Politics

Obama 2012_Reps.jpg

President Obama speaks Aug. 22, 2012, during a campaign event at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Nev. (Associated Press)

20120822-212452-pic-576101088.jpg

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican, plans to ask White House officials for more information on why the Labor Department spent a half-million dollars in federal stimulus money for more than 100 commercials that ran on MSNBC. (Associated Press)

20120822-210146-pic-787716908.jpg

“The first step on the long path to recovery happens when we rein in the excessive speculative activity that has destabilized our financial system,” says Rep. Peter A. Defazio, Oregon Democrat, of the transaction tax. (Associated Press)

20120822-210041-pic-774022610.jpg

Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, speaks at a campaign stop at LeClaire Manufacturing in Midland, Texas, on Wednesday. (Associated Press)

Braves Nationals Base_Reps.jpg

Washington Nationals catcher Jesus Flores celebrates with closer Tyler Clippard after the Washington Nationals closed out a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Obama 2012_Star(5).jpg

President Obama speaks Aug. 9, 2012, to a large crowd at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo., in front of Cutler Hall. Colorado Springs was one of the campaign stops for the president on a two-day trip to the state. (Associated Press/The Gazette)

20120822-202708-pic-959717775.jpg

Nathaniel Ward, who has been a taxi driver for 36 years, gives D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray his opinion about the new “smart meters” to be installed in cabs operating in the District after the mayor’s press briefing on Wednesday. The city plans to equip about 6,500 cabs with the new credit-card-reading meters within 90 days. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

20120822-194335-pic-417153133.jpg

Tropical Storm Isaac, seen here Wednesday in a satellite image, is creating a cyclone of overblown news coverage as it relates to its possible impact on the Republican National Convention, which opens Monday in Tampa, Fla. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

20120822-192723-pic-650245016.jpg

** FILE ** Egyptian guards patrol near the border with Israel. After decades of neglect and with the collapse of government authority, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has become fertile ground for Islamic extremists, who are making inroads in the court system. (Associated Press)

Romney 2012_Star(5).jpg

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney rides in an elevator to attend a fundraising event in Little Rock, Ark., on Aug. 22, 2012. (Associated Press)