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 …

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.

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 …

Obama gets win as Congress passes free-trade agreements  —  Congress resoundingly approved long-stalled trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama late Wednesday, authorizing the most significant expansion of trade relations in nearly two decades.

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 …

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.

Jackson, Jr: Obama should ‘declare a national emergency,’ add jobs with ‘extra-constitutional’ action  —  Illinois Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. told The Daily Caller on Wednesday that congressional opposition to the American Jobs Act is akin to the Confederate “states in rebellion.”

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

Justice Dept. sues Transocean to force cooperation in Gulf rig blast probe  —  The Justice Department is suing Transocean - owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that blew up in the Gulf of Mexico last year - to force compliance with subpoenas issued by a federal agency probing the accident.

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.

DCCC touts recruitment wins  —  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is circulating a list of 60 recruits it hopes can help retake the House next fall, reaching its stated recruitment goal.  —  Almost all of the candidates on the list have previously been announced.

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 …

Air Force Insists: Drone Cockpit Virus Just a ‘Nuisance’  —  The U.S. Air Force revealed new details Wednesday about the virus that's been infecting the remote cockpits of its drone fleet — and insisted, despite reports from their own personnel, that the infection was properly and easily contained.

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.