NBC poll: Mitt Romney, Ron Paul neck-and-neck in Iowa; Newt Gingrich in 5th  —  In the past two weeks, support has fallen sharply in Iowa for Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich.  NBC's Chuck Todd reports.  —  By NBC's Mark Murray  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney …

Romney son makes Obama birth certificate joke  —  After getting a question about whether Mitt Romney will release his income tax returns in Concord, N.H., Romney's son Matt made a crack about President Obama's college grades and birth certificate:

In early book, Rep. Ron Paul criticized AIDS patients, minority rights and sexual harassment victims  —  Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - Texas Rep. Ron Paul has distanced himself from a series of controversial newsletters from the 1980s and 1990s that bore his name and included inflammatory and racially charged language.

Keynes Was Right  —  “The boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity at the Treasury.”  So declared John Maynard Keynes in 1937, even as F.D.R. was about to prove him right by trying to balance the budget too soon, sending the United States economy — which had been steadily recovering …

Have the youth given up on Obama?  —  Editor's Note: Brad Chase is a partner with Capitol Media Partners, a Los Angeles-based communications and public affairs consultancy.  —  By Brad Chase - Special to CNN  —  In 2008, the youth vote helped sweep Barack Obama into office.

Gingrich Floats Choosing Sarah Palin as Vice President, Energy Secretary  —  Last night during a tele-town hall hosted by Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition, a caller asked Newt Gingrich if he would consider choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate if he wins the Republican nomination.

Norman Lear on fighting the good fight  —  The Occupy Wall Street movement has unleashed patriotic outrage.  If you don't want to camp out or protest in the street, find another way to let your voice be heard in the new year.  —  Occupy Wall Street protesters carry American flags up Seventh Avenue toward Times Square.

Mitt Romney: ‘I Am Not A Wall Street Guy, Classically Defined’ … 2012 Election , Mitt Romney , Elections 2012 , Iowa Caucuses , Mitt Romney Iowa , Mitt Romney Iowa Caucus , Romney Iowa , Caucus , Iowa Caucus , Iowa Caucus 2012 , Iowa Caucuses 2012 , Mitt Romney 2012 , Mitt Romney Wall Street …

Fox Apologizes For Poll Asking If Jews Killed Jesus Christ  —  Fox Latin America was trying to promote a National Geographic Christmas special on Facebook.  So a staffer set up a poll for users to drum up some interest ahead of the program.  The problem?  The staffer who set up the poll …

York: Romney briefed church on abortion stance  —  In 1993, Mitt Romney was a successful businessman with an urge to enter public life and a plan to challenge Ted Kennedy for a Senate seat from Massachusetts.  —  Romney was also a high-ranking official in the Mormon church …

RSS Feeds … CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Four protesters, including the spokesman of Occupy Charlotte, were charged after setting fire to two American flags early Friday near the Occupy camp in Center City, police said.  —  Charlotte-Mecklenburg police weren't sure earlier if the four men …

Electric car company that received a $529M federal loan recalls vehicles  —  An electric vehicle manufacturer that received a $529 million loan from the Energy Department is recalling 239 vehicles.  —  The Transportation Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) …

Ohio Rep. Steve Austria to retire, sparing GOP a primary showdown  —  Rep. Steve Austria (R-Ohio), forced by redistricting into a primary scuffle against a fellow Republican, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection to the House.  —  The decision spares the GOP a potentially chaotic intraparty showdown for the seat.