What search trends tell us about Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party  —  When we launched our Political Trendspotters Contest last week, we heard from a number of users who wanted us to explore the trends around the Occupy Wall Street movement.  After spending many days in the top 20 terms on Google Trends …

TRENDING: Tea party group to Bachmann: Quit the presidential race  —  (CNN) - A tea party group has a surprising and harsh urging for long-time tea party favorite Michele Bachmann: Quit the presidential race.  —  “It's time for Michelle [sic] Bachmann to go,” reads the first line of a statement …

White House turns the screws on Congress over 9 percent approval  —  A number of White House officials, sensing momentum on their side, blasted Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail, mocking recent measures and Congress's 9 percent approval rating.

Perry's right: Republicans drowning in debates  —  Everyone knows why Texas Gov. Rick Perry wants to skip some of the coming Republican presidential debates.  He's a lousy debater, and the biggest single factor in his fall from front-runner to back-in-the-pack has been his poor performance in a number of high-profile debates.

The devil is in the details and the data  —  For many analysts combing over the three-part deal to restore confidence in the eurozone, the most important things were not what was in the agreement - but what was left out.  —  On almost every major issue, particularly the second €130bn Greek bail …

House schedule too light, say Democrats  —  The House will retain its pattern of working two weeks in Washington followed by a week of district work under its 2012 legislative calendar, released Thursday by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).  —  The schedule calls for more weeks …

For liberals, income inequality is the new global warming  —  Liberals think there are lots of ideas that intelligent Americans just aren't supposed to challenge.  If they do, they'll be labeled “deniers,” intentionally raising a nasty comparison to Holocaust rejectionists.  It's politics at its absolute lowest.

Will Mitch McConnell's stiff-arm keep West Virginia out of the Big 12?  —  The most volatile issue in the Senate right now may not be the super committee's fight over budget cuts or the continued bickering over President Obama's jobs plan.  —  It's a subject far more personal …

Internal labor memo warns Ohio union fight could go either way  —  What if the public polls predicing a sizable labor win in the Ohio battle over collective bargaining are just flat-out wrong?  —  With many pundits predicting a comfortable win for unions, even pols like Mitt Romney seem to be edging away from the anti-labor side.

‘Bundlers’ for Obama Have Active Ties to Lobbying  —  WASHINGTON — Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.

Free FreeBieber.org!  Fight for the Future Faces Bogus Legal Threats  —  Americans have a long history of using parodies and satire in their political and social debates.  Whether it's the Daily Show, the Onion, or books like The Wind Done Gone, humor and poking fun can have a powerful political impact …

Bully's Brutal Assault of Gay Ohio High School Student Caught on Camera: VIDEO  —  A student at Union-Scioto High School in Chillicothe, Ohio was brutally beaten this week by another student for being gay.  Class members watched as the bully waited for the student to arrive in the classroom …

Do Crosses at Catholic University Violate “Human Rights” of Muslims?  —  The Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights confirmed that it is investigating allegations that Catholic University violated the human rights of Muslim students by not allowing them to form a Muslim student group …

Gingrich, Cain Debate Carries Big Price Tag  —  When Abraham Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas in seven counties over three months in 1858, thousands packed town squares to hear the two men face off over three hours.  And no one paid a dime for the pleasure.  —  Fast forward to Nov. 5th …

North Korea bans citizens working in Libya from returning home  —  North Korea has banned its own citizens working in Libya from returning home, apparently out of fear that they will reveal the extent - and final outcomes - of the revolutions that have shaken the Arab world.  —  North Korean leader Kim Jong-il

Richmond tea party: Charge Occupy protesters or refund $10,000 we spent to rally in Virginia  —  Richmond, Va. — The Richmond tea party is demanding a refund of about $10,000 from the city, claiming it unfairly charged them for rallies while allowing the Occupy protesters to use the same space for several weeks for free.

Official: Al-Shabaab leaders contact Kenyan government to negotiate  —  Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) — Conflicting accounts emerged Thursday over whether the extremist group Al-Shabaab has signaled a desire to negotiate with Kenya amid a Kenyan military offensive targeting the group.

Political advertising data may go online  —  Broadcasters contend that maintaining a digital political file that would appear on the Internet would be too much trouble and cost too much.  During campaign season, candidates are furiously buying ads and changing time slots, making it nearly impossible to keep up, broadcasters argue.

Defense official under investigation resigns  —  A Pentagon official who was being investigated for what whistleblowers called incompetence, extravagant spending, cronyism and “tyrannical” management has resigned.  —  The Defense Department announced Thursday that Clifford Stanley …