Strauss-Kahn not to run for president elections

Former IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was charged with sexual assault on a hotel maid, said in an interview on the French TV-channel TF1 that he will not run for presidency in 2012.

Strauss-Kahn was considered French President Nicolas Sarkozy's greatest rival until May when the sexual assault case against Strauss-Kahn was opened.

The case was opened on May 14 after 32-year-old maid Nafissatou Diallo alleged that the man had assaulted her sexually at the Sofitel New York Hotel. Strauss-Kahn, 62, pleaded not guilty and said any sexual contact had been with mutual consent.

The case was closed after prosecutors had filed papers to drop all the charges against Strauss-Kahn, citing the alleged victim's lack of credibility. Diallo later admitted lying to a grand jury about the events surrounding the alleged attack.

"I would like to be a candidate," he said. "I thought my post in the IMF gave me a new view of the situation in France, and on its difficulties and benefits against the background of globalization. But it is all in the past, I am definitely not a candidate any longer. However, I still believe that the victory of the left-wing is essential for our country."

Strauss-Kahn also commented on the sexual encounter with the maid saying that "what happened was more than an inappropriate relation" and called it a "moral failing."

After spending a few days in prison upon his arrest, Strauss-Kahn was released on a $1 million bail and put under house arrest.

In early July, prosecutors said Diallo had lied to the authorities when obtaining refugee status, and also lied to tax and social security officials and to the grand jury after taking an oath.

The judge intended to close the case, but Diallo's lawyers said they had proof of Strauss-Kahn's guilt.

Starauss-Kahn reiterated that Diallo lied. He said there was "no act of aggression, no violence."

Former IMF chief has also dismissed a French journalist's claims he tried to rape her during a 2003 interview calling them "imaginary."

Eleanor Mondale, daughter of former vice president, dead at 51

Eleanor Mondale, the vivacious daughter of former Vice President Walter Mondale who carved out her own reputation as an entertainment reporter, radio show host and gossip magnet, has died at her home in Minnesota. She was 51.

Mondale family spokeswoman Lynda Pedersen said she died Saturday. She had been diagnosed with brain cancer years earlier.

Mondale had been off the air at WCCO-AM in Minneapolis since March 19, 2009, when she announced that her brain cancer had returned a second time. She had surgery to remove the tumor Aug. 12, 2009, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a posting on her CaringBridge website declared the surgery a success.

Mondale, the middle of three children born to Walter and Joan Mondale, stumped for her father in his failed campaign to unseat President Ronald Reagan in 1984. She also made calls in 2002 in her father's last campaign, when the former vice president took the ballot slot of Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash just days before the election.

A striking blonde known on the party circuit when she was younger, Eleanor Mondale also attracted gossip. Her dalliance with the late rock musician Warren Zevon was detailed in "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon," a posthumous biography published by Zevon's ex-wife in 2007.

In 1998, CBS News reported that Mondale was one of four women Monica Lewinsky expressed resentment toward in taped conversations because of attention President Bill Clinton paid to them. (Mondale issued a statement saying her relationship with the president and his wife, Hillary, was "purely a friendship.")

Mondale started as an aspiring actress, with bit parts in TV's "Three's Company" and "Dynasty." She got her start in broadcasting as an entertainment reporter at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis in 1989, but left after only eight months when a Twin Cities magazine was about to publish an article called, "Walter and Joan's Wild Child." The Star Tribune reported that Mondale denied she was forced out.

In the article in Mpls.St. Paul magazine, Mondale was quoted as saying "I like to get wild. But it's not murder, and I don't do drugs."

After stints at Minneapolis radio station WLOL-FM, on cable television at E! Entertainment and ESPN and network TV on CBS' "This Morning," she returned to Minnesota in 2006 to co-host a weekday morning show on WCCO-AM with Susie Jones.

In 2005, Mondale was diagnosed with brain cancer after she suffered two seizures during a camping trip. The tumor nearly disappeared after Mondale had chemotherapy and radiation, but her cancer returned in 2008. She underwent surgery that time and was able to return to WCCO but eventually had to take disability leave to treat the recurrence.

Mondale was married three times: to Chicago Bears offensive lineman Keith Van Horne, to fellow DJ Greg Thunder and to Twin Cities rock musician Chan Poling of The Suburbs. Mondale and Poling married in 2005, shortly after her cancer was diagnosed, and lived on a farm near Prior Lake in the southern Twin Cities.

Main news of September 18

Russia:

* The captain of the Tu-134 plane that crashed in June, 2011 in northern Russia killing 47 people was drunk, Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in Vesti Nedeli program on Rossiya TV-channel

* Firefighters and rescuers have extinguished all forest fires in Siberia as they put out the remaining 16 wildfires on an area of 46.45 hectares in the region in the past 24 hours, the regional emergencies center said

 

World:

* Former IMF chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was charged with sexual assault on a hotel maid, said in an interview on the French TV-channel TF1 that he will not run for presidency in 2012

* U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday will propose a higher tax for individuals making more than $1 million a year in a bid to cut the budget deficit, The New York Times reported, referring to administration officials

* The Syrian leadership firmly intends to move along the path of radical reforms, Russia's Federation Council Deputy Speaker Ilyas Umakhanov said after his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad

* Libya's interim government forces have taken control of the airport and a major air base in Sirte, the hometown of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and one of the last strongholds of his loyalist forces, the BBC reported, referring to rebel fighters

* Release of the two U.S. men arrested in Iran in 2009 on spying charges is delayed as a judge who must sign bail papers is on vacation, world media reported

* Somali pirates have released a Vietnamese-owned cargo ship with 24 crewmembers seized in January this year, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported, referring to a regional maritime official

* At least 11 people died, with dozens received injures as an earthquake hit northeastern India, world media reported

* At least 10 people died with another 22 are missing after a landslide caused by heavy rain in northwestern China, Chinese official news agency Xinhua said

* At least eight people were killed and over 50 injured after two trucks used to carry passengers fell into deep ravines in two road accidents in the north and north-west of Guatemala, a spokesman for the local rescue service said

* A Russian minority party won 1/3 of the vote in the Latvian early parliamentary elections, the country's central election commission confirmed

 

Business:

* German engineering and industrial giant Siemens will withdraw entirely from the nuclear business in response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March this year, chief executive Peter Loescher said in an interview with Spiegel magazine

Federal Security Service officer killed in North Caucasus

A Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officer has been killed in the capital of the Russian North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, investigators said on Monday.

"The incident occurred at about 11 p.m. Moscow time [1900 GMT] Sunday. An unknown assailant shot FSB Lieutenant Colonel Magomedov on a Makhachkala street," a spokesman said.

"The officer died of the wounds he received. The criminal escaped," he said.

An investigation is underway.

More that a decade after the end of a federal war against separatists in Chechnya, Russian security forces continue to fight militants, who stage frequent attacks on security forces, police and civilians, in other regions in the area, including Dagestan.

Obama to propose new tax for millionaires

President Obama on Sunday will urge Congress to impose a new minimum tax rate for millionaires, a White House official said Saturday.

The aim of the proposal, first reported by the New York Times, is to ensure that individuals making more than a million bucks pay at least the same percentage as middle-income taxpayers.

The measure will be dubbed the Buffett Rule, a nod to billionaire investor Warren Buffett's public complaints about the uber-wealthy paying less in federal income taxes than middle-income workers.

Obama plans to announce the new tax rate as part of his long-term deficit reduction plan. It would be in addition to the $447 billion in new tax revenue that Obama is seeking to cover the costs of his new jobs plan.

The proposal will come as a special joint congressional committee works to hammer out a bipartisan budget deal by the end of November.

Obama will not specify a rate or provide other details, The Times reported. The new rate will affect only 0.3% of taxpayers, administration officials said.

The tax is likely among the most contentious changes Obama will propose in seeking an overhaul of the federal income tax code.

Obama's plan is expected to face stiff opposition from Republicans unwilling to raise taxes.

In a speech on Thursday, House Speaker John Boehner reiterated that he would oppose any tax hikes.

With News Wire Services

Armenian PM to hold talks in Brussels

An Armenian government delegation led by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan will start a working visit to Brussels on Monday, the government press service reported.

During the visit, Sargsyan is expected to meet with European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, Valery Safaryan, the head of the Belgian-Armenian Chamber of Commerce, and other officials.

The delegation also comprises Armenian Finance Minister Vache Gabrielyan, Economy Minister Tigran Davidyan and other officials.

Russian Press at a Glance, Monday, September 19, 2011

POLITICS

After his dramatic resignation from the Right Cause party last week, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has backtracked by saying he is not challenging the country's leadership but just one of two competing Kremlin camps.

(The Moscow Times)

Former Mayor Yury Luzhkov offered a voice of cautious dissent in a rare interview, denouncing all political parties but Yabloko and saying the Kremlin still owes him an explanation for his ouster.

(The Moscow Times)

Ex-Right Cause party leader Mikhail Prokhorov said the key reason for party split was probably the desire of new party leaders to get control of the party's money he provided.

(Kommersant)

A regular round of association talks between Ukraine and the EU kicks off in Brussels. The trial of former premier Yulia Tymoshenko could hinder Kiev's integration plans.

(Moskovskiye Novosti)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin disagreed with his deputy Alexei Kudrin that taxes will be raised. Kudrin enjoys more trust from businesspeople.

(Vedomosti)

Russian regions struck deals worth 900 billion rubles ($29.5bn) at the international investment forum in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

SOCIETY

A criminal case dating back four years led to serious differences between the Supreme Court and the Moscow City Court.

(Kommersant)

Jailed former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky said that if Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remains at Russia's helm, hopes for reform will be extinguished and the country's brightest people will emigrate in droves.

(The Moscow Times)

OIL & GAS

The lineup of partners to build the huge and controversial South Stream pipeline took its final shape Friday as Germany's BASF and France's EDF agreed to join Gazprom and Italy's Eni in the project, in a critical step toward its accomplishment.

(The Moscow Times)

IT

The Federal Service for Registration, Cadastre and Carthography will create a large database of high-resolution photographs of the Earth.

(Vedomosti)

For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at http://en.rian.ru.

Gov. Cuomo: Shut state prisons

Gov. Cuomo bemoaned the city's recent spate of gun violence Sunday and made a pitch for his plan to shutter state prisons.

"This recent rash of gun violence should concern us all, because it's frightening and it's only getting worse," Cuomo said at a Harlem breakfast to kick off the African-American Day Parade.

He said closing some prisons would allow more funding for local programs.

"Guess how much it costs per year to keep a person in a juvenile justice facility? Over $200,000 per year.

$200,000! You could've sent that person to Harvard University and it would be cheaper," the governor said. "We're going to take that money and provide it in community- based services so the problem doesn't happen in the first place."

Cuomo also pushed for stricter gun control laws from the federal government.

"It has been decades where we have been fighting Washington for sensible laws controlling guns and we need those laws passed and we need them passed now. We're losing too many people out in the streets," he said.

Paradegoers joined the governor in decrying the recent shootings.

"The city and the state really need to understand that there's a culture that brings violence. They need to understand that the problem is systemic," said Iesha Sekou, 53, a Harlem resident and executive director of the local anti-violence group Street Corner Resources.

"I'm ecstatic has come forward, because we've been waiting for him."

Russian transport minister likely to keep job after plane crash

Russia's ruling party, United Russia, will not raise the issue of Transport Minister Igor Levitin's resignation in parliament, despite a string of recent fatal disasters involving ships and aircraft, lower house speaker Boris Gryzlov said on Monday.

The State Duma will hold an emergency "government hour" session on Tuesday following a plane crash this month that killed almost the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice-hockey team.

Levitin is to report on the condition of Russia's civil aircraft fleet at the session.

All other parliamentary parties have said they will push for Levitin's dismissal, while the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia has demanded all of his deputies be fired as well.

"Needless to say, the discussion will be serious enough. But United Russia will not bring up the issue of Levitin's dismissal," Gryzlov said.

There are also "problems with the aircraft industry and pilot training," he added.

Forty-four people died when the team's Yak-42 plane went down near the Volga city of Yaroslavl shortly after takeoff on September 7. The team was flying to the Belarus capital of Minsk for its first match of the Kontinental Hockey League season.

In June, the RusAir Tupolev Tu-134 plane crashed in northwest Russia's Karelia region killing 44 people.

On July 10 the Bulgaria cruise ship sank during a storm in the Volga River in the Republic of Tatarstan, killing 122 people. There were over 200 passengers on board the heavily overloaded vessel when it went down.

Ex-Marine given Medal of Honor at White House

WASHINGTON - A young Marine who defied orders so that he could save his buddies from an Afghan killing field was awarded the Medal of Honor on Thursday.

Retired Sgt. Dakota Meyer, a 23-year-old Kentuckian, received the nation's highest award for military valor in an East Room ceremony at the White House.

An unassuming young man, just 21 when he found himself in a fierce firefight, Meyer is the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

President Obama brushed aside Meyer's guilt over the death of four Marine comrades in Afghanistan's Kunar Province on Sept. 8, 2009.

"Because of your honor, 36 men are alive today," Obama said. "Because of your courage, four fallen American heroes came home.

"You did your duty, above and beyond."

Meyer was a member of a Marine team training Afghan soldiers that walked into a predawn Taliban ambush.

Despite being ordered to hold his position, he and a fellow Marine drove into the firestorm five times to evacuate trapped comrades and retrieve the bodies of the fallen.

Meyer was promoted to sergeant but later left the Marine Corps and is a construction worker.

When Obama called him to inform him of the award, he asked to have a beer with the President. The two had their brews Wednesday on a White House patio.

Prokhorov is Russian party pooper

The Russian government accomplished what Garden boss James Dolan couldn't: pressuring Mikhail Prokhorov out of its territory.

Just three months after Prokhorov was introduced as the leader of a fledgling Russian political party, Right Cause, the billionaire Nets owner has abandoned his position while accusing the Kremlin of sabotaging his aspirations.

According to reports, the Kremlin felt Prokhorov was getting too ambitious and infiltrated his pro-business party with "fake" candidates. Prokhorov didn't like that.

In a meeting Thursday with his followers, Prokhorov said his party was "bought by the Kremlin" and then insulted a Kremlin political strategist, Vladislav Surkov - a bold tactic considering the last tycoon who got involved in Russian politics and criticized the system, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, sits in prison.

"There is a puppeteer in the country who long ago privatized the political system and who has long misinformed the country's leadership," Prokhorov said about Surkov, although he stopped short of criticizing Russia's bigwigs, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev.

As long as Prokhorov, 46, stays out of prison, his departure from politics theoretically frees up more time for him to focus on the Nets - a $200 million investment he has largely ignored this offseason. Prokhorov didn't attend a home game after January last season, and hasn't sat through any of the post-lockout CBA meetings. On Tuesday, coach Avery Johnson - who recently was in Moscow to teach and promote basketball - said Prokhorov's political ambitions will cause "a shifting" of the organization. But that was before Prokhorov pulled away.

"I got a sense from (Prokhorov) that he's still just committed to Nets basketball and obviously he's put himself out there in terms of (predicting a championship by 2015). He's still behind that. He understands it's a process," Johnson said. "At the same time, I think there was a window of opportunity for him to do what he's doing now and get into the political realm and things he shared with me that he's really convicted about and convicted about how he wants certain things changed about how things are done politically there."

It is unclear how Prokhorov's political dabblings will affect his enormous wealth, reported between $14 billion and $23 billion. He recently resigned as president of two companies - investment group Onexim and Polyus Gold, Russia's largest producer of gold - saying he wants to concentrate on politics.

Prokhorov may also encounter new obstacles with his current businesses, courtesy of the Kremlin.

- With the Associated Press

Romney: Cheney is the 'kind of person I'd like to have' as my vice president

Mitt Romney has a vice presidential muse: Dick Cheney.

The Republican presidential hopeful sang the praises of President Bush's right-hand man this week, declaring Cheney has the qualities he'd like to see in a running mate.

Romney made the declaration at a town hall meeting in Arizona when asked if he'd consider having a Tea Partier on his ticket.

The former Massachusetts governor didn't answer the question directly, but said, "I think it was last weekend I was watching C-SPAN, and I saw Vice President Dick Cheney, and he was being asked questions about a whole host of issues: following 9/11, the affairs in various countries in the world."

Romney continued, "And I listened to him speak and said whether you agree or disagree with him, this is a man of wisdom and judgment, and he could have been President of the United States. That's the kind of person I'd like to have - a person of wisdom and judgment."

Romney's remarks have raised speculation that he's angling for an endorsement from Cheney.

Cheney hasn't said whom he'll throw his support behind in the 2012 Republican primary, but has previously slammed Rick Perry for his "over-the-top talk" on Social Security.

He acknowledged on Fox News earlier this week that he liked Romney but insisted he hasn't made up his mind.

The benefit of an endorsement from Cheney - a controversial figure dogged by sagging poll numbers - is up in the air. Even he admits that.

"Not all the candidates are necessarily interested in my endorsement, probably," Cheney recently told USA Today while on a book tour for his new memoir, "In My Time."

"Probably some \[would\] just as soon I stay away."

Wyclef: I'm a 'huge fan' of Sarah Palin because she's 'rad' and 'shrewd'

If Wyclef Jean has his way, Sarah Palin won't be gone till November 2012 - and even then she'll be on her way to the White House.

The Grammy-award winning Haitian artist sang the former Alaska governor's praises earlier this week, telling Women's Wear Daily that he's "a huge fan" of the Republican.

Why?

"Cause she's rad. She's shrewd. She's cool … Anyone should have the right to say, 'Look I can do the job and this is what qualifies me to do the job,'" he said of the presidential flirt.

Jean, who made an unsuccessful bid for president of Haiti last year, added, "I'm not saying she could be the next president, you know, but there's something about her...people think I'm crazy, but I like her, I do. I can like whoever."

Palin has come under the microscope this week after salacious allegations surfaced in the new book "The Rogue" by best-selling author Joe McGinniss. The scribe claims Palin dabbled in cocaine and had a one-night stand with hoops star Glen Rice.

As for Jean, he doesn't play party favorites.

In 2009, the 41-year-old Fugee threw his support behind Obama, insisting to MTV that he was a "groupie from the very beginning."

Russian minority party leads in Latvian polls

A Russian minority party won 1/3 of the vote in the Latvian early parliamentary elections, the country's central election commission confirmed.

This is the first time in 20 years since the tiny Baltic state restored independence that a party defending interests of the country's largest ethnic minority is leading in parliamentary polls.

The center left leaning Harmony Center party is supported by 28.7% of the vote, the anti-corruption Reform party by ex-president Valdis Zatlers is the runner-up, with 20.82% of the vote, followed by the business-backed Unity bloc with 18.83% of the vote.

Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis triggered the elections after he dissolved the legislature for not backing a corruption probe of a businessman. Zatlers lost his re-election bid, but voters supported his decision to form a new legislature by passing a referendum.

At least 11 die in nearly 7.0 magnitude earthquake in India

At least 11 people died, with dozens received injures as an earthquake hit northeastern India on Sunday evening, world media reported.

An earthquake measuring 6.9 magnitude on the Richter Scale hit the Sikkim-Nepal border region, jolting large parts of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Local buildings are damaged.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Turner vs Weiner: How do they compare

Anthony Weiner and Bob Turner are the political odd couple - and polar opposites in personality, too.

Weiner lost his congressional gig representing Brooklyn and Queens in disgrace amid a sexting scandal - and Republican Bob Turner won the seat last week in a special election by letting his rival implode on the campaign trail.

Voters in the 9th Congressional District better buckle up for a major change in their representative's cult of personality.

Weiner was a lithe, liberal lightning bolt, full of passion and arrogance - and never shy about seeking out a TV camera to denounce what he saw as the latest Republican scheme.

Turner is a soft-spoken and mild-mannered grandfather, a 70-year-old conservative businessman whose tenure in the House of Representatives may be short-lived.

"Weiner was one of the most visible members of Congress even before the scandal," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political science professor. "In Washington, visibility equals influence. Will Turner have that?"

Weiner carved out a niche as a firebrand and over the years emerged as one of the Democratic Party's leading - and loudest - voices. He was a natural on television, becoming a popular guest on left-leaning shows hosted by the likes of Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, and some of his impassioned speeches on the House floor - including his defense of the Zadroga bill - became YouTube hits.

"He was the Democrats' attack dog du jour and was very effective in that role because he combined substance with antics," said political pundit Bob Liff.

Turner also knows his way around a television set, but in a behind-the-scenes role.

A former cable executive, he helped steer giant personalities - including Jerry Springer and Rush Limbaugh - to the small screen, but his own charisma doesn't light up a room. Turner's admirers say he projects a fatherly competence and a steady hand, and he's someone who will work hard without generating much controversy.

Pundits suspect Turner's voice won't carry as far as Weiner's for reasons outside his control.

Weiner's 12 years of seniority did not translate into many legislative accomplishments - none of the bills he authored became law - but they did lend a gravitas to his impassioned defense of President Obama's health care plan.

Turner, however, is the rookie who may be destined for a quiet seat on the back bench - and he may not even be able to stay there long. Many political observers believe his seat will be cut as part of a census-mandated redistricting.

"So what if he's 'congressman' 14 or 15 months?" quipped Sabato. "He'll always be called 'Congressman'; it's a great club. Considering how he won this special election, he'll always be a hero in GOP circles."

There is a chance that the unique circumstances surrounding his election could pay big dividends for residents of his district.

"He comes in loved by the party in power, and if he will be in another election, the GOP has incentive to prop him up and help him get things passed," said Liff. "That may produce results."

jlemire@nydailynews.com

Jury a challenge in ex-Bloomy consultant case

Manhattan prosecutors will have their hands full Monday keeping potential jurors in a grand larceny case from getting distracted by the alleged victim: Mayor Bloomberg.

Jury selection is set to begin in the trial of political consultant John Haggerty on charges of stealing $1.1 million from the mayor during Bloomberg's 2009 reelection bid.

The case opens a window into how politicians work around complex election laws and presents a challenge in keeping the jury's focus on Haggerty and away from Hizzoner.

"If a witness is a sitting mayor the jury may be instructed to ignore it - but how can they?" said Mark Bederow, a defense lawyer and former Manhattan prosecutor.

Haggerty is accused of duping Bloomberg into paying for a bogus poll-watching operation and using $600,000 of the funds to buy his brother out of a home they co-owned in Forest Hills, Queens.

Haggerty's lawyers - among them former Attorney General Dennis Vacco - argue the money was obtained legally from the Independence Party, which got the cash as a donation from Bloomberg.

They argue that the real issue is the roundabout way Bloomberg paid for the poll-watching service - allowing him to avoid reporting it as a campaign expense.

Jury selection experts said Bloomberg's star wattage may blind some potential jurors, and it may be impossible for prosecutors to weed out anyone with a grudge.

"The most important part of the trial is jury selection - without the right jury you might as well go home," said a Manhattan prosecutor who is not involved in the case.

Margaret Bull Kovera, author of the upcoming book "Jury Selection," said it will be impossible to protect against juror bias unless there is a change of venue.

The billionaire mayor's wealth will make it hard to portray him as a sympathetic victim, observers said.

"It's not a little old lady who was hit over the head and had her purse snatched," said defense attorney Earl Ward. "He's got more money than God. They're not going to think, 'Poor Mike Bloomberg.'"

mgrace@nydailynews.com

Lupica: GOP keeps pressure on Obama

Sometimes you think that Barack Obama's job has been Candidate in Chief, as if he went straight from the last campaign to this one, never stopping in between to actually be President of the United States. It is one of the reasons why he is in the trouble he is in, and not only because of an economy that has gotten worse on his watch.

But there is another problem for Obama, even if you are one of the people who believes he was and is a much better candidate than he has been a President, the way Jimmy Carter was:

Obama is a reasonable man in an increasingly toxic and unreasonable political world, where the only plan from the other side, from the time he got into office, has been to get him out of office. Mitch McConnell said it early for the Republicans, and nothing has changed since.

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term President," McConnell said.

Not fix the economy, or health care, or Iraq. Fix this guy in the White House, but good.

It is why Obama better step it up now if he wants to keep his job. That doesn't mean he has to go at his opponents the way they go at him, in Congress, on cable America, in the radio world of the Limbaughs, and with anybody else with the crackpot idea that this President has some anti-American agenda.

But one of these days he needs to come hard at the people constantly coming at him, and not merely with a jobs plan that sounds more like the first draft of one. Really the President needs to say this about his opponents, and without TelePrompTing:

"They would rather beat me than help you."

He has no chance of saving himself with a jobs plan that sounds like some kind of slapped-together first draft. But what he needs to sell is something that will work, and that means the new tax he is expected to propose this morning - what is being called the Warren Buffett Rule - on people in this country making more than a million dollars a year.

Unless you think that spending cuts alone are going to get America out of the fix it is in. Unless you now think it is now against the law in America for the rich to pay their true fair share.

Obama is jumped for this tax plan before it is even formally announced, of course. As if the idea of added taxes for the rich make him even more of an enemy of the state than he already is. But that is the reality of Obama's situation. He is up against people who think their job is to make sure he loses his. No matter what the cost.

"A political move," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says on CNN Sunday.

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Spy Agency Submits Open Source, Secure Database To Apache

The National Security Agency is moving to open source a secure database technology, Accumulo, that it's been developing internally since 2008.