Newt Gingrich owed six figures to Tiffany's  —  Newt Gingrich, a fiscal conservative?  Not when it comes to Tiffany's.  —  In 2005 and 2006, the former House speaker turned presidential candidate carried as much as $500,000 in debt to the premier jewelry company, according …

Schwarzenegger fathered a child with longtime member of household staff  —  His wife, Maria Shriver, moved out of their Brentwood mansion earlier this year after the former governor acknowledged the child was his.  The staff member worked for the family for 20 years, retiring in January.

Rep. Paul Ryan Staying in House, Won't Run for U.S. Senate  —  Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is staying in the House, and won't run for the U.S. Senate, two well-placed GOP sources tell National Journal.  —  Ryan began informing close friends of his decision Tuesday and is expected to announce later in the day.

Santorum: What does McCain know about torture?  —  (UPDATED) John McCain has been on something of a crusade this week on the question of how we found Osama bin Laden, giving speeches and writing Op-Eds outlining his position that it was not torture of detainees that led the U.S. to its man.

Gov. Sarah Palin on Pelosi district's Obamacare waivers: ‘Seriously, this is corrupt’  —  In response to the revelation that about 20 percent of the latest slew of Obamacare waivers went to luxurious restaurants, nightclubs and hotels in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's district …

Coburn out of Gang of Six talks  —  Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) announced Tuesday that he would pull out of the talks with two other Republican and three Democratic colleagues.  —  Coburn said the talks have collapsed over the tough issue of entitlement reform.

Presumed Innocent, Anyone?  —  Now for a few humble thoughts about Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his recent brush with law and journalism, bearing in mind that it's possible indeed, maybe even likely, that he is guilty as the prosecutors charge:  —  1.)  If he is such a womanizer and violent guy with women …

Clinton says Obama believes 8 years is enough  —  WASHINGTON - Eight years as president is enough, thank you.  At least that's what Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says President Barack Obama told her the other day.  —  Clinton said Tuesday that she and Obama often marvel …

Rick Perry Presidential Push Quietly Gains Steam  —  As many grass-roots Republicans remain in search of a conservative candidate with the pizazz to go toe-to-toe against President Obama, a man from deep in the heart of Texas who was tea party before the tea party was cool, appears to be giving the presidential race some thought.

Skepticism grows on Geithner's US debt limit deadline  —  * Tea Party Republicans say sell assets instead  —  * Skepticism raises stakes in debt limit debate  —  U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is facing growing criticism for his changing predictions on when the country might face a debt default …

The Long Overdue Palestinian State  —  SIXTY-THREE years ago, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was forced to leave his home in the Galilean city of Safed and flee with his family to Syria.  He took up shelter in a canvas tent provided to all the arriving refugees.

Egyptian Saif al-Adel now acting leader of al Qaeda, ex-militant says  —  (CNN) — An Egyptian who was once a Special Forces officer has been chosen “caretaker” leader of al Qaeda in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, according to a source with detailed knowledge of the group's inner workings.

Bachmann talked with Huck  —  Michele Bachmann told Fox News this afternoon that she's talked with Mike Huckabee since he announced he wouldn't be running for president, but Bachmann wouldn't divulge details of the chat.  —  She and Huck share similar populism, though stylistically, they couldn't be further from one another.

Democrats' Oil Subsidy Repeal Bill Is Actually Unconstitutional  —  Republicans may have a point that Democrats are playing politics with oil subsidies.  To understand why, look no further than the fact that the bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring to the floor for a vote Tuesday evening …

Nordyke numbers expose Obama document fraud?  —  Newly found details about birth registration show president's certificate out of sequence  —  NEW YORK - Newly unearthed information about Hawaii's procedure for numbering birth records at the time Barack Obama was born casts further doubt …

Sources: Raiders knew mission a one-shot deal  —  WASHINGTON — Those who planned the secret mission to get Osama bin Laden in Pakistan knew it was a one-shot deal, and it nearly went terribly wrong.  —  The U.S. deliberately hid the operation from Pakistan, and predicted that national outrage …

In Media Coverage, Deficit Eclipses Unemployment  —  Major newspapers shift focus from unemployment to the deficit, National Journal analysis shows.  —  Major U.S. newspapers have increasingly shifted their attention away from coverage of unemployment in recent months while greatly intensifying …

Spuds, on the Verge of Being Expelled, Start a Food Fight in the Cafeteria  —  Federal Plan to Limit Potatoes on School Menus Whips Up Supporters; ‘Gateway Vegetable’  —  PORTLAND, Maine—Around here, you can find “Maine Potato Candy”—mashed potatoes rolled in coconut and dipped in chocolate—and potato donuts.

Constituents Laugh At GOP Rep. Quayle For Denying Existence Of Billions In Special Oil Subsidies  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from a town hall in Anthem, Arizona.  —  Last month, ThinkProgress took note of a strange new defense of oil subsidies: denying their existence.

Exploding watermelons put spotlight on Chinese farming practices  —  New food scandal as fields of watermelons are destroyed after farmers mistakenly apply growth accelerator  —  The flying pips, shattered shells and wet shrapnel still haunt farmer Liu Mingsuo after an effort to chemically boost …