OBAMA AGENDA: Obama vs. Putin
The Washington Post's wrap from the United Nations: "President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out sharply competing visions Monday about how to tackle the ongoing conflicts in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East, with each blaming the other for the region’s turmoil even as they signaled a willingness to address it together."
More, from the New York Times: "President Obama made a forceful defense of diplomacy and the system of rules represented by the international body, but in a veiled reference to Mr. Putin, he warned that “dangerous currents risk pulling us back into a darker, more disordered world. Mr. Putin talked about mounting a broad effort to support Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, as the best bulwark against the spread of the Islamic State and other radical groups, even though the White House has said Mr. Assad has to leave power if there is to be a political solution in Syria."
CONGRESS: Take me to your (new) leader
The Washington Post has the latest on the House leadership race: "Hard-line conservative Republicans, emboldened by their role in the resignation of House Speaker John A. Boehner, are struggling to recruit a candidate with enough political capital and grass-roots support to challenge Boehner’s heir apparent."
McCarthy made it official yesterday -- here's our wrap.
Jason Chaffetz is urging Trey Gowdy to run for majority leader.
Here's the rundown of the moving parts in the leadership elections, from the New York Times.
Ted Cruz was denied a protest vote against the government funding bill.
OFF TO THE RACES: An angry electorate
The big-picture view of our NBC/WSJ poll, from one of us(!): The electorate sure is angry.
BIDEN: "Massachusetts supporters of Joe Biden are seeking to forge an alliance between the vice president and former Bay State Gov. Deval Patrick, a close friend of President Barack Obama and prominent African-American leader whose support could open pathways to the state's potent Democratic donor network,” writes POLITICO.
He'd enter the race at the top of the 2016 popularity contest, writes one of us(!)
BUSH: He's outlining his energy policy today, NBC's Jordan Frasier reports.
CHRISTIE: Per NBC's Danny Freeman, he took on Donald Trump aggressively in his first trip to Iowa since the State Fair.
CLINTON: Bill Clinton is reviving his 25 year-old theory of the start of the "right wing conspiracy."
From POLITICO: "Top brass of the 3 million-strong National Education Association, the country's largest union, are recommending an endorsement of Hillary Clinton, according to an email obtained by POLITICO -- a move that has many state leaders and rank-and-file members planning to protest the early endorsement."
CRUZ: He's been courting libertarian-leaning activists who supported Ron Paul.
FIORINA: The Washington Post wonders about whether Fiorina could have a likeability problem.
TRUMP: He gets the Leibovich treatment.
Donald Trump called his tax plan "a rocket ship for the economy."
Remember how Trump said he was boycotting FOX News? He'll be on the O'Reilly Factor tonight.
The Associated Press fact checks Donald Trump's math on his tax plan.
PROGRAMMING NOTES.
*** Tuesday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: Tamron Hall speaks with Congresswoman Jackie Speier about Planned Parenthood; Tax Analysts’ Martin Sullivan, GOP Strategist Matt Schlapp, and The Huffington Post’s Amanda Terkel about Donald Trump’s tax plan and other political headlines; The Wilson Center’s William Pomeranz about President Obama’s meeting with Vladimir Putin at the UN; American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Sandra Hassink about the fight over the federal school lunch program; and Meathead Movers President and CEO Aaron Steed about his company and its connection to the #MoveToEndDV initiative.
*** Tuesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell will interview Homeland Security Chair Rep. Mike McCaul, retired NASA astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly, and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza and Anne Gearan.