memeorandum: Romney avoids weighing in on Ohio union fight (CNN)

10:00 PM ET, October 25, 2011

Top Items:

Romney avoids weighing in on Ohio union fight — Terrace Park, Ohio (CNN) -Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stepped into the middle of the charged battle over organized labor in Ohio on Tuesday, but he avoided weighing in on the contentious legislation that would dramatically limit …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Wire, Slate, The Columbus Dispatch, Guardian, New York Magazine, Ballot Box, Daily Kos, The Page, The Caucus, The Hill, Ben Smith's Blog and Taegan Goddard's …

CBS News:

Herman Cain tops Mitt Romney in latest CBS/NYT poll — CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. — Businessman Herman Cain is now atop the field of Republican White House hopefuls, squeaking past former Massachusetts …

John Harwood / The Caucus:

10 Questions for Rick Perry — Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is seeking to jump-start his Republican presidential campaign by proposing a new tax system: a 20 percent flat rate on individual and corporate income, down from the current 35 percent top rate, and elimination of existing taxes on estates, capital gains and dividends.

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:

“An Incredible Moment in Politics.” Mitt Romney Won't Go There. — Hey Rick Perry, if you weren't trying to have fun with birtherism, this would probably be a much bigger media story today. Peter Hamby over at CNN referred to it as “an incredible moment in politics.”

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Business Insider, Third Base Politics, The PJ Tatler, National Review, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, Campaign 2012 and Prairie Weather

Scott Johnson / Power Line:

Mr. Romney regrets — Over at Ricochet, Troy Senik draws attention to a Politico story on Mitt Romney's visit to Ohio today. Polico reports that during the visit Romney declined to state his position on a high-profile referendum there on the new state law that curtails the bargaining rights of public employee unions.

Discussion: Ricochet Conversation Feed and Chicago Boyz

Conn Carroll / Campaign 2012:

Romney refuses to back Kasich against govt unions — Campaigning in Ohio today, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stopped by a Republican Party phone-bank making calls in support of Gov. John Kasich's government union reform referendum, but refused to endorse the actual referendum.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit and Riehl World View

Quinnipiac University:
Opposition To Ohio's SB 5 Grows, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Women, Union Members Push Kasich Deeper In Hole

Discussion: bizjournals, Crooks and Liars, Washington Post, Third Base Politics, msnbc.com, Daily Kos and Hotline On Call

CNN:
Perry takes sides in Ohio union fight after Romney dodges issue

Discussion: Pat Dollard, The Politico and Washington Wire

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Romney refuses to defend Kasich on PEU reform? …

Discussion: 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, Michelle Malkin, GOP 12, The Right Scoop and Cincinnati.com

Hwilkinson / Politics Extra:
Romney visits GOP call center, sidesteps Ohio issues

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Plunderbund, Daily Kos and The Maddow Blog

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
81 Percent of GOP Primary Voters in Play

Discussion: American Spectator, Race 4 2012, Eunomia and Pat Dollard

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Romney supported Kasich laws in June

Discussion: ThinkProgress

First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: The most meaningful contest of 2011?

Discussion: Washington Post, Big Journalism, Austin American-Statesman and New York Magazine

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly: No Profile in Courage award for you, Mitt

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

It's on: Republicans slam Elizabeth Warren for embracing Occupy Wall Street — Wow, this is going to be good: Occupy Wall Street is now officially an issue in what may be the highest-profile and most polarizing Senate race in the country. — National Republicans are now attacking Elizabeth Warren …

Discussion: TBogg, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo and Campaign 2012

The Daily Beast:

Who's Afraid of Elizabeth Warren? — The Harvard professor has spooked the right. As she begins her high-profile Senate campaign against GOP star Scott Brown in Massachusetts, the consumer advocate tells Samuel P. Jacobs how she created ‘much of the intellectual foundation’ for the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Smoking Gun, The Atlantic Online, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, The Hill, Washington Post, techPresident and Pew Research Center …

Joe Coscarelli / New York Magazine:
Occupy Wall Street: The Book

Discussion: JammieWearingFool and Runnin' Scared, more at Mediagazer »

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Elizabeth Warren takes credit for the Occupy Wall Street protests

Discussion: Washington Post, CANNONFIRE, City Room and Hot Air

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

EXCLUSIVE: GOP governors blast birther gambit — Texas Gov. Rick Perry's decision to delve back into birtherism — on CNBC and on the day he is rolling out an economic plan — has struck a nerve with responsible GOP officials and insiders. Two prominent governors have now gone on record with Right Turn to express their displeasure.

Discussion: The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, Washington Monthly, Business Insider and Los Angeles Times

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
EXCLUSIVE: Jeb Bush denounces birtherism

Discussion: The Hill, Naked Politics, Riehl World View and Booman Tribune

The Huffington Post:
Haley Barbour To GOP Field: Drop The Birther Talk

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, The Hill, The PJ Tatler, ThinkProgress, Business Insider and CNN

Geneva Sands-Sadowitz / The Hill:

Wasserman Schultz blasts Perry's flat tax plan as ‘definition of insanity’ — Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wassserman Schultz slammed Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry's tax plan, saying his flat tax proposal would benefit the wealthiest Americans at the expense …

Discussion: CNN and Weasel Zippers

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Flat Tax Outpaces 9-9-9 in Poll, Notably Among Conservatives

Discussion: Daily Kos

John Harwood / CNBC: Rick Perry: 'I Don't Care' If Tax Plan Helps the Rich

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Perry campaign calls on Romney to release tax returns

Discussion: USA Today, Mediaite, GOP 12, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and National Review

CBO's Latest 10 Documents:

TRENDS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME BETWEEN 1979 AND 2007 — Text-only. The full version of the summary may include tables, charts, and footnotes. — AFTER-TAX INCOME GREW MORE FOR HIGHEST-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS — After-tax income for the highest-income households grew more than it did for any other group.

Discussion: Reuters, Political Mojo, Real Time Economics and Business Insider

Douglas Elmendorf / Director's Blog:
Trends in the Distribution of Income

Discussion: Business Insider

New York Times:

Distrust of Government Grows Amid Fears, Poll Finds — With Election Day just over a year away, a deep sense of economic anxiety and doubt about the future hangs over the nation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, with Americans' distrust of government at its highest level ever.

Discussion: Hot Air, Booman Tribune, CBS News, Business Insider and The Caucus

Allison Kopicki / The Caucus:
Most Republican Primary Voters Remain Uncommitted

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Hullabaloo, ABCNEWS, Washington Post, Questions and Observations, Daniel W. Drezner, Guardian, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, 2012 US Elections, Indecision Forever, Hotline On Call, Business Insider and GOP 12

Erik Wasson / The Hill:

White House backs Republican measure repealing 3% tax rule — The White House announced Tuesday that it supports passage of a House Republican bill intended to boost job creation and due up for a vote on Thursday. — The bill repeals a requirement that the federal government withhold 3 percent …

Discussion: The Politico

Joe Garofoli / San Francisco Chronicle:
Obama freezes local reporters out of S.F. event

Discussion: BizzyBlog, more at Mediagazer »

San Francisco Chronicle:

Cops arrest Occupy Oakland protesters — (10-25) 05:58 PDT OAKLAND — Oakland police arrested dozens of people at a plaza outside City Hall, two weeks after the protesters began building an intricate encampment as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement against corporate greed and economic inequality.

insideBayArea:
Ousted protesters marching back to Frank Ogawa Plaza

Discussion: Hot Air

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Vice President Biden complains after dust-up with conservative reporter — Joe Biden's office has complained to the Senate press gallery about a confrontation the vice president had with a conservative journalist last week on Capitol Hill. — Biden aides asked whether Senate rules were broken …

Discussion: CNN, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, Don Surber, JammieWearingFool, Wake up America, Campaign 2012, The Sundries Shack, RedState, iOwnTheWorld.com, Sense of Events, NewsBusters.org blogs, Weasel Zippers, Michelle Malkin and The PJ Tatler, more at Mediagazer »

John Hayward / Human Events:
Thug Administration: White House Wants Jason Mattera Investigated for Biden Question

Discussion: The Daily Caller, TBogg and The Gateway Pundit

Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:

A 53% Surge in Poverty Rate Is Reshaping Suburbs — PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — The poor population in America's suburbs — long a symbol of a stable and prosperous American middle class — rose by more than half after 2000, forcing suburban communities across the country to re-evaluate their identities and how they serve their populations.

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Gawker, The Maddow Blog, Wonkette, Prairie Weather and Chicago Sun Times

Marie Diamond / ThinkProgress:

Televangelist Pat Robertson Calls GOP Field Too ‘Extreme’ To Win General Election — You know you've hit rock bottom when one of the most radical, hate-spewing figures in America calls you “extreme.” That's how televangelist Pat Robertson described the field of GOP candidates, Right Wing Watch reports.

Discussion: Mediaite, Right Wing Watch, Mario Piperni dot Com, Crooks and Liars, The Reaction, Wonkette and Outside the Beltway

Josh Hafner / Iowa Caucuses:

Cain's Mark Block says ‘no subliminal message’ in new ad, discourages smoking — Mark Block in Cain's new ad. (thehermancain/YouTube.com) — Herman Cain's chief of staff, Mark Block, is still buzzing from a viral campaign ad on YouTube featuring some quick camera work …