Crony Capitalism Comes Home  —  Whenever I write about Occupy Wall Street, some readers ask me if the protesters really are half-naked Communists aiming to bring down the American economic system when they're not doing drugs or having sex in public.  —  The answer is no. That alarmist view …

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan Says She Will Minimize Police Presence And That She Supports The Movement  —  After the first heavy-handed police crackdown on demonstrators in Oakland, Mayor Jean Quan wrote a statement on her Facebook page praising police for closing down the Occupy Oakland protest encampment.

Occupy Oakland: Mayor Quan Issues Contrite Statement after Police Crackdown  —  Late last night, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan issued a statement about the police crackdown against Occupied Oakland protesters.  In it, she expressed concern for those injured and a commitment to minimize police presence in Frank Ogawa plaza, at least for now.

Herman Cain, Outlier  —  Herman Cain, the Georgia businessman who has never held elected office, is tied for the lead in national polls of Republican voters — or perhaps even slightly ahead of Mitt Romney, as he was in Tuesday night's New York Times/CBS News poll.

James Carville: Cain aide ‘drunk or stoned’  —  'If that guy wasn't drunk, I hadn't taken a drink in my life!'  Carville says.  AP Photo  —  James Carville says the Herman Cain adviser who raised eyebrows this week by puffing on a cigarette in a campaign video was either “drunk or stoned.”