Polling the Occupy Wall Street Crowd  —  In interviews, protesters show that they are leftists out of step with most American voters.  Yet Democrats are embracing them anyway.  —  President Obama and the Democratic leadership are making a critical error in embracing the Occupy Wall Street movement …

Thieves steal truck with President's equipment  —  HENRICO, VA (WWBT) - NBC12 has uncovered one of those stories that makes you think: “How in the world does that happen?!”  A truck filled with President Obama's podiums and audio equipment was stolen in Henrico just days before his visit to Chesterfield.

What the CLASS Act says about health-care reform  —  Back in January, I published an “omnibus” look at the various criticisms conservatives were lobbing at the Congressional Budget Office's score of the health-reform law.  Only one, I concluded, had real merit: the case against the CLASS Act.

Gilad Shalit reunited with family in Israel; Palestinian prisoners freed  —  TEL NOF AIR FORCE BASE, Israel — Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit returned to Israel Tuesday morning after five years of captivity in the Gaza Strip, gaunt and frail-looking but apparently healthy.

Nevada Mitt: Romney and the primary  —  At 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman filed to run in the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary.  An hour and a half later, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney held a grand opening for his state presidential campaign headquarters — in Las Vegas.

“Christopher Columbus Was the First Zionist”  —  Someone leaked a batch of emails that have been exchanged by leaders of the Occupy Wall Street group.  I've only dipped into them briefly, but some are pretty entertaining.  This thread reminded me of my days as a leftist …

United States needs to reevaluate its assistance to Israel  —  As the country reviews its spending on defense and foreign assistance, it is time to examine the funding the United States provides to Israel.  —  Let me put it another way: Nine days ago, the Israeli cabinet reacted to months …

The Great Restoration  —  If, in the 1960s, you had tried to judge America by looking at the sit-ins and Woodstock, you would have had a very distorted picture of where the country was heading.  You wouldn't have been able to predict that Richard Nixon would win the youth vote in 1972, which he did.

New Mortgage Plan Floated  —  Underwater Borrowers Current on Payments Would Get Help  —  State and federal officials are pushing a plan that could help some “underwater” borrowers get refinancing assistance in the latest government bid to break a legal impasse with big banks …

Herman Cain Was Joking About Electrified Border Fence...Err, He Might Be Serious...Err, He Doesn't Want to Offend Anyone  —  Presidential candidate Herman Cain met with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio this afternoon, but he was late to the meeting because of an unknown security threat.

WI Assemblyman Mark Pocan confronts CEO president Roger Clegg, calling him “some guy” who “came all the way from Virginia” to tell us what “all us flyover country folk don't know.”  —  I've already blogged a few times about the report of the Center for Equal Opportunity — here, here …

Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use  —  Liberals and those 18 to 29 most in favor; Americans 65 and older most opposed  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A record-high 50% of Americans now say the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from 46% last year.

Climate change pushing coffee to extinction?  —  PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  Millions of people enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but a group of scientists says that daily ritual could be on its way to extinction.  —  The driving force behind the new information is coffee giant Starbucks …

Rep. Paul: Cain's ‘9-9-9’ plan is ‘dangerous’  —  (CNN) - While Ron Paul said attacking other candidates is his “least favorite thing to do,” he didn't pull any punches Tuesday when talking about fellow GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain's ‘9-9-9’ tax proposal.

As growth lags, IMF shifts gears  —  BRUSSELS — The International Monetary Fund, known throughout its history for urging governments to slash their budgets, is now worried that a global round of austerity may trigger a new recession and is urging countries to look for ways to boost growth.

For Bachmann, a Bid to Reconnect in Iowa  —  PERRY, Iowa — Hoping for a second look from Republicans who just two months ago considered her a front-runner, Representative Michele Bachmann is going back to basics — a lot of hand-shaking and shoulder-rubbing at small events in early-voting Iowa …

Perry Campaign's Payment for Private Jet Raises Questions  —  In the first two weeks of Rick Perry's presidential campaign, his aides turned to Brian D. Pardo, a Texas businessman under investigation by federal securities regulators, to use his Cessna Citation X business jet to fly to campaign events.

K Street suffers from Twitter jitters  —  There are no smoke-filled backrooms in cyberspace — or even a spot for a simple hallway conversation.  —  So some lobbyists are shocked these days to walk into congressional offices and find staffers communicating not by phone but through Facebook.