Hypocrisy is nothing new in Washington. The long-running debate over taxes and spending, however, is producing especially blatant examples of politicians contradicting themselves or attacking opponents for taking the very stances they've taken themselves.

The bipartisan cease-fire that kept the government running this spring gave birth to hopeful talk among pundits and some senators, at least of a much larger "grand bargain" that would reduce the federal deficit for years.

House Speaker John Boehner has shored up his political clout after a shaky month, persuading his Republican caucus to pick its fights with Democrats more strategically.

The nation's sharp disagreements over taxes and spending are on a re-routed collision course, as Senate Democrats launch a plan that includes new taxes and House Republicans vow to speed up their plan to balance the federal budget with spending cuts alone.

White House and congressional negotiators will have to clear a series of high hurdles to avert a package of tax increases and spending cuts by year's end.

President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney teed up the last three weeks of the presidential election as a question of which man voters can trust to improve the economy.

Some unpleasant, uninvited guests dropped in on the Democratic convention.

Mitt Romney is making the first stop of his fall campaign for the White House a visit to hurricane-damaged Louisiana, hoping to convince Americans he is not just the right man to fix the economy but an all-around leader for the nation.