Perry, parties, and pragmatism  —  This fascinating clip made the rounds yesterday, and with good reason.  To get a sense of how Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) evaluates evidence, it's an illustrative three minutes.  —  I can't find a full transcript, but to offer a flavor …

Feingold says he won't run in 2012  —  He'll continue teaching law, working on book  —  By Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel  —  Democrat Russ Feingold has decided he will not be a candidate for political office next year, taking himself out of the running in 2012 for either U.S. senator …

TRENDING: ‘Idiot’ jab lobbed at Perry  —  (CNN) - Former Treasury official Bruce Bartlett labeled newly-minted Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry “an idiot” Friday.  —  Bartlett, who served at Treasury under former President George H.W. Bush and as a domestic policy adviser …

Aliens may destroy humanity to protect other civilisations, say scientists  —  Rising greenhouse emissions could tip off aliens that we are a rapidly expanding threat, warns a report  —  It may not rank as the most compelling reason to curb greenhouse gases, but reducing our emissions might …

Bad luck?  Bad faith?  —  “We had reversed the recession, avoided a depression, got the economy moving again. .   . .  But over the last six months, we've had a run of bad luck.”  —  Decorah, Iowa, Aug. 15  —  A troubled nation wonders: How did we get mired in 9.1 percent unemployment …

Teen girl gang assaults woman in brazen daylight attack outside Philadelphia City Hall  —  An astonishing video has emerged of a vicious gang of teenage girls assaulting a female pedestrian as she walks outside a city hall in broad daylight.  —  The woman, who has not been named …

Fewer Youths to Be Deported in New Policy  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Thursday that it would suspend deportation proceedings against many illegal immigrants who pose no threat to national security or public safety.  —  The new policy is expected to help thousands …

Ugh: Greta and Sarah Palin rally behind Tea Party poser Orrin Hatch  —  I just read a very bizarre blog post about entrenched incumbent Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch by Fox News anchor Greta van Susteren and then watched an equally distressing interview van Susteren conducted last night with Sarah Palin regarding Hatch.

Court rules against Catholic Charities in foster-care case  —  A circuit court judge ruled Aug. 18 against four Catholic charities in a lawsuit against the state over the right to continue with foster care services.  —  Judge John Schmidt ruled that the state did not violate the rights …

Christine O'Donnell Hangs Up In The Middle Of Interview With Utah Radio Station (AUDIO) … WASHINGTON — Former Delaware senate candidate Christine O'Donnell abruptly ended two interviews on Wednesday when the questions she was being asked became tougher, marking a rocky day of promotion for her new book.

Another Bachmann History Flub: The American People Are Worried About ‘The Rise Of The Soviet Union’  —  Of all the candidates vying for the GOP presidential nomination, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) perhaps has the most colorful record of flubbing historical facts.

Our prison walls are too high to look over, moan terror suspects  —  Suspected terrorists are complaining about a fence around the exercise yard in their high-security prison which restricts their view of the horizon.  —  The alleged extremists are locked up while the Government tries to remove them from the country.

Iraq Leader Says the Arab Spring Benefits Israel  —  BAGHDAD — While Western leaders including President Obama called on President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to step down, Iraq's prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, warned Arab leaders in a speech on Thursday that Israel would benefit the most from the Arab Spring.

Dem Oregon Rep. DeFazio rips Pres. Obama  —  EUGENE - Oregon Congressman Peter Defazio (D) Springfield, is traveling his district and leveling verbal body blows at President Obama.  —  In his Eugene office Wednesday, Defazio accused the President of lacking the will to fight for the promises he made to get elected

Bank of America Set to Slice Jobs  —  Reductions Total 3,500 in Current Quarter; Many More Seen  —  Bank of America Corp. is cutting 3,500 jobs in the current quarter and working on a broader restructuring that could eliminate thousands of additional positions, people familiar with the situation said.

Obama outpaces fundraising activity of predecessors  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama has headlined 127 fundraising events for himself and others, significantly outpacing the fundraising activity of the previous five presidents during their first terms, new research obtained by USA TODAY shows.

Democrats' road tour strikes back at GOP's stand against raising taxes  —  SANDWICH, Ill. — On Wednesday morning, as his tinted black bus pulled into Randy Hultgren's congressional district, President Obama told residents that Republicans like Hultgren must be willing to raise taxes to reduce the deficit.

Obama's unhelpful advice  —  Obama's advice to the farmer was simple: ‘Contact USDA.’  —  At Wednesday's town hall in Atkinson, Ill., a local farmer who said he grows corn and soybeans expressed his concerns to President Obama about “more rules and regulations” - including those concerning dust …