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In Defense of Romney — Over the past several months, Mitt Romney has been an excellent presidential candidate. He has performed superbly in the debates. He has outorganized his rivals. He has relentlessly stayed on his core theme of putting Americans back to work.
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Cainmentum — Is the new Republican frontrunner Herman Cain? Maybe for this week anyway. PPP polled Republican primary voters in three pretty different states over the weekend- North Carolina, Nebraska, and West Virginia- and found Cain leading the way in each of them as Newt Gingrich surged …
Discussion:
GOP 12, Don Surber, Daily Kos, The Lonely Conservative, ThinkProgress, The New Republic and Wall Street Journal


Rick Perry slips, Herman Cain rises in bid for GOP nomination, poll finds — After a quick rise in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has experienced an almost equally dramatic decline, losing about half of his support over the past month, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Discussion:
New York Post, msnbc.com, Outside the Beltway, CNN, The Politico, Political Mojo, Bloomberg, Conservatives4Palin, Guardian, Hot Air, The Agonist, Big Government, Washington Wire, Daily Kos, Swampland, Jay Bookman, Firedoglake, The Moderate Voice, American Spectator, The Other McCain, New York Times, Politics, Ben Smith's Blog, Iowa Caucuses, Associated Press, New York Magazine, Lynn Sweet, Pajamas Media, Hotline On Call, The 1600 Report and The Hill

Rick Perry, Jon Huntsman, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney to boycott Univision debate over Rubio report — Four Republican presidential candidates are boycotting a proposed Univision debate due to allegations that the Spanish-language media giant tried to strongarm Sen. Marco Rubio …
Discussion:
Ballot Box

‘Now Is Not My Time’ to Run, Christie Says — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced on Tuesday that he had decided not to seek the presidency. — 1:30 p.m. | Updated Saying “now is not my time,” Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced on Tuesday that he would not seek the Republican nomination for the presidency.

Herman Cain rises, Rick Perry slides in new CBS News poll
Discussion:
Hotline On Call

Gov. Chris Christie will not run for president
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Runnin' Scared, Wonkette, Outside the Beltway, Sister Toldjah and Citizens for Legitimate …

Chris Christie won't run for president: Now what?
Discussion:
Ballot Box, Big Journalism, msnbc.com, The New Republic and Iowa Caucuses

Bachmann: Now that Christie's made his decision ‘I think the table is set’
Discussion:
CNN and Iowa Caucuses

Who are the 99 percent? — “I did everything I was supposed to and I have nothing to show for it.” — It's not the arrests that convinced me that “Occupy Wall Street” was worth covering seriously. Nor was it their press strategy, which largely consisted of tweeting journalists to cover …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Democracy in America, Felix Salmon, Wonkette, Political Mojo and Alas, a Blog
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On Wall Street, a Protest Matures — “I think a good deal of the bankers should be in jail.” — That is what Andrew Cole, an unemployed 24-year-old graduate of Bucknell University, told me Monday morning in Zuccotti Park, the epicenter of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, Firedoglake, Fox News, Truthdig, Hit & Run, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Dealbreaker, Hullabaloo, The Crawdad Hole, NewsBusters.org blogs, Swampland, Boston Globe, Campaign 2012, Hot Air, thenation.com/blogs/180, NY Daily News and New York Times

Vice President Joe Biden doesn't know who Van Jones is — In interview on 970 WFLA, the VP says “whoever he is”
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Publius Forum, Weasel Zippers, Michelle Malkin, JammieWearingFool and Pajamas Media


House Progressives Embrace #occupywallstreet … - Perry Always Boasts About Telling Hard Truths. Do Voters Want Hard Truths? - How I Became Convinced Amanda Knox Is Innocent - The Mysterious Civil War Story of “Crazy Bet” Van Lew - The Unique Agony of Watching Whitney Cummings' New Sitcom …
Discussion:
Pajamas Media


Progressive of Pallor on pointless parade
Discussion:
The Daily Californian and The Daily Caller

Occupy Wall Street Causing Problems On Main Street
Discussion:
The Crawdad Hole and National Review

What Occupy DC wants: Less corporate money in politics
Discussion:
Campaign 2012

Union Workers, Politicians Voice Support For “Occupy Wall Street” Protesters Following Arrests
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars and Suburban Guerrilla

House Republicans Request Special Counsel to Probe Holder on ‘Fast and Furious’ — EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are calling for a special counsel to determine whether Attorney General Holder perjured himself during his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Operation Fast and Furious, Fox News has learned.
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CBS News Reporter Says White House Screamed, Swore at Her Over Fast and Furious
Discussion:
The Hill, Power Line, Doug Ross, Hot Air, Campaign 2012, Moe Lane, The Heritage Foundation and Wake up America


Money Dispute May End ‘Simpsons’ — A money dispute between Fox and the actors who voice the characters on The Simpsons may force the long-running hit series to shut down next spring. Lloyd Grove reports exclusively. — As Homer Simpson would put it, “D'oh!”
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, AOL TV, Mediaite, ArtsBeat, newsfeed.time.com, The Raw Story, Deadline.com, WJLA-TV, Gothamist and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »


Sarah Palin-affiliated law firm made early-state deadline inquiries — Ken Vogel and I both have sources telling us that calls were made on behalf of a mystery candidate to various early states to determine presidential filing deadlines. — The calls were made by representatives …
Discussion:
Politics, The Page, Hot Air, Riehl World View, GOP 12, Big Government, Conservatives4Palin, Citizens for Legitimate … and Atlas Shrugs

Reid blocks attempt by McConnell to vote on president's jobs bill — In a lively spat on the Senate floor Tuesday, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attempted call up President Obama's jobs plan for an immediate vote in the upper chamber. — However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid …
Discussion:
TPMDC and Weasel Zippers
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Obama administration kept Democratic senators hanging on the phone
Discussion:
CNN, Weasel Zippers, Betsy's Page and Instapundit


Herman Cain: ‘Show Me The Science’ That Being Gay Is Not A Choice — The ladies of The View today challenged newly crowned Republican presidential front-runner Herman Cain on his beliefs about homosexuality. He confirmed that he would bring back Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and “Yes,” he believes being gay is a choice.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Good As You and Towleroad News #gay

Wolf: Grover Norquist's Relationships Should Give People Pause — Washington, D.C. - In a speech today on the House floor, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) expressed concern about Grover Norquist's influence on the political process in Washington and his association with several individuals, groups and causes many would consider unsavory.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, The Caucus and National Review
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Testimony — Economic Outlook and Recent Monetary Policy Actions — Before the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress, Washington, D.C. — Chairman Casey, Vice Chairman Brady, and other members of the Committee, I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the economic outlook and recent monetary policy actions.
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Secret Docs Show Foreclosure Watchdog Doesn't Bark or Bite — Why has the administration's flagship foreclosure prevention program been so ineffective in helping struggling homeowners get loan modifications and stay in their homes? One reason: The government's supervision of the program has apparently ranged from nonexistent to weak.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Felix Salmon, TalkLeft, Business Insider, Poynter, HousingWire and Eschaton

Judicial Watch Obtains Documents Detailing the Cost to Taxpayers for Michelle Obama's Family Trip to Africa — Charges for the Aircraft and Crew Alone Amount to $424,142 — Judicial Watch, the organization that investigates and fights government corruption, announced today …
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, The Lonely Conservative, Politics, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers and JammieWearingFool


After Ruling, Hispanics Flee an Alabama Town — ALBERTVILLE, Ala. — The vanishing began Wednesday night, the most frightened families packing up their cars as soon as they heard the news. — They left behind mobile homes, sold fully furnished for a thousand dollars or even less.
Discussion:
Blog of Rights, al.com topics and Gawker


Mitt Romney forecasts first lady role for his wife — Mitt Romney's not only laying out plans for his own time in the White House: He's got a role sketched out for his wife, Ann, as first lady, too. — “My wife is gorgeous and she is the brains in the outfit. ...
Discussion:
CNN

Warren Buffett says he will release his tax return if Rupert Murdoch does — The billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Tuesday that he would release his tax returns if NewsCorp chairman Rupert Murdoch does. — Buffett's finances became a political target after President Obama made the …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers

America Loses: Corporations That Take “Tax Holidays” Slash Jobs — Some of America's most flush corporations are demanding a tax holiday on their profits sitting offshore. But the last holiday produced a nasty hangover.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post and Inequality.org