Education officials break down Stockton man's door  —  “I look out of my window and I see 15 police officers,” Wright said.  —  Wright came downstairs in his boxer shorts as a S.W.A.T team barged through his front door.  Wright said an officer grabbed him by the neck and led him outside on his front lawn.

Weiner Faces Calls to Resign and Tries to Make Amends  —  Representative Anthony D. Weiner of New York, reeling from revelations of salacious online behavior that threaten his political career, moved rapidly on Tuesday to make amends as Republicans called for his resignation and leading members …

Stars collide: Michele Bachmann vs. Sarah Palin  —  Michelle Bachmann's top aide dismissed Sarah Palin as  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann's prospective 2012 campaign appears increasingly set on a collision course with former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  —  The coming confrontation is being driven …

Military Travel: Baggage Policies & Our Thoughts  —  Update:  —  Thank you to everyone who has participated in the recent conversations on baggage allowances for active duty U.S. military personnel.  We appreciate all of your thoughts and insight, and want to share an update on the soldiers involved …

Anthony Weiner's Cock Shot Emerges  —  Nobody really expected the week to end without Anthony Weiner's penis splashed all over the internet.  And here it is: Andrew Breitbart showed a couple of radio DJs a picture of what is likely Anthony Weiner's dick, then they leaked it on Twitter.

Baldwin sees Weiner's implosion as opportunity for him in 2013  —  Alec Baldwin is mulling a run for mayor of New York City now that kinky Congressman Anthony Weiner appears to have sexted himself out of the 2013 race.  —  The “30 Rock” star, who has long talked about running for political office …

The Economy Is Worse Than You Think  —  Expect more bad news until someone enacts a plan to bring deficits under control without raising taxes.  —  The policies of the Obama administration have led to the weak condition of the American economy.  Growth during the coming year will be subpar at best …

Asked If Homosexuality Is A Sin, Mitt Romney Responds, ‘Nice Try’  —  GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a veritable library of flip-flops.  As such, it is not his positions but the fact that he has reversed on so many that is quickly defining his campaign.

Salon's Joan Walsh: Weiner ‘Made Me Look Stupid’  —  In a bizarre segment on MSNBC's “The Ed Show” host Ed Schultz tries to implore his left-wing demagogue panelists Joan Walsh and Bill Press to face reality and own up to what Rep. Anthony Weiner is guilty of.

The Earth Is Full  —  You really do have to wonder whether a few years from now we'll look back at the first decade of the 21st century — when food prices spiked, energy prices soared, world population surged, tornados plowed through cities, floods and droughts set records …

CNN Poll: Obama approval rating drops as fears of depression rise  —  (CNN) - President Barack Obama's overall approval rating has dropped below 50 percent as a growing number of Americans worry that the U.S. is likely to slip into another Great Depression within the next 12 months, according to a new national poll.

Afghan nation-building programs not sustainable, report says  —  The hugely expensive U.S. attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan has had only limited success and may not survive an American withdrawal, according to the findings of a two-year congressional investigation to be released Wednesday.

Hugh Asks, I Answer: How to Talk About Climate Change on the Campaign Trail  —  This is a long post; better get yourself a cup of coffee.  Brother Hugh Hewitt takes note of one of Mitt Romney's potential tergiversations about climate change last Friday and made a shout out to me for guidance …

Polls Find Huntsman Unacceptable to Many in Republican Base  —  I frequently cite the political futures market Intrade, where people can place bets on everything ranging from the likelihood that Charlie Sheen will get arrested to the identity of the next president.

Only 24% Say They Share Obama's Political Views  —  Most voters still believe President Obama is more liberal than they are, while just one-out-of-four say they share the same ideological views as the president.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 54% …

U.N. Agreement Should Have All Gun Owners Up In Arms  —  It may not come as surprising news to many of you that the United Nations doesn't approve of our Second Amendment.  Not one bit.  And they very much hope to do something about it with help from some powerful American friends.

Origins Of The Mistaken Pivot To Deficits  —  Zachary Goldfarb has a fascinating piece looking at Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as the main architect of the mistaken decision to turn the corner and start focusing on deficit reduction rather than jobs: … The real mistake here, though, was made by the president.

O'Donnell hails FEC complaint dismissal  —  Washington (CNN)- Former Delaware Republican senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell is hailing the Federal Election Commission's dismissal of a complaint lodged against her right before she captured her party's nomination and is asking for donations …

Key al Qaeda operative praises bin Laden in new video  —  (CNN) — A new video message was released Wednesday from key al Qaeda figure Ayman al-Zawahiri, the man who was once second in command of the organization under Osama bin Laden.  —  The message is the first released …

Regretting Move, Bank May Return to Manhattan  —  Fifteen years ago, New York City's reputation as an international financial center was called into question when the giant Swiss bank UBS moved its North American headquarters to the Connecticut suburbs, where it built the largest trading floor in the world.

‘Hard Truth’ About the GOP: They Like Nonsense  —  Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota Governor and frontrunner in the “I'm not Mitt Romney” Republican primary, gave a major economic speech in Chicago on Tuesday.  Although I also happened to be in Chicago, I didn't actually see the speech.

The Great (Male) Stagnation  —  You have probably seen something like the following graph which shows real GDP per capita and median male income since 1947.  Typically, the graph is shown with family or household income but to avoid family-size effects I use male income.