Obama widens lead, confidence against Romney

President Obama has opened a sizable lead over Mitt Romney in polling ahead of the election as both Democrats and Republicans are increasingly convinced that he is going to win re-election, according to The Washington Times/Zogby Poll released Sunday.

Economic signs point both ways for presidential election result

At first glance, it looked like the elections might be a slam-dunk for Republicans this year, given the way presidents in recent history have fared in the face of poorly performing economies. But as the GOP is finding out, today's economy is a double-edged sword that is cutting both for and against President Obama.

Whistleblower claims firing followed red flag on green project delay

The former environmental chief for the D.C. government says he was illegally fired after raising concerns to federal regulators about a plan to delay at least part of a massive public works project aimed at reducing water pollution in the District while the city's water utility tests an alternative plan.

Quips, gaffes and stumbles: Debates have history of memorable moments

Here we go again. Voters, pundits and political junkies will be glued to Wednesday night's presidential debate to see more than just a back-and-forth on national defense, the economy and other issues.

Foot soldiers march their way into new Air Sea Battle concept

The Army is preparing to officially join the Pentagon's "Air Sea Battle" operational concept, as the Defense Department shifts its focus from land operations in the Middle East and Europe to mostly naval and aerial activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Minnesota to vote on gay-marriage ban

Even if it is defeated, Minnesota's gay-marriage amendment won't help same-sex couples in the state to wed — rather, it will merely stop the ban from being added to the state's constitution, leaving in place a law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

CURL: Obama wins first debate, says everyone in world

In a debate sure to sway millions of voters and quite possibly change the course of mankind if not the very orbit of the heavenly bodies in the Milky Way, President Obama last night crushed Mitt Romney like a bug, displaying an agile and fecund intellect rivaled only by Albert Einstein and possibly Socrates.

Poll finds most think Obama will win first debate

Mitt Romney has one thing going for him headed into this week's first presidential debate with President Obama: Voters don't expect him to do very well.

Inside the Beltway: Debate Forecast

"Unlike 2008, President Obama goes into the debates with a record. But it's a record he'd rather not talk about," says Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer.

Paul Ryan: 'We've had some missteps' in the campaign

With polls headed in the wrong direction and a torrent of conservative criticism continuing to mount, Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan on Sunday admitted that the GOP ticket has made mistakes over the past few weeks, but he remains confident that presidential nominee Mitt Romney and he will triumph in November.

RG3 leads comeback drive as Billy Cundiff redeems himself to sink Bucs

Before Robert Griffin III could seize the moment in Tampa on Sunday evening, there had to be a moment for him to seize. Washington Redskins veteran quarterback Rex Grossman knew that. So when Griffin's nerves tensed as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lined up to kick a go-ahead field goal in the final two minutes, Grossman steered Griffin toward it.

Outrage growing on U.S. response to consulate attack

Outrage continued to grow Sunday over the Obama administration's initial reaction to the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, which is being blasted as disingenuous at best and an outright lie at worst.

Simpson, Bowles say their debt panel plan is still the best option

The leaders of the Simpson-Bowles commission are still shopping their 2-year-old, $4 trillion debt-reduction plan around Washington, and they say it is gaining enough traction to possibly form the basis for a bipartisan federal debt-cutting deal by year's end.

Rivals see Putin in Georgian president's election ploy

Political opponents are accusing Georgia's president of trying to "play Putin" for seeking to become prime minister because of term limits barring his candidacy in next year's election — a ploy exploited by Russia's former and current president, Vladimir Putin.

U.S. and Afghan forces clash; 2 Americans, 3 Afghans dead

A firefight broke out between U.S. forces and their Afghan army allies in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing two Americans and three Afghan soldiers and pushing the number of U.S. troops killed in the long-running war 2,000.

Bangladesh: Muslims torch Buddhist temples, homes

Thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims angry over an alleged derogatory photo of the Islamic holy book the Quran on Facebook set fires in at least 10 Buddhist temples and 40 homes near the southern border with Myanmar, authorities said Sunday.

Commentary

HARRIGAN AND DAVIES: Uncle Sam's New (Fiscal) Year resolutions

TRIPLETT: On China's many atrocities

It just so happens that both the United States and China will be engaged in leadership decisions this fall. In the case of the United States, after a full discussion of the issues, the American people will elect a new president or re-elect the incumbent. The American president will become (or remain) the leader of the alliance of democratic nations.

SHAPIRO: China is our friend

Both presidential candidates are trying to outdo each other on who is tougher against China. President Obama claims Mitt Romney outsourced American jobs to Chinese factories, while Mr. Romney argues that Mr. Obama hasn't done enough on China's cheating trade practices. Both miss the point: China and the United States need to work together to obtain stability and peace in the world. In short, the U.S. and China are married and must get along -- divorce is not an option.

KNIGHT: Suppressing the vote

During World War II, American soldiers in the Pacific listened to Radio Tokyo and other English-language programs on Japanese-run stations.

EDITORIAL: Government on autopilot

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a law unleashing driverless cars on Golden State highways. The autonomous vehicle technology pioneered by Google lets highly sophisticated computer programming take over the tedious duty of navigating automobiles around difficult obstacles, making all the decisions needed to reach the destination. There is no human involvement needed, which is the perfect metaphor for how lawmakers operate.