Crist leading his Republican challenger Marco Rubio by a 39-32 percent margin. Meek registered at 16 points in the survey.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are at a stalemate over whether Israeli settlements should continue.

Washington (CNN) - After two days of meetings and talks led by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Israeli and Palestinian leaders leave Washington deadlocked over the contentious issue of Israeli settlements.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met alone behind closed doors Thursday, in a State Department room just outside Clinton's office. The one-on-one meeting followed their on-camera pledges to move the peace process forward and their hardy handshake with Clinton in the middle.

But several diplomatic sources involved in the summit said the two leaders emerged from their meeting in a stalemate over whether Israeli settlements should continue.

The two leaders met with Clinton to give a readout of their meeting.

According to Palestinian delegation member Fadi Elsalameen, the two leaders were very blunt about their opposing views.

Full story

President Obama’s approval rating is up, according to a new CNN Poll.

(CNN) - A new national poll indicates that President Barack Obama's approval rating has edged up three points, and it appears that the war in Iraq is behind the bump. But according to the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, Americans are giving the president bad marks on the economy.

The survey, released Friday, indicates that 50 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama's doing as president, up from 47 percent in last month, with 49 percent disapproving, down two points from August. And Obama's approval on how he's handling the conflict in Iraq now stands at 57 percent, an eight point jump from July. The poll was conducted Wednesday and Thursday, after the president gave a prime time address from the Oval Office on Iraq.

Full results [pdf]

"Obama's decision to remove combat troops from Iraq is very popular," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Only three in ten Americans say that the U.S. should still have combat troops in Iraq, with 28 percent saying that this is the right time to remove them and another four in ten thinking that should have happened before now."

But the poll doesn't suggest that the public's optimistic about Iraq - most say that the remaining U.S. troops will wind up in combat situations and that the Iraqi government won't be able to maintain order once all U.S. troops are removed.

"Only one in five think the war in Iraq is over, and the war itself remains very unpopular," adds Holland.

Six in ten questioned in the poll say the 2007 surge of U.S. combat troops in Iraq was a success. President George W. Bush ordered the increase of troops, but only four out of ten say they approve of how Bush handled the situation in Iraq, with 59 percent they disapprove.

Presidential candidate Obama pledged to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Tuesday night President Obama announced the end of the U.S. combat mission in the country. Do Americans think Obama's doing a good job keeping campaign promises? Fifty one percent of those questioned in the poll say yes, with 47 percent saying no.

The poll indicates that the public still give the president poor marks on the economy - with four in ten giving him a thumbs up on the economy and nearly six in ten disapproving of his track record on the issue, which remains upmost in the minds of Americans.

"The fact that Iraq is not the most important issue to most Americans indicates that any advantage Obama gained as a result of his speech on Tuesday will be temporary," says Holland.

Obama's overall approval rating got its biggest bump in two regions where there are a number of endangered Democratic House seats. His approval rating is up six points in the Midwest, to 49 percent. And his 48 percent approval rating in the South is four points higher than in August. More than eight in ten Democrats like Obama and more than eight in ten Republicans dislike him. His rating among independents, at 45 percent, is essentially unchanged since last month.

The poll was conducted as the president led a two day Middle East peace initiative at the White House, which has led to promises of a second round of negotiations later this month between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators. But the survey indicates that only one in four think peace can be achieved in the period ahead - the lowest number of record dating back to 1982, when the question was first asked.

The CNN/Opinon Research Corporation poll was conducted September 1-2, with 1,024 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio has withdrawn from what would have been his first debate with Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek, citing his father’s deteriorating health.

(CNN) – Florida Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio is pulling out of what would have been his first debate with Democratic opponent Kendrick Meek, citing the health of his father.

The debate – in which independent candidate and current Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was not scheduled to participate – was set to air on NBC's Meet the Press.

"Unfortunately, the health of Marco's father, Mario Rubio, has significantly deteriorated in the last 48 hours. As a result, Marco plans to stay with his father and family during this time, and will be unable to participate in this Sunday's debate on Meet the Press," said campaign spokesman Alex Burgos.

Rubio's father, Mario, is 83 years old and has emphysema and lung cancer, according to Burgos.

Recent polls suggest Rubio and Crist essentially tied while Meek is running a distant third.

TOPICS: Obama approval rating, approval on issues, effect of Iraq speech, Mideast pace talks

Full results (pdf)



 President Obama spoke Friday in the Rose Garden, surrounded by his team of economic advisors. (PHOTO CREDIT:Shawna Shepherd/CNN)


Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama went on the offensive on the politically critical issue of job creation Friday, promising to lay out a broad package of ideas next week and slamming Senate Republicans for blocking passage of his administration's small business aid legislation.

Obama renewed his call for the languishing bill in the wake of Friday's release of new unemployment figures. The jobless rate, according to the Labor Department, rose from 9.5 to 9.6 percent in August.

The economy lost a total of 54,000 jobs last month. Most of the losses, however, came from the public sector, as the government cut 114,000 temporary census workers. Private businesses added 67,000 jobs to their payrolls.

August was the eighth straight month that businesses added jobs, following nearly two straight years of job losses. So far this year businesses have added 763,000 workers to payrolls.

"That's positive news," Obama declared at the White House, flanked by his top economic advisers. It "reflects steps we've already taken to break the back of this recession."

Full story

When President Obama comes to his home state on Labor Day, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold will not be joining him.

(CNN) - When President Barack Obama heads to Wisconsin on Labor Day to talk about the economy, one of the top Democrat's in the state won't be teaming up with the president.

Obama is scheduled to talk to working families and union members at Milwaukee's annual Laborfest Monday afternoon. While Sen. Russ Feingold will make a stop at Laborfest in the morning, he'll be gone by the time Obama arrives.

According to his campaign, Feingold will be at events in his hometown of Janesville and in Kenosha during the afternoon, when the president is in Milwaukee. The campaign tells CNN their schedule was set before the White House on Monday announced the president's Labor Day visit.

The three-term Feingold faces a very tough re-election against businessman Russ Johnson, the presumptive Republican nominee. Two of the top political handicappers, the non-partisan Cook and Rothenberg political reports, rate the race as a "toss up."

When the president was in Wisconsin last month, Feingold spent the day with him.

"I will stand with the president of the United States anywhere, anytime, no hesitation. I'm proud of what this president has tried to do," Feingold told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview last month prior to Obama's visit.

A University of Wisconsin Badger poll of state residents conducted early this summer indicated that Obama's approval rating as president stood at 49 percent, with 46 percent disapproving of his job in the White House.

–CNN White House Producer Shawna Shepherd contributed to this report

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

(CNN) – It was the silence heard 'round the world.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's now infamous opening statement during a debate Wednesday night has gone viral many times over - as watching the cringe-inducing moment again and again just proves too tempting.

On Thursday, Brewer herself weighed in on what some are calling her 'meltdown,' joking with an Arizona radio station her deafening pause was the "longest 16 seconds of my life"

But will the performance prove fatal to Brewer's election bid?

Probably not, says Christina Boomer - a reporter for ABC15 in Phoenix - at least so long as Brewer is able to make light of the situation.

"The good news is it happened in early September," Boomer told CNN. "It is a long way until November. And, you know, when you cover these contests, you know a lot can happen in this stretch of time."

"What she did on a local radio show yesterday by making light of the situation …that's the kind of thing she should be doing," added Boomer. "It is laughing it off and moving forward."

Of course, Democratic opponent Terry Goddard almost has a ready-made TV ad at his disposal and will likely make every effort to ensure voters don't forget about the moment between now and November.

But Brewer – the former Arizona secretary of state who was appointed to her post in 2008 when then-Gov. Janet Napolitano joined the Obama administration – has seen her popularity grow over the months she vigorously defended the state's controversial immigration law and has a healthy 10-point lead over Goddard according to many recent surveys.

It's also likely voters might empathize with Brewer's seeming bout with nerves – after all, who hasn't been in a similar situation?

"I think at that moment, there was just a lot of empathy for her," said Boomer in describing her experience watching the debate in the pressroom. "You felt badly because a lot of us have been in that position and we know what it feels like to be there.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor pounced on Friday’s jobs report.

Washington (CNN) - The No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives wasted no time in responding to the monthly jobs report.

"Today's jobs report is a clear demonstration that the American economy still has a long way to go," said Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House Minority Whip.

Cantor's statement was released less than eight minutes after the Labor Department reported that the country's unemployment rate edged up a tenth of a percent in August to 9.6 percent. According to the report, the economy lost 54,000 jobs last month, partially due to a decline in census jobs. But private sector employment was up 67,000 jobs.

"The policies being pursued by the White House and Democrat leaders in Washington continue to create uncertainty and fear that is inhibiting productivity, innovation and job creation," added Cantor.

A few minutes later Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele put out a statement saying "with 54,000 more Americans finding themselves out of work this month and unemployment rising to 9.6 percent, President Obama's 'Recovery Summer' has ended right where it began, with Americans continuing to lose their jobs and unable to find new ones."

President Obama is expected to comment on the jobs numbers at 10am ET. The Democratic National Committee is touting the fact that private sector jobs have increased for eight straight months.

Former President Bill Clinton will campaign in New York on Friday with Rep. Mike McMahon.

(CNN) - A Democratic congressman from New York City who could face a competitive road to re-election this autumn is calling in a big gun.

And that big gun is former President Bill Clinton, who teams up at a campaign rally Friday morning with freshman Rep. Mike McMahon of New York's 13th congressional district.

The district covers Staten Island and a small portion of southwest Brooklyn, and is considered the most conservative in New York City. John McCain won the district by two points in the 2008 presidential election and George W. Bush carried it by 10 points in his 2004 re-election.

The district was held for a dozen years by Republican Rep. Vito Fossella, who decided against running for re-election two years ago after an extra-marital affair and a child out of wedlock were exposed following a drunk driving arrest.

The seat is considered the best chance of a GOP pickup in New York City. Of the top two non-partisan handicappers, the Cook Political Report rates the race as "lean Democrat" and the Rothenberg Political Report calls it "favored" for the Democrat.

McMahon, who voted against his party and the White House on health care reform, will face the winner of a two-candidate field in the September 14 GOP primary for the district.

Clinton teams up with McMahon at Wanger College. The former president is back on the campaign trail again next week, in his native Arkansas, when he's scheduled to appear at events for incumbent Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln and congressional candidate Chad Causey.

Clinton's become a "go to guy" this election cycle, helping out Democrats facing difficult contests. Last month he campaigned with Rep. Kendrick Meek in the days before Meek fended off a serious primary challenge for Florida's Democratic Senate nomination.

Earlier this year, Clinton was in Arkansas to help Lincoln win a bruising primary runoff election against the state's lieutenant governor. Lincoln now faces a very tough re-election battle in November against Republican Rep. John Boozman.

Clinton will also hit the campaign trail in June, when he teamed up with Mark Critz, the Democratic candidate in the special election to fill the late Democratic Rep. John Murtha's Pennsylvania seat. Critz ended up defeating Republican candidate Tim Burns.

–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

New York (CNNMoney.com) - Businesses are hiring, but not enough to make up for the massive losses of temporary government jobs.

The economy lost a total of 54,000 jobs in August, according to the Labor Department, matching the revised estimate of jobs lost in July.

The bulk of the losses came from the public sector, as the government cut 114,000 temporary census workers. It was the third straight month that census worker layoffs caused an overall decline in jobs.

But the report showed some improvements in the jobs picture. The overall losses were not as bad as expected, as economists surveyed by Briefing.com had predicted a loss of 120,000 jobs in the month.

Full story

Sarah Palin has set the blogosphere ablaze again.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin has managed to set the blogosphere ablaze again, this time after appearing to use sexual metaphors to slam mainstream media reporters who rely on anonymous sources.

"Those who are impotent and limp and gutless and they go on their anonymous - sources that are anonymous - and impotent, limp and gutless reporters take anonymous sources and cite them as being factual references," Palin said in her criticism of the press. "It just slays me because it's so absolutely clear what the state of yellow journalism is today that they would take these anonymous sources as fact."

The comments, made Wednesday on Sean Hannity's radio program, appeared to be fueled by an unflattering Vanity Fair profile out the same day that, relying heavily on unnamed sources, claimed the former Alaska governor had a 'mean temper.'

"When a story is filled with those, we know it's bogus," she also said.

Palin's latest choice of words made the rounds on countless blogs and Twitter feeds Thursday.

"I agree [with] Palin on overuse of unnamed sources, but calling reporters 'impotent' and 'limp'? Did she have to go there?" tweeted Howie Kurtz, a Washington Post media critic and CNN contributor.

(CNN) – A veteran House representative from Texas said she made a mistake when she awarded charitable scholarships to her family members instead of students in her district.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) has been under fire recently, accused of breaking rules in giving the scholarships to relatives.

"I've acknowledged that I was negligent. I've acknowledged that I made a mistake," Johnson said during an interview on CNN's "AC 360" on Thursday.

Johnson is accused of awarding scholarship money to her grandsons, David and Kirk Johnson, as well as the children of her Dallas district director, Rod Givens, last year. Each of the relatives were awarded two scholarships in the past year.

Full story

The CNN 100 takes a look at the top 100 House races, from now until Election Day.

Editor's Note: In the final 100 days before Election Day, CNN has been profiling one race at random each day from among the nation's top 100 House races, which we've dubbed "The CNN 100." Read the full list here. Today's featured district is:

Kentucky 3rd - Rep. John Yarmuth is seeking a third term.
Date of primary: May 18, 2010
Location: Louisville and surrounding suburbs
Days until Election Day: 60

At first glance, a Kentucky congressional district that Republicans recently held for a decade would appear to be a prime potential pickup for the GOP in a year when so many races are breaking the party's way.

But in Kentucky's Third Congressional District, Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth appears to be firmly in the driver's seat - the result of both a district that has leaned more Democratic than the national average and an underfunded and inexperienced candidate.

While much of Kentucky continues to grow more conservative, in the third district, which encompasses Louisville and its surrounding suburbs, Democrats continue to have the clear edge. In the presidential races of 2000 and 2004, Democrats Al Gore and John Kerry won narrow victories despite the fact the state's five other districts went solidly for George W. Bush. In 2008, the district's split with the state was even more dramatic, with President Obama winning 56 percent of the vote while Sen. John McCain prevailed statewide by a 57-41 percent margin.

Still, the district is by no means hostile to Republicans; voters there elected Republican Anne Northrup to the seat for five straight terms from 1997-2007, and Northrup's loss to Yarmuth in the wave election of 2006 was one of the Democrat's biggest upsets in a cycle filled with upsets.

But Northrup, a former state legislator, was well-funded and battle-tested – two key attributes lacking in the GOP candidate this year, Todd Lally. Lally enjoys the support of Tea Party organizations and, as a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has a compelling biography.

But his only political experience is a failed bid at the state legislature, and, as of last check, his cash on hand was less than half that of Yarmuth's.

Adding to Lally's hurtles is the fact he captured the GOP nomination by running markedly to the right during the primary in May and now must face a considerably more moderate electorate.

Still, in a year Democrats are in trouble across the country, Yarmuth may not be all together immune given he has deviated little from the party line in 2009. According to Congressional Quarterly, 97 percent of his votes have aligned with President Obama's position and 99 percent have matched that of the party.

The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world.

WASHINGTON/POLITICAL
For the latest political news:  www.CNNPolitics.com

CNN: President mulls new measures to spark economy
After a week mostly focused on Iraq and Mideast diplomacy, it's back to the economy for President Barack Obama, who will deliver remarks Friday on the August unemployment numbers.

CNN: Mideast peace talks stir hope but few illusions
The latest round of peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians is starting off much like similar endeavors in the past, but the Obama administration hopes that this time, the outcome will be different.

CNN: Obama to hold news conference September 10
President Obama will have a news conference next Friday September 10, his first full-scale question-and-answer session at the White House in nearly four months according to his aides.

CNN: Obama and Biden headed back to Ohio
President Obama and Vice President Biden are both returning to Ohio next week, the fourth White House visit to the politically crucial state in less than a month. The White House said Thursday that President Obama will make remarks on the economy in Cleveland next Wednesday. Two days earlier, Vice President Biden will be in Toledo for Labor Day events.

Washington Post: White House considers pre-midterm package of business tax breaks to spur hiring
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, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.

Wall Street Journal: GOP Works to Woo Voters But Not Give Rivals Fodder
House Republicans are hunting for an election-season middle ground on which they can make promises to voters without providing enough details to be attacked by Democrats. At the same time, some Republican candidates are independently embracing controversial proposals for Social Security and other topics that Democrats have already begun using against the GOP.

CQ Politics: GOP Committees Look to Outside Groups to Fund Fall Ground Game
Republican strategists wary of relying on a Republican National Committee beset by controversy are relying on third-party organizations to fund and manage crucial ground game operations for the midterm elections.

New York Times: Fewer Young Voters See Themselves as Democrats
The college vote is up for grabs this year — to an extent that would have seemed unlikely two years ago, when a generation of young people seemed to swoon over Barack Obama. Though many students are liberals on social issues, the economic reality of a weak job market has taken a toll on their loyalties: far fewer 18- to 29-year-olds now identify themselves as Democrats compared with 2008.

Politico: Gov. candidates in 20 states endorse anti-immigration laws
It’s not just Arizona. In states far from the Mexico border — from liberal Massachusetts to moderate Iowa — Democrats and Republicans in gubernatorial races are running on strict anti-illegal-immigration platforms, pledging to sign an array of tough enforcement measures into law come January.

CQ Politics: Wisconsin: Johnson Outraises Feingold in Pre-Primary Period
Republican challenger Ron Johnson raised more money in July and August than Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold (D), according to pre-primary figures released by the two campaigns on Thursday. Johnson announced on Thursday he collected $1.2 million from donors from July 1 to Aug. 25, nearly $300,000 more than Feingold's $920,000 haul. Johnson loaned his campaign an additional $2.9 million out of his own pocket, bringing his total raised in the pre-primary period to $4.1 million.

CNN: Anchor Notes: John King and Sheriff Joe Arpaio
A defiant Sheriff Joe Arpaio accused the Obama Justice Department of trying to "sandbag" him by filing suit against his office Thursday. On another issue rippling through Arizona politics, the lawman said he has never heard of a beheading in Arizona tied to illegal immigration.

Cincinnati Enquirer: Suit challenges Ohio's absentee voting system
Ohio's method of mailing and handling absentee ballots is unconstitutional because different counties follow different rules, a federal lawsuit claimed Thursday. The suit, filed by voters in four Ohio counties, asks a federal judge in Cincinnati to stop county boards of elections from mailing absentee ballots until the state adopts a uniform policy that is fair to voters in all counties.

NATIONAL
For the latest national news:  www.CNN.com

CNN: Earl's winds, rain whip North Carolina's Outer Banks
A weakened Hurricane Earl brushed North Carolina's Outer Banks overnight as residents along the Eastern seaboard braced for a stormy Friday. Warnings and watches stretched from North Carolina to Canada, including Massachusetts, where a hurricane warning was issued for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the surrounding area.

CNN: Passenger detained at Miami airport after suspicious item found
A passenger was detained and bomb squad investigators were at Miami International Airport on Friday after investigators spotted a suspicious item in a baggage screening area, authorities said.

CNN: Fire out, no sheen visible at Gulf oil platform
A fire on a well connected to an oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico is out and there is no indication of an oil sheen, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday. There were no serious injuries among the platform's rescued 13 crew members, who were wearing survival suits when they were plucked out of the water.

CNN: Cap is off BP's ruptured well
Crews removed the cap from BP's ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well late Thursday afternoon, a company spokeswoman said, an important step toward permanently sealing the well. The operation was the first step in removing the blowout preventer, said BP spokeswoman Jessie Baker. That device failed spectacularly in April, triggering a deadly explosion and oil spill.

CNN: Discovery Channel attacker convicted of smuggling immigrant in 2003
The gunman who held three people hostage at the Discovery Channel headquarters was once convicted of smuggling an illegal immigrant into the country from Mexico. In 2003, James Lee, pleaded guilty to smuggling a woman from Tijuana, according to documents from a California federal court. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the crime.

New York Times: Employers Push Costs for Health on Workers
As health care costs continue their relentless climb, companies are increasingly passing on higher premium costs to workers. The shift is occurring, policy analysts and others say, as employers feel more pressure from the weak economy and the threat of even more expensive coverage under the new health care law.

San Francisco Chronicle: Court won't force state to defend Prop. 8
The outlook for the legal defense of Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage, grew cloudier Thursday as a state appellate court refused to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to appeal a federal judge's ruling overturning the measure.

CNN: Judge removes 'birther' elements from Army doc's court martial
A judge on Thursday denied a request for President Barack Obama to testify at a court martial for a U.S. Army flight surgeon who refused to deploy to Afghanistan until he saw proof that Obama was born in the United States. The judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, said any evidence or witnesses related to Obama's citizenship is irrelevant to the charges against Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, who has 17 years of service in the U.S. military.

Salt Lake Tribune: Attorneys say Utah can’t block $101M in school aid
The chances of Utah going to court to try to refuse $101 million in federal education money appear to have been dashed Thursday by a dismissive legal opinion from the Attorney General’s Office. Assistant Attorney General Jerrold Jensen said in the opinion that the chance of the courts finding the law unconstitutional is “about as close to zero as one can get.”

New York Times: Dispute Over Witness in Embassy Bombing Case
With the trial of a terrorism suspect held for nearly five years in the C.I.A.’s “black sites” and later in the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, only weeks away, a dispute has arisen over the role of a key government witness.

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Charges dropped for sick illegal immigrant
An illegal immigrant charged with trafficking cocaine worth millions of dollars suffered a massive stroke in the Douglas County jail earlier this year and ran up $400,000 in medical bills that were charged to the county. Authorities in Douglas decided to dismiss the charges against Luis Luna Baro, 71 - in large part because the county didn't want to cover his bills anymore, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned.

CNN: Convicted killer claiming innocence is spared death penalty in Ohio
An Ohio death row inmate who has repeatedly claimed his innocence was spared execution, after the state's governor Thursday noted "legitimate questions" about evidence used to convict the man.

INTERNATIONAL
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CNN: Hamas, 10 other groups pledge to continue targeting Israelis
Members of the militant wing of Hamas and representatives of 10 other militant groups met Thursday and said they were joining forces and that attacks on Israelis would continue.

CNN: Protesters hold anti-Israel rallies in Iran
Protesters gathered in Iran on Friday for a demonstration to observe an annual holiday that marks the country's solidarity with Palestinians and calls for the end of Israel occupation. Large crowds chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" in Palestine Square near Tehran University. A man with a loudspeaker was chanting the slogans, with the crowd repeating after him.

McClatchy: Karzai, NATO at odds over another Afghan airstrike
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and NATO disagreed Thursday over whether an airstrike in northern Afghanistan killed the top member of a re-emerging insurgent group or 10 election workers. The dispute here refueled some of the thorniest issues plaguing U.S.-Afghan relations as Defense Secretary Robert Gates made his first visit to Afghanistan since President Barack Obama ousted Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the Afghanistan commander and replaced him with Gen. David Petraeus.

New York Times: Depositors Panic Over Bank Crisis in Afghanistan
One of the principal owners of the Afghan bank at the center of an accelerating financial crisis here said depositors had withdrawn $180 million in the past two days. He predicted a “revolution” in the country’s financial system unless the Afghan government and the United States moved quickly to help stabilize the bank.

CNN: For first time in Iraq or Afghanistan wars, U.S. military chaplain is killed
For the first time in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a U.S. military chaplain has been killed in action. On August 30, U.S. Army chaplain Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, was killed in the Arghandab River Valley in Afghanistan, when the convoy he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense. Four other soldiers also were killed in the attack.

CNN: Mexican shootout leaves 25 drug suspects dead
A shootout between soldiers and suspected drug dealers in northeast Mexico left 25 of the suspects dead, the regional military said Thursday.

CNN: Outside the Chilean mine, great expectations
The ordeal of waiting for a miner trapped 2,200 feet below ground in Chile to be rescued can be perhaps more anguishing if you're also waiting for a minor to emerge. That's the case with Elizabeth Segovia, who discovered August 4 by looking at a grainy ultrasound that she and her husband, Ariel Ticona, were expecting a girl.

BUSINESS
For the latest business news:  www.CNNMoney.com

Washington Post: 25 percent of employed were jobless during recession, study says
Just over a quarter of the nation's 139 million currently employed workers endured a bout of unemployment during the Great Recession, according to results of a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday. And they tend to be less satisfied in their current jobs than are other workers.

USA Today: Labor Day holiday travel should be up from last year
Americans will take to the roads and skies for the Labor Day holiday in greater numbers than a year ago, thanks to low gas prices and pent-up demand for air travel, experts say.

Desmoines Register: Midwest managers: New recession likely
More than a third of supply managers in nine Midwest and Great Plains states surveyed for a regional business index expect the U.S. economy to fall into another recession next year, even as key measures of the index remained positive.

In Case You Missed It

CNN's John King leads discussion about Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's 16-second pause during her gubernatorial debate.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/09/02/jk.brewer.debate.stumble.cnn

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson responds to accusations regarding charitable scholarships going to family members.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/09/02/ac.eddie.bernice.johnson.cnn

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