memeorandum: Nearly 8-in-10 Americans now see country on the wrong track (Associated Press)

10:15 AM ET, October 13, 2011

Top Items:

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: The Caucus, New York Times, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather, ParaPundit, The Hill and Connecting.the.Dots

Wall Street Journal:

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

Mark Murray / msnbc.com:

NBC/WSJ poll: Cain now leads GOP pack — The pizza CEO's ascent, and Perry's decline — probably not the last shakeup — Below: — Deputy political director — updated 2011-10-12T22:28:08 — Fueled by Tea Party supporters, conservatives and high-interest GOP primary voters …

Discussion: Political Insider, Washington Post, Scared Monkeys, The Atlantic Online, The Other McCain and Reuters

The Politico:
President Obama's campaign sets sights on Mitt Romney

Discussion: Ballot Box, CNN, ABCNEWS, Hot Air, New York Magazine and Mediaite

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

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

Corky Siemaszko / NY Daily News:

Lech Walesa, former Polish president, to visit New York in support of Occupy Wall Street — Solidarity hero Lech Walesa is flying to New York to show his support for the Occupy Wall Street protesters. — “How could I not respond,” Walesa told a Polish newspaper Wednesday.

Discussion: Firedoglake

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: Reuters, NY1.com and The Lonely Conservative

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

Discussion: CNN and The Politico

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

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and Weasel Zippers

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: The Crawdad Hole, Business Insider, Washington Post, Rasmussen Reports, The Atlantic Online, Oliver Willis and National Review

Rolling Stone:
My Advice to the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

Discussion: Political Mojo, Business Insider and Mediaite

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: Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

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

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 …

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

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: ABCNEWS, The Politico, msnbc.com, New York Magazine, Blue Mass Group, The Political Carnival and Gawker

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

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

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

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 and The Agonist

Frank Newport / Gallup:

In U.S., Support for Death Penalty Falls to 39-Year Low — Fifty-two percent say the death penalty is applied fairly — PRINCETON, NJ — Sixty-one percent of Americans approve of using the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, down from 64% last year.

Discussion: The Raw Story and The Politico

Jason Clayworth / Iowa Caucuses:

Five questions for Rick Perry — Perry spoke to a large crowd at the Des Moines Register Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair last month. (Justin Hayworth/The Des Moines Register) — 1. You've been criticized over the racial slur that a rock once bore outside the hunting camp you leased …

Discussion: Washington Post and GOP 12

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

Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:

Ben Nelson's Ads May Break New Ground — WASHINGTON — A new series of political advertisements on behalf of an embattled Nebraska senator could open the door to a flood of similar ads financed by outside groups and even businesses working directly with political candidates — a sharp departure from past practice.

Discussion: Hotline On Call

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

James Dao / New York Times:

Denied Veterans Benefits Over Same-Sex Marriage, Ex-Sailor Challenges Law — In what experts say is the first case of its kind, a disabled Navy veteran from Connecticut is challenging the constitutionality of two federal laws that define marriage as being between opposite-sex partners …