Elections Directory USA

The Christian Science Monitor - President Obama on Wednesday took the election-year battle over the economy and made it personal.

Reuters - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that Democrats risked punishment in November's congressional elections if they allow the vote to be just about the U.S. economy, rather than the two parties' policies.

AP - Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday that Democrats must avoid coming across as defensive and focus on issues rather than "anger, apathy and amnesia" in order to win back voters before the November election.

The Upshot - Here is our roster of stories that managed to evade full-0n blog treatment today: • Tickets to Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin's 9/11 rally in Alaska range from $65 to $110 — but photos with the headliners will cost you extra. (Politico) • Job discrimination complaints filed by Muslim-Americans are on the rise over the [...]

AP - John Goss, an environmental activist and former state official from Indiana, was appointed Wednesday as the Obama administration's point man in the fight to prevent Asian carp from gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes.

The Christian Science Monitor - The announcement by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley Tuesday that he will not seek a seventh term is presenting the city a situation it has not experienced in over 20 years: a free-for-all election Feb. 22 with as many as a dozen candidates expected to seek the top seat at city hall.

AP - Politically weakened but refusing to bend, President Barack Obama insisted Wednesday that Bush-era tax cuts be cut off for the wealthiest Americans, joining battle with Republicans - and some fellow Democrats - just two months before bruising midterm elections.

AP - Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is shrugging off the suggestion that a national GOP group won't help finance his campaign anymore and said Wednesday he will continue to fight for votes.

AFP - US President Barack Obama Wednesday admitted some of his policies were unpopular and had not revived the economy quickly enough, but sought to rekindle his frayed bond with American voters.

AP - No single election contest this fall combines the buzz and history-making potential of California's Proposition 19, which would make the state the first to legalize recreational use of marijuana.

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Trying to persuade voters that he has ideas to strengthen the weak economy — and therefore that they should vote for Democrats in November — President Barack Obama Wednesday proposed major tax incentives for business and accused Republicans of stonewalling in a bid to "ride this fear and anger all the way to Election Day."

Reuters - Nobody at the White House would be surprised if President Barack Obama's influential right-hand man, Rahm Emanuel, decides to run for Chicago mayor and already there is speculation as to who would replace him.

AFP - Speculation swirled Wednesday that US President Barack Obama may shake up his White House staff if his top political enforcer Rahm Emanuel decides to run for Chicago mayor.

Reuters - President Barack Obama, fighting to keep Democrats in charge of Congress, said on Wednesday the United States could not afford to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the rich and accused Republicans of being fiscally irresponsible.

The Upshot - President Obama used his speech today in Cleveland, Ohio to promote the White House's new economic plan. But the president's address also confirmed a new White House strategy in the works: casting House Minority Leader John Boehner as the face of the GOP opposition. The president referenced Boehner, who represents Ohio, about ten times during [...]

AP - Democrats face a tough campaign heading into the critical November midterm elections, but the U.S. won't make any progress if they don't fight for it, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said Wednesday at an event intended to rally his party for the fall.

AP - Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias prominently showcases President Barack Obama in a new campaign ad released Wednesday even though many Democrats are keeping their distance from the president and his falling approval ratings.

AP - Pennsylvania's Democratic governor says that "wackos" are taking over the Republican Party in Congress.

The Upshot - One of the narratives of the summer has been the Republican Party's changing attitude toward Islam as seen in the response to the proposed mosque near Ground Zero. A few Republicans considered front-runners for the 2012 presidential nomination have taken very strong stances against the facility, known as the Park51 Islamic Center, aligning themselves with [...]

AP - President Barack Obama is getting a little personal about the sluggish economy, telling a Cleveland audience about his own family's struggles and hardships.