- US Political News

Did you hear about the man who jumped the White House fence recently? The Secret Service chased down President Obama and managed to talk him into coming back and finishing his term?

AP - Tens of thousands of unionized Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike early Sunday after they failed to agree on a new labor contract with the telecommunications company.

AP - Texas Gov. Rick Perry sent a strong message to the nation's evangelicals Saturday: he is a member of the important constituency for Republicans that he soon may call upon to help him secure the GOP presidential nomination.

President Barack Obama sought to distance himself Saturday from the bad news of the nation's first-ever credit-rating downgrade, but lawmakers and presidential candidates showed no such reticence — trading salvos over who's at fault and why.

America's historic loss of its top-notch credit rating failed to cool the feud between Republicans and President Barack Obama's Democrats which threatens to drive the US economy into disaster.

AFP - Syria vowed to hold "free and transparent" polls later this year but re-arrested a leading dissident, as foreign pressure mounted over its deadly suppression of anti-regime protests.

AFP - Texas Governor Rick Perry, expected to launch a 2012 White House bid soon, rallied the faithful for a day of Christian prayer and fasting Saturday asking God to fix America's woes.

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Aug 7 (IANS) The US Congress has approved a fund of $30 million to help upgrade Kyrgyzstan's air traffic management system, the American embassy here said.

AP - Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to make the Kentucky governor's race about President Barack Obama.

At Kentucky's traditional Saturday kickoff to the fall campaign, Republicans sought to link Gov. Steve Beshear with President Barack Obama, who remains unpopular in the state.