Mayor Richard M. Daley dropped the bomb at a routine news conference at City Hall on Tuesday. With no prelude or fanfare, Mr. Daley announced that he would not seek re-election when his term expires next year.

“Simply put, it’s time,” he said. “Time for me. And time for Chicago to move on.” Later, he continued: “I’ve done my best. Now, I’m ready with my family to begin the next phase of our lives.”

The shock waves spread across the city — which years ago nicknamed Mr. Daley, a Democrat, Mayor for Life — and all the way to Washington, where the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said earlier this year that he would like the job.

via Chicago’s ‘Mayor for Life’ Decides Not to Run – NYTimes.com.

Smart move, Rahm. Get out while the gettings good.

President Obama today called for a $50-billion surge in spending on the nation’s roads, runways and railroads, his latest effort to respond to the stubbornly sluggish economy in a political climate turning against his party.

Speaking at a union-organized rally in Milwaukee, the president said his proposal would put construction workers back to work and rebuild deteriorating infrastructure.

via President Obama proposes $50B stimulus spending for roads, railways, runways | NJ.com.

And make sure it only goes to projects that employ union workers from unions that contribute to the Democrat Party.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely Voters would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate, while 36% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent. The survey data was collected on the seven days ending Sunday, September 5, 2010.

This matches the largest advantage ever measured for the Republicans. Three weeks ago, the GOP also held a 12-point lead.

via Generic Congressional Ballot – Rasmussen Reports™.

Keep spending, Mr. President. The only group being stimulated are GOP candidates for Congress.

When Obama took office, the Dems held a 7 point advantage. Therefore, after a year in office, he has cost his party 19 approval points. Of course, he’s had help…

As Democrats brace for a November wave that threatens their control of the House, party leaders are preparing a brutal triage of their own members in hopes of saving enough seats to keep a slim grip on the majority.

via Democrats Plan Political Triage to Retain House – NYTimes.com.

The Dems, having put these seats in jeopardy through their policy actions, now abandon the very members whose votes made those policies possible in the first place.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights have filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming it is unconstitutional for the government to target and kill U.S. citizens overseas if they are suspected of terrorism, according to a report in the Washington Post.

via A.M. Top News: Civil rights groups sue federal government for targeted killings of suspected American terrorists | NJ.com.

It may now be illegal to kill your enemies! Report at 11!

Innocent until he pulls the trigger.

[Florida] Republicans, despite a 750,000-voter disadvantage in registration compared to Democrats, brought far more people to the polls.

In all, 1.25 million Republicans cast ballots in the Republican Governor’s race, while fewer than 909,000 Democrats voted in the Democratic Senate primary — even though both races were heated and close in the final weeks. Marco Rubio alone, in beating two unknown challengers for the Republican nomination to the Senate, collected more votes than all the Democrats on the other side combined, suggesting that the party of Obama — without Obama on the ticket — faces an uphill battle when it comes to motivation.

via News Analysis – Behind the Florida Primary Surprises, Turnout Tells a Tale – NYTimes.com.

The White House says President Barack Obama will have no further comment on the mosque near Ground Zero in New York and the administration will not get involved in talks about relocating the controversial facility.

via WH: No further comment from Obama on NYC mosque.

Translated: “he has already succeeded in turning a local flap into a national issue that is a no-win for Democrat candidates. Our work here is done.”

It was a gentle but unmistakable nudge President Obama gave Representative Charles B. Rangel recently, suggesting in an interview three weeks ago that Mr. Rangel, 80, should retire to “end his career with dignity.”

At a tense and sometimes fiery candidates’ forum Monday night, Mr. Rangel shot back that it was not his dignity the president should be worried about.

“Frankly, he has not been around long enough to determine what my dignity is,” Mr. Rangel said of the 49-year-old Mr. Obama. “For the next two years, I will be more likely to protect his dignity.”

via Rangel Faces Rivals at Candidates’ Night in Harlem – NYTimes.com.

President Feet-On-the-Resolute-Desk gets an earful from Congressman Wrong-Stationery.

“By focusing on getting big legislative accomplishments, which was understandable, they necessarily gave up a larger image of him as president,” Mr. [John] Podesta said, referring to White House advisers. “They cast him as the prime minister. They were kind of locked into the day-to-day workings on the Hill.”

via Political Times – Obama Is Boxed In by a Big Legislative Agenda – NYTimes.com.

Mr. Podesta, a prominent Democrat, bends over backwards to support President Obama, but the underpinnings of his argument are negative. And column writer Matt Bai has to fudge the facts to try and wring a little bit of good news out of the situation.

Unlike his recent predecessors, however, Mr. Obama had spent his entire political career in legislative posts…

No. Actually Mr. Obama spent most of his career as a political activist, with brief stints in legislative “posts” between campaigns, writing books and angling for the next chance. But the point Bai makes – that he had zero executive experience prior to becoming the Chief Executive – is in fact part of the problem.

The US is unique among the Western democracies in that it combines the job of Head of Government with that of Head of State. The others have two separate people in those positions. The challenge in this country is to do both.

President Obama, with his jacket off, his feet up on the Resolution desk and a wife who parades around in eccentric and inappropriate clothing, has already abandoned the Head of State job. The question posed by the column is: are his lousy approval ratings because he has spent too much time as Legislator-in-Chief, or because that legislation is a disaster for the country and people are finally catching on?

Mr. Podesta dodges the question by making high unemployment and lack of economic recovery seem like the weather: unpredictable and beyond our control. What he doesn’t seem to realize is that the American people don’t see it that way. They are, correctly, holding the President accountable.

John Podesta

One of his biggest cohorts supporters, Harry Reid, has come out in opposition. His opponent in the Senate race, Sharron Angle, remains mum about it (at least on her website).