Perry Zooms to Front of Pack for 2012 GOP Nomination  —  Leads Romney by 29% to 17%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Shortly after announcing his official candidacy, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has emerged as rank-and-file Republicans' current favorite for their party's 2012 presidential nomination.

Identity Theft  —  Well, this is interesting.  I hear that the not-so-good people at National Review are attacking me over something I said on my Google+ page.  Except, I don't have a Google+ page.  —  This is the third incident I'm aware of — there may well be more — in which people are claiming to be me.

Steffen Schmidt: Some Dems think the unthinkable: Not Obama  —  I recently had drinks with respected senior Democrats in New Hampshire.  They were Barack Obama supporters in 2008 and now have serious buyer's remorse.  —  They were alarmed at the lack of leadership, which they feel Obama showed …

BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: AN UPDATE  —  Text-only.  —  The United States is facing profound budgetary and economic challenges.  At 8.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the $1.3 trillion budget deficit that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects for 2011 …

Fears for Nancy Reagan, 90, as she slips and falls on way in to watch speech by Tea Party favourite Marco Rubio  —  Nancy Reagan last night lost her balance and fell as she arrived to watch a speech by Republican freshman senator and Tea Party darling Marco Rubio

Rick Perry: The God-Fearing, Know-Nothing, Pistol-Packing Embodiment of Liberals' Worst Nightmares  —  What Rick Perry has achieved in his inaugural strut on the political stage is unprecedented in the annals of modern conservative history from Barry Goldwater to Sarah Palin.

Obama, Tiger, Golf and Politics  —  Despite the carping by critics, I'm glad the president went on vacation because one of the most useful things he could do right now is play golf — a lot of golf — but not that friendly foursome thing with his aides that he usually does.

Publisher's ‘social’ ties pushed RedState toward Allen  —  A leading conservative blogger and commentator, Erick Erickson, said he shifted his stance in a key Senate race because the company that publishes his RedState.com is “socially connected” to former Virginia Senator George Allen.

If you're a famous guy with a head full of deep thoughts and nobody to tell you when it might be in your own best interest not to express them, Twitter is the best thing ever.  As long as you've got your iPhone in hand, you can give the whole world instant, unfiltered access to your keenest insights …

Peeking at George Pataki's Presidential Campaign Site  —  Here's a look at George Pataki's presidential campaign web site, which is mostly behind password protection.  —  Earlier this morning, it was hosting some dummy info about a congressional candidate.

Dick Cheney tells NBC: My letter of resignation was ready if needed  —  Dick Cheney, left, introduces George W. Bush at a groundbreaking ceremony for Bush's presidential library in Dallas in November.  Photo credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images  —  Dick Cheney tells NBC News that he had a letter …

Washington Monument cracked in quake  —  The earthquake didn't cause widespread damages or injuries, but it did put a crack in the Washington Monument.  —  After unconfirmed reports suggested the monument was tilting, park officials said Tuesday night that the 550-foot obelisk suffered …

Keynesian Economics vs. Regular Economics  —  Food stamps and other transfers aren't necessarily bad ideas, but there's no evidence they spur growth.  —  Keynesian economics—the go-to theory for those who like government at the controls of the economy—is in the forefront of the ongoing debate on fiscal-stimulus packages.

With more than 10,000 millionaires, why is Israel still a charity case?  —  At what point should the Diaspora communities say to Israelis that enough is enough- we will give, but we will not allow those in your own society to shirk their responsibilities?  —  The past few years have seen …

NOM's featured press conference speaker: ‘There is a direct connection between earthquakes and homosexuality’  —  At a recent press conference on the steps of the State Capitol in Albany, the National Organization For Marriage opened up their coalition to include one Rabbi Yehuda Levin.

Ron Paul's Strange Freedom  —  For the past couple of weeks I've seen some complaints from liberty-minded friends and acquaintances that Ron Paul isn't getting the level of media attention he deserves.  My view is that the media is probably ignoring him because he's a crank who obviously won't be the GOP nominee.

Expensive massages, top shelf vodka and five-star hotels: First Lady accused of spending $10m in public money on her vacations  —  The Obamas' summer break in Martha's Vineyard has already been branded a PR disaster after the couple arrived four hours apart on separate government jets.

Zadroga 9/11 health law shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero, GOP hopeful Turner says  —  The GOP hopeful running for ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner's seat says the $4.3 billion Zadroga 9/11 health law is too broad - and shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero.

The GOP will raise taxes — on the middle class and working poor  —  America's presumably anti-tax party wants to raise your taxes.  Come January, the Republicans plan to raise the taxes of anyone who earns $50,000 a year by $1,000, and anyone who makes $100,000 by $2,000.

With CIA help, NYPD built secret effort to monitor mosques, daily life of Muslim neighborhoods  —  NEW YORK — In New Brunswick, N.J., a building superintendent opened the door to apartment No. 1076 one balmy Tuesday and discovered an alarming scene: terrorist literature strewn about the table …

Leaked Cable: McCain Promised Qaddafi To Help Secure Military Equipment From U.S.  —  For all the braying by the Senate's top three hawks about how the U.S. wasn't doing enough to oust Libyan dictator Col. Muammar Qaddafi from power, one might be surprised to learn that exactly two years ago …