Story of the Day
Take Back The Capitol descends on National Mall
People from around the country are gathering along the National Mall this week with a simple message.
From WJLA

While not affiliated with the Occupy movement, Take Back the Capitol shares the same mission. On Tuesday, they plan to swarm Congress and K Street to remind power brokers of the 99 percent.

Hundreds converged on the Mall on Monday night vowing to do just that. "The government is supposed to be by the people, for the people," protester Carlos Villalobos said. "They are supposed to be our lobbyists, and instead, they are being lobbied to by these corporations."

A Strong Candidate Isn't Needed to Beat a Weak Incumbent
Sean Trende
From Real Clear Politics

The conventional wisdom persists that President Obama remains a strong contender for re-election in 2012, in large part because the Republican field is so weak. If the Republicans don't nominate a moderate conservative like Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman, the CW goes, they’ll find themselves shut out of the Oval Office for another four years.  There are two problems with this. The first is the sense that Mitt Romney is a particularly strong candidate (the same certainly goes for Huntsman). In fact, Romney's flip-flops, slickness, wooden personality (witness how flat his joke fell when he claimed his first name really is Mitt -- when it is in fact Willard) and Wall Street ties present real obstacles for a General election bid.

Democrats, GOP inch closer to a tax deal
From The Hill

Senate Democrats and House Republicans on Monday inched closer toward a deal that would extend and expand a payroll tax holiday. In hopes of luring GOP defectors, Senate Democrats unveiled a new version of their payroll tax legislation that ditches President Obama’s plan to expand the relief to employers. That move cuts the tax break’s cost from $265 billion to $185 billion.

Labor group launches website to showcase unemployed
From The Hill

The AFL-CIO launched a website Tuesday to showcase stories of those affected by unemployment. The nation's largest labor federation launched the website to bring attention to the fact that unemployment benefits will expire by the end of this year unless Congress acts to renew the benefits.