Congress Takes Group Of Schoolchildren Hostage  —  WASHINGTON—Brandishing shotguns and semiautomatic pistols, members of the 112th U.S. Congress took a class of visiting schoolchildren hostage this morning, barricading themselves inside the Capitol rotunda, where they remain at press time.

Perry Slumps in Polls, but Not to Romney's Gain  —  There have been three scientific national polls released of Republican voters since the Sept. 22 debate: a CNN poll that was conducted over the last weekend, and polls by Fox News and Economist/YouGov released on Wednesday.

Anti-Obama sign in Uptown neighborhood draws controversy  —  NEW ORLEANS — There are several political signs attracting all kinds of attention in one Uptown neighborhood.  —  On Wednesday, crowds gathered at the corner of Calhoun and Coralie streets, looking at several signs depicting President Barack Obama …

Christie seriously considering presidential bid after GOP prodding  —  By JOSH MARGOLIN in New York and S.A. MILLER in Washington  —  After months of hedging, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is giving serious thought to jumping into the ring for a GOP presidential run — and could make his decision next week, The Post has learned.

Taking Cain Seriously  —  Why isn't a successful business résumé presidential material?  —  You hear the same thing said about Herman Cain all the time: Herman Cain has some really interesting ideas, but . . .  I love Herman Cain, but . . .  But what?  —  But he can't win.

A ‘Furious’ revelation  —  This just might be the smoking gun we've been waiting for to break the festering “Fast and Furious” gun-running scandal wide open: the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives apparently ordered one of its own agents to purchase firearms with taxpayer money …

Shocking video shows attempted murder of teen outside Brooklyn McDonald's  —  Three toughs pulled off a choreographed plan to pass a gun between them like a hot potato before one of them opened fire at a teen outside a Brooklyn McDonald's - and all of it was caught on camera.

Democrats Dispirited About Voting in 2012  —  Republicans' enthusiasm for voting matches 2004 and exceeds 2008  —  PRINCETON, NJ — In thinking about the 2012 presidential election, 45% of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic say they are more enthusiastic about voting than usual …

Americans reject the right's bogus ‘class warfare’ charge  —  It's become an article of faith among conservatives — and even some neutral commentators — that Obama'a newly aggressive populism and call for tax hikes on the rich is “class warfare,” a nakedly partisan play for the Democratic base …

California and Bust  —  The smart money says the U.S. economy will splinter, with some states thriving, some states not, and all eyes are on California as the nightmare scenario.  After a hair-raising visit with former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who explains why the Golden State has cratered …

Obama may have more than five votes to uphold health-care law  —  The Obama administration's decision on Wednesday to seek review of a lower court's ruling on the constitutionality of its signature health-care program almost guarantees a Supreme Court decision by next June.  And the administration is predicting victory.

Joe Biden: The economy belongs to us, not Bush  —  Vice President Joe Biden said in a live interview with Miami public radio station WLRN Thursday that the Obama administration - not the Bush administration - now has ownership of the struggling U.S. economy.

Obama: A disaster for civil liberties  —  He may prove the most disastrous president in our history in terms of civil liberties.  —  President Obama failed to close Guantanamo Bay, continued warrantless surveillance and military tribunals and asserted the right to kill U.S. citizens he views as terrorists.

Breaking: anti-gay N.C. Senator Forrester falsifies credentials - and an open letter to the lawmaker  —  NOTE FROM PAM: It's sad that a lawmaker, namely North Carolina State Senator James Forrester, is so blinded by ignorance and bigotry that he embarrasses himself — and his cause …

More Than 300,000 Ohio Voters Submit Petition Suspending Gov. Kasich's Anti-Voter Law  —  Earlier this year, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed a sweeping bill intended to make it harder to vote in his states' elections.  Kasich's anti-voter law drastically cuts back on early voting and erects …

Teacher penalizes students for saying “bless you”  —  FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A Northern California teacher says he doesn't want to hear a common courtesy in his classroom.  —  He's even lowering students' grades if they say “bless you” after someone sneezes.

UW-Stout Chancellor Doubles Down on Censorship of ‘Firefly’ and Anti-Fascism Posters  —  The chancellor of University of Wisconsin-Stout (UWS) has declared that he will not defend faculty First Amendment rights from censorship.  UWS censored theater professor James Miller's poster featuring …

U.S. Decries Salaries, Staffing in New UN Budget  —  The Obama administration told the United Nations that too few of its 10,307 workers are being cut and average salaries, currently $119,000 a year, have risen “dramatically.”  —  The U.S. ambassador for UN management and reform …

Draft spending bill would defund Obama healthcare law  —  House Republicans released a draft spending bill Thursday that would cut off funding for many parts of the healthcare reform law, though the bill remains deadlocked in the Appropriations Committee.  —  The draft legislation would attempt to derail implementation of the law.

Huntsman campaign moves HQ to New Hampshire  —  The Huntsman campaign announced Thursday that its headquarters would move from Florida to New Hampshire.  —  The move from Orlando to Manchester comes after a pair of polls showed the former Utah governor gaining modest traction in the early primary state …

Ladies and gentleman, we are currently cruising down Wall Street because we are fed up with our bosses!  Pilots stage protest  —  Wall Street saw yet another surge in protesters today - as hundreds of Continental and United Airlines pilots demonstrated in New York City's financial district.

Exclusive: Crook busted after robbing same bank for third day in row  —  Now that's customer loyalty.  —  A greedy bank robber starred in his own criminal version of “Groundhog Day” — holding up the same downtown Sovereign branch on three consecutive days before he was finally busted yesterday, police sources told The Post yesterday.