Cain Accuser Got a Year's Salary in Severance Pay  —  WASHINGTON — The National Restaurant Association gave $35,000 — a year's salary — in severance pay to a female staff member in the late 1990s after an encounter with Herman Cain, its chief executive at the time, made her uncomfortable working there …

Bloomberg: ‘Plain and simple,’ Congress caused the mortgage crisis, not the banks  —  Photo via British Prime Minister's Office flickr stream.  — Owners of the park at the center of the Occupy Wall Street protests are losing patience, but what can they do?  —  11:03 am Nov. 1, 20111Add a comment

Obama 'can't wait' to fight Romney  —  The funniest scene in the old hockey movie “Slap Shot” might be the one where the Hanson brothers start a fight with the other team before the game even starts.  —  Who knew that could be a parable for President Obama's reelection campaign?

The Case Against David Brooks, Man of the Privileged Few  —  I don't think it's too strident to demand at this point that David Brooks be hauled up before a jury consisting of everyone else in America and forced to defend himself against several million counts of being an insufferable twat in a public place.

Man arrested for child sex assault at Occupy Dallas camp  —  DALLAS — Dallas police have arrested a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a minor at the Occupy Dallas campsite downtown.  —  Richard Armstrong, 24, was charged with sexual assault of child and failure to register as a sex offender.

Why is Greece turning down the “bailout”  —  Make no mistake about it, the decision to hold a “referendum” is a decision to turn down the deal altogether.  The referendum will never be held.  It is scheduled for January and the current deal, which is not even a worked out deal, won't be on the table by then.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CITIZENS OF OAKLAND FROM THE OAKLAND POLICE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION  —  Oakland, Ca.  —  We represent the 645 police officers who work hard every day to protect the citizens of Oakland.  We, too, are the 99% fighting for better working conditions, fair treatment …

Jan Brewer's Sleazy Power Grab  —  Arizona's hyperpartisan governor is trying to impeach her state's redistricting board for trying to loosen Republicans' grip on congressional seats.  John Avlon on the unprecedented move.  —  This is low and cynical even by political standards.

Campaign 2012: Welcome to the slugfest  —  Forget hope and change.  President Obama's reelection campaign is going to be based on fear and loathing: fear of what a Republican takeover would mean, and loathing of whomever the Republican nominee turns out to be.

“Peace Through Strength, And Clarity:” Cain Says He Believes China May Have Nukes One Day In the Future  —  Update: Wait, Did He Just Misspeak?  Did He Mean Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carriers?  —  I'm sure this is charming, or something. … That's actually cut a bit.  The full quote from the PBS transcript:

Lawmakers to Propose Transaction Tax for Financial Firms Modeled on Europe  —  Two U.S. lawmakers will introduce measures to impose a transaction tax on financial firms that resembles a proposal released by the European Union.  —  Senator Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, and Representative Peter DeFazio …

Republicans Shift Focus From Jobs To God  —  Republicans may be trying to focus their messaging on jobs and the economy — and hammering President Barack Obama for campaigning — but they still have time for some red meat base-baiting on the House floor.  —  To wit: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's …

Major Parties Struggle for Popularity; Broad Interest in an Alternative  —  Favorable views of the Democratic Party have fallen to their lowest since the Reagan landslide of 1984.  Even fewer Americans see the Republican Party positively, and Americans by 2-1 say they'd welcome an independent alternative for president.

Background on the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)  —  In 1998, the U.S. Congress enacted the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), requiring the Federal Trade Commission to regulate commercial Web site operators of sites targeted at children or who have actual knowledge of a child's participation.

Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers  —  Frank McCourt agreed Tuesday to sell the Dodgers, abruptly surrendering the team after fighting to retain it over two years and in two courts.  —  McCourt and Major League Baseball have agreed to seek approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for an auction of the Dodgers.

Southern Manners on Decline, Some Say  —  ATLANTA — One August night, two men walked into a popular restaurant attached to this city's fanciest shopping mall.  They sat at the bar, ordered drinks and pondered the menu.  Two women stood behind them.  —  A bartender asked if they would they mind offering their seats to the ladies.