Pawlenty Drops Out of Republican Race  —  Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, left, at Thursday's debate in Ames, Iowa, with Jon M. Huntsman Jr. and Newt Gingrich.  —  DES MOINES — Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, dropped his bid for the Republican nomination for president …

White House Debates Fight on Economy  —  WASHINGTON — As the economy worsens, President Obama and his senior aides are considering whether to adopt a more combative approach on economic issues, seeking to highlight substantive differences with Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail rather …

Rick Perry's Crony Capitalism Problem  —  The presidential candidate's signature economic development initiative has raised questions among conservatives.  —  Gov. Rick Perry's presidential pitch goes something like this: During one of the worst recessions in American history, he's kept his state “open for business.”

California Democratic Party May Dump Its Progressive Caucus for Proposing a Primary Challenge to Obama  —  On July 30th the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party passed a resolution proposing that a primary challenge be offered to Obama next year.

Clyburn hopes to use supercommittee post to tackle wealth gap  —  A leading House Democrat is hoping to use his prestigious seat on the deficit-cutting supercommittee to close the growing gully that divides the rich and the poor in America.  —  Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) …

The Elusive Big Idea  —  Neal Gabler is a senior fellow at the Annenberg Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California and the author of “Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination.”  —  THE July/August issue of The Atlantic trumpets the “14 Biggest Ideas of the Year.”