What Ron Paul Thinks of America  —  It seemed improbable that the best-known American propagandist for our enemies could be near the top of the pack in the Iowa contest, but there it is.  —  Ron Paul's supporters are sure of one thing: Their candidate has always been consistent …

Obama shows he's confident he's beating GOP in payroll tax fight  —  President Obama, who has been on the losing end of several hard-fought battles with House Republicans, is showing that he thinks he's winning the latest tax fight.  —  While the White House—which has made it known …

Mitt Romney Rx: A bloody nose  —  Here is one way to look at Mitt Romney's challenge from Newt Gingrich: As one more humiliation delivered by Republican activists who have made clear over and over that they would really, really prefer to fall in love with someone, anyone, whose name is not Mitt Romney.

Some Occupy L.A. protesters may get a lesson in free speech  —  Prosecutors say they can avoid court trials by paying $355 to a private company for an educational program.  The irony is not lost on the anti-corporate activists, who see it as patronizing.  —  Los Angeles police officers arrest …

How Democrats Fooled California's Redistricting Commission  —  This spring, a group of California Democrats gathered at a modern, airy office building just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.  The meeting was House members only — no aides allowed — and the mission was seemingly impossible.

At least 63 killed in co-ordinated Baghdad attacks  —  Rafid Jabboori of the BBC's Arabic Service: “The worst day in 2011”  —  A wave of apparently co-ordinated bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 63 people and injured around 185, say officials.

Gingrich, the anti-conservative  —  When discussing his amazingness, Newt Gingrich sometimes exaggerates somewhat, as when, discussing Bosnia and Washington, D.C., street violence, he said, “People like me are what stand between us and Auschwitz” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jan. 16, 1994].

Lawmaker Says Michelle Obama Has ‘Large Posterior’  —  Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), known for his cantankerous ways and for not speaking to media unless it's his idea, was overheard at the Delta Crown lounge at Reagan National Airport today talking on his cellphone about an incident …

U.S. Satisfaction in 2011 Ranks as Second Lowest Since 1979  —  On average, 17% were satisfied with national conditions, ahead of only 2008's 15%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Throughout 2011, an average of 17% of Americans said they were satisfied with the way things are going in the United States.

National Income and Product Accounts Gross Domestic Product, 3rd quarter 2011 (third estimate) Corporate Profits, 3rd quarter 2011 (revised estimate)  —  Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States …

Matt Damon Blasts Obama: “One-Term President With Balls” Would Be Better  —  Matt Damon rips President Obama in Elle magazine, blasting his leadership qualities and saying he'd prefer “a one-term president with some balls who actually got stuff done.”  —  The actor, a longtime supporter …

A Central Bank Doing What It Should  —  “Talk tough, and open the vaults.”  —  That should be the slogan of Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank.  —  In recent weeks, the new president publicly insisted the central bank would never do any of the things that Germany opposed.

$335 Million Settlement on Countrywide Lending Bias  —  The Justice Department on Wednesday announced the largest residential fair-lending settlement in history, saying that Bank of America had agreed to pay $335 million to settle allegations that its Countrywide Financial unit discriminated …