memeorandum: Odd Turn for Mansour Arbabsiar, Suspect in Iranian Plot (Robert F. Worth/New York Times)

9:50 AM ET, October 13, 2011

Top Items:

Cain Vaults to Lead in Poll — Ex-Businessman Passes Perry, Romney Among GOP Voters — CONCORD, N.H.—Former restaurant-industry executive Herman Cain has catapulted to the lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, as GOP voters grow disenchanted with Texas Gov. Rick Perry …

Discussion: The Politico, Washington Post, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Strata-Sphere, Business Insider, msnbc.com, Washington Wire, Doug Ross and The Lonely Conservative

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

Republicans increasingly see Mitt Romney as the ‘inevitable candidate’ — NASHUA, N.H. — Buoyed by a series of strong debate performances, Mitt Romney is suddenly attracting new support from major donors and elected officials, some of whom had resisted his previous entreaties …

Discussion: Prairie Weather, Daily Kos, The Caucus, ParaPundit and The Hill

Mark Murray / msnbc.com:
NBC/WSJ poll: Cain now leads GOP pack

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, The Other McCain, Hotline On Call and Reuters

Quinnipiac University:
‘Jersey Shore’ Is Bad For Garden State, Voters Say 4-1, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds …

Discussion: The Politico and Hotline On Call

David Corn / Mother Jones:
VIDEO: Mitt Heaps Praise on Romneycare “Parent” Ted Kennedy

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Oh my: Cain 30, Romney 22, Gingrich 15, Perry 14

Discussion: The Politico, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and streiff's blog

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Cain leads nationally

Discussion: FrumForum, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Liberal Values, Outside the Beltway, Nice Deb, The Other McCain, Business Insider, The Maddow Blog, Daily Kos, The Lonely Conservative, Guardian, msnbc.com, GOP 12, New York Magazine, National Review and Indecision Forever

Patricia Zengerle / Reuters:
Romney leads GOP, Cain second: Reuters/Ipsos

Discussion: Firedoglake and Business Insider

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Occupy Wall Street protester: I want my college tuition paid because that's what I want; Update: Landlord asks cops to clear Zuccotti Park — for cleaning — An instant classic from Charles Cooke at NRO, and also the two most excruciating minutes you'll spend today.

Discussion: NY1.com, Daily Kos and The Lonely Conservative

Bloomberg:

Buffett's Son Defends Occupy Wall Street — Howard Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A) director and son of Chairman Warren Buffett, said Wall Street protesters were provoked by abuses from corporations amid a widening disparity between rich and poor.

Discussion: Deal Journal

Patricia Zengerle / Yahoo! News:
Most Americans aware of Wall Street protests: Reuters/Ipsos

Discussion: CNN, Al's Journal, The Politico and Politics Plus

Rolling Stone:
My Advice to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

Discussion: Political Mojo, Business Insider and Mediaite

Max Abelson / Bloomberg:
Wall Street Sees ‘No Exit’ From Woes

Discussion: Hullabaloo, ECHIDNE of the snakes, Balloon Juice, Deal Journal, New York Magazine and The Awl

The New Republic:
Protests and Power — Should liberals support Occupy Wall Street?

Discussion: NY Daily News, Firedoglake, The Crawdad Hole, Business Insider, Washington Post, Rasmussen Reports, The Atlantic Online, Oliver Willis and National Review

Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review:
OWS Protester Wants College Paid for Because That Is What He Wants

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and Weasel Zippers

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:

Obama campaign reports raising $70 million in third quarter — President Obama's reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee reported Thursday raising $70 million in the third quarter. — The campaign and the DNC reported that, combined, 606,027 people donated to the campaign …

Discussion: CNN, The Crawdad Hole and The 1600 Report

Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:

Obama Surges Past Money-Making Goal — The Obama Campaign and Democratic National Committee raised a combined nearly $70 million for the 2012 campaign from July through September, the groups reported today in an email to supporters. — Obama for America brought in $42.8 million …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Associated Press:

Obama Raises More Than $70 Million — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's campaign raised more than $70 million combined for his re-election and the Democratic party during the summer, an amount that gives him a clear advantage over his Republican rivals but is less than his initial fundraising effort.

Discussion: Business Insider, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

Paul Krugman:

I Am Not Your Mirror Image — Russ Roberts tries to debunk my explanation of the reasons to believe in a broadly Keynesian view of the world — and reveals more than he intended. — First, a few points. Roberts treats my statement that we have a lot of evidence on the effects of monetary policy …

Discussion: Eschaton, The Enterprise Blog, DownWithTyranny! and Cafe Hayek

Matthew Yglesias / ThinkProgress:
Keynesianism And Big Government

Discussion: Cafe Hayek and Grasping Reality …

Stephen Clark / Fox News:

Solar Firm That Received $1.2 Billion Federal Loan Plagued by Financial Problems — With the Solyndra scandal still swirling, the Obama administration is under pressure to reveal the financial condition of the solar companies that received $4.75 billion in similar federal loan guarantees on the last day of the program.

Discussion: Questions and Observations and Weasel Zippers

Robert F. Worth / New York Times:

Odd Turn for Mansour Arbabsiar, Suspect in Iranian Plot — WASHINGTON — His nickname was Scarface, the legacy of a brutal knife attack on a dark Houston street three decades ago that left his left cheek permanently marred. Friends and neighbors in Texas said that he could be gruff and intimidating …

Discussion: gary's choices, The Lede, The Caucus, Rod Dreher, The Agonist and ThinkProgress

U.S. Department of the Treasury:
Treasury Sanctions Five Individuals Tied to Iranian Plot to Assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador …

Discussion: emptywheel, The Long War Journal, Hot Air, Danger Room, Pat Dollard, New York Times, Informed Comment, ABCNEWS and CNN

Associated Press:

Nearly 8-in-10 Americans now see country on the wrong track — Somehow, 16% of likely American voters still believe the country is doing swell. — Rescue teams are out looking for them right now. — Sixteen percent is not much of a political base for President Obama to build a 2012 reelection campaign on.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

Japanese Government Nixed Idea of Obama Visiting, Apologizing for, Hiroshima* — In September 2009, US Ambassador to Japan John Roos reported to the Obama administration that the Japanese government did not think it was a good idea for President Obama to visit Hiroshima to apologize …

Discussion: Power Line, American Thinker, Mediaite, Hot Air, Verum Serum, Little Green Footballs, Investor's Business Daily and National Review

David Frum / FrumForum:

Conceding One to the Critics — As readers of this site have no doubt noticed, I'm not one who is greatly troubled by hostile criticism. — On the other hand, sometimes the critics make a valid point. When they do, I'm not too obstinate to concede. — For years, I've shared …

Discussion: Right Wing News, NewsBusters.org blogs, Campaign 2012 and The Daily Caller

Alex Katz / Boston Globe:

Scott Brown web message mirrors 2002 Elizabeth Dole speech — WASHINGTON - A Democratic group has unearthed a bit of inspirational autobiography on Senator Scott Brown's official website that was lifted verbatim from a 2002 campaign speech by Elizabeth Dole.

Discussion: The Politico, msnbc.com, Blue Mass Group, The Political Carnival and Gawker

Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:

DOJ: Feds Can Tell Church Who Its Ministers Will Be — In yet another stunning attack on freedom of religion, President Barack Obama's Justice Department asked the Supreme Court last week to give the federal government the power to tell a church who its ministers will be.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and Don Surber

Jason Clayworth / Iowa Caucuses:

Five questions for Rick Perry — 1. You've been criticized over the racial slur that a rock once bore outside the hunting camp you leased, and for opposing removal of Confederate symbols from state buildings. Do Northerners just not understand the ways of Texans?

Discussion: Washington Post and GOP 12

Nick Davies / Guardian:

Wall Street Journal circulation scam claims senior Murdoch executive — Andrew Langhoff resigns as European publishing chief after exposure of secret channels of cash to help boost sales figures — One of Rupert Murdoch's most senior European executives has resigned following Guardian inquiries …

Discussion: msnbc.com, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, News Hounds, Felix Salmon, naked capitalism, The New Republic, Poynter, Wall Street Journal, Wonkette, Angry Bear and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

Keith Koffler / White House Dossier:

The Obamas Subtly Begin to Play Racial Politics — Are you a Republican? Are you a racist? Because if you ask the Obamas, the answer is that you just might be. — Ever so subtly, the Obamas - yes, her too - appear to be playing the race card. They are turning this into a “values” …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Biden Warns of More Rapes and Murders If Jobs Bill Is Not Passed — In Flint, Michigan, Vice President Joe Biden suggested that more rapes and murders could occur if President Barack Obama's jobs bill is not passed. — “In 2008, when Flint had 265 sworn officers on their police force …