How low can he go?  —  Everyone has probably heard the corny “I once caught a fish this big” joke.  A guy boasts about the size of the fish he reeled in, but when pressed, he gradually reduces the actual size of his catch.  The little comedic routine is about exaggeration.  —  I wonder if Mitt Romney has heard it.

Four Pinocchios for ‘King of Bain’  —  Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. … — Voice-over from “King of Bain” video promoted by a pro-Newt Gingrich super PAC, “Winning Our Future.”  —  Newt Gingrich, meet Michael Moore!  —  The 29-minute video “King of Bain” is such an over-the-top assault …

Rick Perry Lists 3 Departments He'd Cut, But Adds One, Misses Another  —  BLUFFTON, S.C. - Oops he did it again.  When asked to name and provide the number of federal departments he'd eliminate as president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry managed to list three, but they weren't the three agencies …

Obama seeks more power to merge agencies, streamline government  —  President Obama asked Congress on Friday for the power to consolidate parts of the federal government, proposing a first step of merging several trade- and commerce-related agencies under a plan that the White House …

CNN's Loesch champions Marine video  —  CNN political analyst Dana Loesch celebrated the U.S. Marines who appear to have urinated on the bodies of dead Taliban members during her radio show on Thursday.  —  “Now we have a bunch of progressives that are talking smack about our military …

U.S. Warns Top Iran Leader Not to Shut Strait of Hormuz  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is relying on a secret channel of communication to warn Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that closing the Strait of Hormuz is a “red line” that would provoke an American response …

Ringing Finally Ended, but There's No Button to Stop Shame  —  They were baying for blood in the usually polite precincts of Avery Fisher Hall.  —  The unmistakably jarring sound of an iPhone marimba ring interrupted the soft and spiritual final measures of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 at the New York Philharmonic on Tuesday night.

Allen West on the Marines Incident: ‘Shut Your Mouth, War Is Hell’  —  Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army lieutenant colonel, sends THE WEEKLY STANDARD an email commenting on the Marines' video, and has given us permission to publish it.  —  “I have sat back and assessed the incident …

Bob Kerrey returns fire on Karl Rove  —  Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) has returned fire from Karl Rove's American Crossroads group, seeking to reinforce his connections to the state.  —  Rove's group is running radio ads blasting Kerrey, who is mulling a Senate run in Nebraska but has lived …

Tax dollars backing some “risky” energy projects  —  PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  WASHINGTON - Solar panel maker Solyndra received a $528 million Energy Department loan in 2009 - and went bankrupt last year.  The government's risky investment strategy didn't stop there, as a CBS News investigation …

Tea Party may get rebuffed in tax cut showdown  —  (Reuters) - House Speaker John Boehner, hoping to spare fellow Republicans a second embarrassing defeat over payroll tax cuts, is prepared to navigate around rebellious Tea Party-aligned lawmakers to get a deal, according to congressional aides.

Chris Christie praises Obama political skills  —  In a wide-ranging interview with Oprah Winfrey, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has kind words for President Barack Obama, calling him “charismatic,” “genuine” and “as good a politician as I've ever seen.”  —  Winfrey, who is a well-known friend …

Proposed State Bathroom Bill Would Limit Transgender Options  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A bill that would limit who could enter public restrooms has been filed in the Tennessee General Assembly.  The proposed legislation would restrict access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex …

Nine reasons Michele Bachmann's campaign fizzled  —  Michele Bachmann speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's straw poll in Ames Aug.13.  Her first place finish that day was the height of her campaign's success.  It tipped downward after that.  (Register file photo)

Dude, where's my candidate?  —  A new group that hopes to tap into a rising appetite for a third-party presidential challenger has discovered that $30 million in secret cash can buy ballot access and attention, but not necessarily a dream candidate.  —  The group, Americans Elect …

Woman says her fake penis got her fired  —  IS THAT a Fruit-A-Freeze in your pocket - or are you just happy to see me?  —  A northeastern Pennsylvania woman is suing a South Jersey-based maker of frozen treats and other snack foods, claiming that she was wrongfully fired because she wore a prosthetic penis to work.