Item: Climate Change the focus at UNGA meetings

QB: US and China are trying to outdistance each other, with China calling for a 1% of GDP expenditure on clean energy, and the US announcing voluntary steps. Both both countries realize that the other faces serious internal obstacles to changing policy anytime soon. In the US, that obstacle is "the United States Senate."

Item: George Packer tours AfPak with Richard Holbrooke.

QB:  There are hints that the US wants to use Kashmir as leverage to reduce Pakistan's cooperation with the Taliban.

Item: Creigh Deeds gains in new WashPost poll of Virginia gubernatorial race.

QB: Still, more voters than not say they want a new (i.e, not-Democratic) direction from state government. Deeds still faces an ill-wind, despite all the help the Post is giving him.

Item: More drip-drip from Matt Latimer's days as a White House speechwriter.

QB: Including: Bush on whether to include an anti-gay marriage line in a speech: "I'm not going to tell some gay kid in the audience he can't get married."

Item: DailyKos polls four key Blue Dog districts: AR-04, GA-12, MI-01 and TX-28

QB: Support for a "public option," fairly neutrally described, outpaces support for Barack Obama in those districts.

Item: In speech today, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski announces plans to codify "net neutrality."

QB: He'll propose rules making it illegal for access providers to limit access to others' sites or apps. But there will be some wiggle room for network management. As always, wait for the rule itself before reacting.