8 From G.O.P. Trade Attacks at Iowa Debate  —  AMES, Iowa — A withering critique of President Obama's handling of the economy was overshadowed by a burst of incivility among the Republican presidential candidates who, in a debate here Thursday night, fought to stay alive in the party's increasingly competitive nominating race.

Rick Perry on the Record  —  From scrapping Social Security and Medicare to immigration to Constitutional amendments, Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke openly last fall with Andrew Romano.  —  In Fed Up!, you criticize the progressive era and the changes it produced: the 16th and 17th Amendments, Social Security, Medicare, and so on.

The Hijacked Crisis  —  Has market turmoil left you feeling afraid?  Well, it should.  Clearly, the economic crisis that began in 2008 is by no means over.  —  But there's another emotion you should feel: anger.  For what we're seeing now is what happens when influential people exploit a crisis rather than try to solve it.

John Roberts Is No Fool  —  The White House tries to put one over on the Supreme Court.  —  “The White House . . . has quietly altered its website to remove the references to Jerusalem being in ‘Israel,’ ” the New York Sun reports.  It sounds like another make-work Keynesian stimulus: dig a hole, fill it up.

Democrats Enjoy Slight Edge on 2012 Congressional Ballot  —  Twice as many voters say Tea Party endorsements are a negative rather than a positive  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup's first measure of the 2012 congressional elections shows Democrats leading Republicans, 51% to 44% …

JetBlue flier who ‘peed’ on girl could be axed from US Ski Team  —  By GORDON BOCK in Warren, Vt., and DON KAPLAN in NY  —  He probably just pissed away his Olympic dreams.  —  The drunken JetBlue passenger who treated a sleeping 11-year-old girl like his personal potty is a member …

Newt Gingrich Brawls With Fox News' Chris Wallace Over Debate ‘Gotcha’ Question  —  While his fellow GOP presidential candidates were busy zinging each other, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich livened up Thursday night's Fox Presidential Debate by throwing some haymakers at moderator Chris Wallace.

More on the Postal Service  —  One point that came up repeatedly in our discussion last night about the crisis in the postal service is that the USPS is apparently subject to a regulation that requires it to pre-pay pension and health care obligations 75 years in advance, something that is required of no other government agency.

The Mystery of Herman Cain and the Donna Summer Lyrics  —  One of the weirdest moments of last night's Republican debate probably slipped completely under the radar for most viewers.  This moment occurred in Herman Cain's closing statement, when the former pizza-chain CEO recited a favorite inspirational quote:

NY turns negative on Bam  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama might need to start taking a few more campaign trips to New York — and not just to raise cash.  —  A stunning new survey gives the president a negative approval rating in the Empire State for the first time, with just 45 percent approval …

All The Anti-Gay Rhetoric From The GOP Presidential Debate...In Under 2 Minutes  —  The GOP presidential candidates reiterated their opposition to same-sex marriage during Thursday's debate in Ames, Iowa, even as the majority of Americans now support marriage equality and 11.4 percent …

Romney's ‘Corporations Are People’ A Gift To Political Foes  —  All right, so we think we understand what Mitt Romney meant when he told some hecklers at the Iowa State Fair Thursday that “corporations are people, my friend.”  —  Anybody these days fortunate to have a 401(k) retirement plan …

S&P: Debt default skeptics fueled ratings downgrade  —  A Standard & Poor's director said for the first time Thursday that one reason the United States lost its triple-A credit rating was that several lawmakers expressed skepticism about the serious consequences of a credit default — a position put forth by some Republicans.

Email rendezvous entangles state Rep. Phillip Hinkle  —  Lawmaker calls encounter set up with young man on Craigslist a ‘shakedown’  —  State Rep. Phillip Hinkle, shown speaking on a motion during the recent session, said he is “aware of a shakedown taking place.”  / Charlie Nye / 2011 Star file photo

Anti-gay marriage group loses appeal of R.I. court ruling  —  BOSTON — A federal appeals court panel Thursday rejected an anti-gay marriage group's bid to block its need for compliance with Rhode Island campaign disclosure laws.  —  The National Organization for Marriage …

Ten-to-one isn't good enough for the GOP  —  I'm still working my way through the transcript of last night's debate for Republican presidential candidates, but there was one moment that clearly stood out for its significance.  It wasn't a zinger or an attack; it was a response all of the candidates offered by raising their hands.

Consumer Sentiment Plunges to 30-Year Low  —  Confidence among U.S. consumers plunged in August to the lowest level since May 1980, adding to concern that weak employment gains and volatility in the stock market will prompt households to retrench.  —  The Thomson Reuters/University …