Newt Gingrich: I crossed the line  —  SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Newt Gingrich signaled Wednesday that he believes his criticism of Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital is a mistake — and that he's created an impression that he was echoing Democratic rhetoric.  —  Gingrich conceded the problem …

A tale of two speeches  —  After watching Mitt Romney's speech in New Hampshire last night, I went back and watched Barack Obama's speech in New Hampshire, delivered almost exactly four years ago.  The contrast told me quite a bit about the two candidates.  —  Obama, who'd just lost …

Axelrod Defends Jeremiah Wright, Says He Was Victim of Selective Editing  —  David Axelrod, chief political strategist for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign and former White House political adviser, defended Jeremiah Wright on Tuesday evening in a speech in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Romney: Questions about Wall Street and inequality are driven by ‘envy’  —  Mitt Romney had a remarkable exchange on NBC this morning that may not be as attention-grabbing about his “fire people” gaffe — but may actually be just as revealing and significant.  And I hope it gets some attention.

VIDEO: NH poll workers shown handing out ballots in dead peoples' names  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Video footage provided exclusively to The Daily Caller shows election workers in New Hampshire giving out ballots in the names of dead voters at multiple voting precincts during the state's primary election on Tuesday.

Blaming U.S. and Israel, Iran Reports Killing of Nuclear Scientist  —  LONDON — At a time of growing tension over its nuclear program and mounting belligerence toward the West, Iran reported on Wednesday that an Iranian nuclear scientist died in what was termed a “terrorist bomb blast” …

Mercedes channels Che Guevara for car tech  —  They said it, not me.  —  “Some colleagues still think that car-sharing borders on communism,” Mercedes-Benz Chairman of the Board of Management Dieter Zetsche said onstage at CES today, speaking about Mercedes' new CarTogether initiative.

TPMDC  —  Obama's Recess Appointments Dilemma Is About To Get Worse  —  Despite making several key, contentious recess appointments since Congress left town, the Obama administration is still operating with scores of vacancies, including an unexpected hole at the top of the Office of Management and Budget.

The Liquidity Trap may soon be over  —  About a decade ago, I wrote a paper on monetary policy in the 1990s (published in this book).  I estimated the following simple formula for setting the federal funds rate:  —  Federal funds rate = 8.5 + 1.4 (Core inflation - Unemployment).

Mayor's plan to limit booze sales  —  Party pooper!  —  First, Mayor Bloomberg went after smoking in public places.  Then trans-fats, salt and sugary drinks.  —  Now Bloomberg — known for sipping fine wine and downing a cold beer from time to time — wants to crack down on alcohol sales …

High Court Reverses Conviction in Killings  —  WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the conviction of a New Orleans man, saying prosecutors there had withheld important evidence that his lawyers could have used in his defense.  —  The decision, by an 8-to-1 vote …

Rising Share of Americans See Conflict Between Rich and Poor  —  The Occupy Wall Street movement no longer occupies Wall Street, but the issue of class conflict has captured a growing share of the national consciousness.  A new Pew Research Center survey of 2,048 adults finds that about two-thirds …

Child cruelty charge after baby found alone in Occupy camp  —  An infant's cries rang through the Occupy DC encampment in McPherson Square Wednesday morning, and when a group went to investigate they found only a baby girl alone in a tent, wearing a onesie and mittens.

Warren Buffett Ready to Take Republicans' Tax Challenge  —  Warren Buffett is ready to call Republicans' tax bluff.  Last fall, Senator Mitch McConnell said that if Buffett was feeling “guilty” about paying too little in taxes, he should “send in a check.”  The jab was in response …

Bishop Romney Pressured Single Mother To Give Up Baby, Book Says  —  The Boston Globe's biography opens new windows into the candidate's time as a Mormon lay leader.  Romney was a traditionalist.  —  Republican presidential candidate former Governor Mitt Romney, left …