Mitt Romney's Rusty Debut  —  Tonight's Republican gathering in Manchester, New Hampshire was touted as a “summit” on jobs and the economy by its sponsor, the local chapter of Americans for Prosperity, and it included five Republican presidential hopefuls.  Unofficially, it was Mitt Romney's debut as a 2012 candidate.

‘Sorry’ state of affairs at GOP forum  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. - There were no punches thrown, no barbs traded and no shots fired at the Americans for Prosperity presidential candidate forum here Friday evening.  —  But Tim Pawlenty did apologize.  —  Asked in a public question-and-answer session …

What I learned in econ grad school  —  I always find it interesting that criticisms of economics education focus more on the graduate side than the undergrad.  Consider this broadside by Brad DeLong and Larry Summers: … This is interesting because, as someone who never studied econ as an undergrad …

Rick Perry, Texas governor, rips Obama's trip to tornado-devastated Alabama: What about our fires?  —  As President Obama meets with Alabama families affected by deadly tornados that swept through the South earlier this week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is asking: What about us?

Geithner Pries Away $30 Trillion Forex Derivative Market from Regulation  —  Zach Carter reports on a blow to efforts to regulate the runaway derivatives market.  Just as most derivatives are set to be put onto clearinghouses, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner exempted a large group of derivatives …

Breitbart Punches Back on Maher's ‘Real Time’  —  Andrew Breitbart was confronted on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher by liberal political analyst Laura Flanders.  Ignoring Maher's questions and moving on her own agenda for the show she challenged Breitbart to apologize to Shirley Sherrod.

Wis. Supreme Court recount at a glance  —  Justice David Prosser held a 7,316-vote lead over challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg before a statewide recount began on Wednesday.  The state Government Accountability Board is providing daily updates on the recount's progress by precinct.

You Know Jack!  —  What have we learned?  —  Jack Layton was found naked in a whorehouse.  Jack Layton was found with, though not in, a 3rd World Sex Trade Worker.  —  Jack Layton alleges he frequented this whorehouse for “therapeutic massage”.  —  Jack's 3rd World Sex Trade Worker/Therapeutic Masseuse came from China.

'Here's to al-Qaeda'  —  Nearly 20 years ago, I asked the late William Kunstler about his philosophy of lawyering.  A flamboyant leftist who proudly represented jihadists just as he proudly represented many other anti-American radicals, Bill succinctly replied, “Everybody's entitled to a lawyer, but nobody's entitled to me!”

GOP Freshman Ends First Town Hall After Tough Questions On Tax Cuts For The Wealthy: 'We're Done'  —  Freshman Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) became the latest Republican to face the ire of his own constituents for voting for the Medicare-ending GOP budget when he was repeatedly challenged …

Silliness and Sleight of Hand  —  President Obama buckled.  —  On Wednesday, he released his long-form birth certificate, but not without chiding the media and his detractors for their “silliness” in forcing the issue.  —  No sooner had he released it than Donald Quixote was off to his next windmill: the president's college grades.

Palin: ‘Hells no’ I wouldn't raise debt limit  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Friday doubled down on her opposition to raising the nation's debt ceiling.  —  “Hells no. I would not vote to increase that debt ceiling,” she said during an interview on Fox News, where she is a paid contributor.

Neither Party Has Big Edge on Most Major U.S. Issues  —  Americans see Republicans as better able to handle the budget  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Of six key issues facing the United States, the federal budget is the only one for which Americans express a clear preference as to which party can better handle it.