Gingrich at top of pack for first time in CNN polling  —  Washington (CNN) - Newt Gingrich tops the list in the race for the GOP nomination, according to a new national survey.  —  And a CNN/ORC International Poll released on the eve of a CNN presidential debate focusing heavily …

Poll: ‘Occupy’ movement fails to capture Americans' interest  —  A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows that the “Occupy” movement has failed to capture the attention of a majority of Americans, indicating either ambivalence toward it or lack of interest.  —  The poll finds that 56% of Americans surveyed …

When Did the GOP Lose Touch With Reality?  —  Some of my Republican friends ask if I've gone crazy.  I say: Look in the mirror.  —  It's a very strange experience to have your friends think you've gone crazy.  Some will tell you so.  Others will indulgently humor you.  Still others will avoid you.

No, ‘both sides’ aren't equally to blame for supercommittee failure  —  Here's why the supercommittee is failing, in one sentence: Democrats wanted the rich to pay more in taxes towards deficit reduction, and Republicans wanted the rich to pay less in taxes towards deficit reduction.

Gingrich: CBO a ‘reactionary socialist institution’  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Look out budget wonks, Newt Gingrich is comin' for you.  —  The former Speaker of the House labeled the Congressional Budget Office a “reactionary socialist institution” during a speech on Social Security reform in New Hampshire on Monday.

Boehner blames Obama for failure of supercommittee to reach a deal  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is blaming President Obama for the failure of the congressional supercommittee to reach a deal for cutting the federal deficit.  —  The Speaker's office sent out a memo Monday morning …

Herman Cain and the Holy Land Experience  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — By the time Herman Cain took the stage, Jesus had already been crucified, resurrected and returned to Earth to collect the faithful once that day.  —  Cain made a campaign stop Friday at The Holy Land Experience …

When Did Liberals Become So Unreasonable?  —  If every Democratic president disappoints, maybe there's something wrong with our expectations.  Tough love from a fellow traveler.  —  “The disappointment and disillusionment with President Clinton are widespread.”  —Bob Herbert, New York Times, 1993

Bloomberg's Plan for World Domination  —  With an army of reporters and wonky information services, the media company is expanding from Wall Street to Washington, Where it hopes to control—even more.  —  Bloomberg was everywhere, like Bloomberg likes to be.

The Occupy Movement's Woman Problem  —  Women may be the 51%, but the Occupy camps and General Assemblies look as gender-imbalanced as Congress  —  “I'm called ‘that white bitch who gets everything she wants’ at the GA's,” says Elise Whitaker, 21, adopting a bit of a defiant posture.

What Killed JFK  —  The hate that ended his presidency is eerily familiar.  —  Thanksgiving week is a milestone for Barack Obama, but not one that many are likely to commemorate.  The president who seemed poised to inherit John F. Kennedy's mantle—in the eyes of Kennedy's last surviving child …

Exclusive: CIA Spies Caught, Fear Execution in Middle East  —  In a significant failure for the United States in the Mideast, more than a dozen spies working for the CIA in Iran and Lebanon have been caught and the U.S. government fears they will be or have been executed …

No, Congress did not declare pizza a vegetable  —  There are many ways for Congress to frustrate the American people.  A high-profile failure to cut $1.2 trillion from the deficit, for example.  But declaring pizza sauce a vegetable?  That, it turns out, might work even better.

Alleged Jerry Sandusky victim leaves school because of bullying, counselor says  —  Victim One, the first known alleged victim of abuse by former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, had to leave his school in the middle of his senior year because of bullying, his counselor said Sunday.

Romney Admits He Destroyed Government Records To Keep Them From Political Opponents  —  Last week, a Boston Globe investigation uncovered that former Gov. Mitt Romney's administration destroyed emails, purchased hard drives, and otherwise obliterated all digital records of his time as governor of Massachusetts.

This Is the Pepper Spray Police Used on UC Davis Protesters (Updated)  —  We're awaiting confirmation from UC-Davis police, but after examining photos and videos of the incident, this is what we believe campus police used against the Occupy Wall Street protesters at UC Davis this weekend.  It's nasty.

The ‘Dump Obama’ movement has begun; Guess who'd replace him?  —  Faced with peanut-sized Jimmy Carter poll numbers, disturbing big-donor reluctance, unacceptable unemployment and depressing economic forecasts, President Obama heads back on the road tomorrow to do what he always does when in trouble:

Left blogs cheer supercommittee's collapse  —  Judging by the reaction from the blogosphere, the deficit supercommittee's failure is a victory for the left.  —  Liberal bloggers are praising the widely expected collapse in bipartisan talks and the apparent failure of supercommittee to come …

Teen in gay-student slaying case agrees to 21-year prison term  —  This post has been corrected.  See the note at the bottom for details.  —  The Oxnard teen who shot a gay classmate he believed was flirting with him has agreed to spend the next 21 years in prison, a plea deal that ends …

Mika Brzezinski's Anti-Newt Rant Drives Her To Emotional Brink  —  Shades of “Special Comment”!  In a rant worthy of Keith Olbermann at the height of his Miss Precious Perfect histrionics, Mika Brezinski began today's Morning Joe by tearing into Newt Gingrich for his recent suggestion …