Brutal Newt Gingrich Ad in the Works  —  Newt Gingrich is responding to last night's debate with a brutal new ad accusing Romney of trying to mislead, deceive, and distort his way to the White House.  —  Here's the money line: “What kind of man would mislead, distort and deceive just to win an election?

Associates: Paul pursued strategy of publishing controversial newsletters  —  Ron Paul, well known as a physician, congressman and libertarian , has also been a businessman who pursued a marketing strategy that included publishing provocative, racially charged newsletters to make money and spread his ideas …

Elliott Abrams Caught Misleading on Newt  —  As Ronald Reagan used to say: Well...  Yesterday we took note of former Reagan State Department official Elliott Abrams' piece over at NRO that went after Newt Gingrich on his relationship with Reagan.  While voting regularly with Reagan …

No Need to Panic About Global Warming  —  There's no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to ‘decarbonize’ the world's economy.  —  Editor's Note: The following has been signed by the 16 scientists listed at the end of the article:  —  A candidate for public office …

Tyler's grandkid: Newt's a ‘jerk’  —  President John Tyler's grandson Harrison Tyler, 84, says he's not impressed with the state of politics today and particularly thinks Newt Gingrich is a “big jerk” for his three marriages.  —  Incredibly, President Tyler, who was born in 1790 and became …

Yes, the Romneys Converted Mitt's Dead Atheist Father-in-Law to Mormonism  —  Gawker's substantial Mormon readership has come through for us: Two readers have sent us confirmation that Edward Davies, Mitt Romney's militantly atheist father-in-law, was indeed posthumously converted to Mormonism …

Biden: Dems will take the House  —  CAMBRIDGE, Md. —House Democrats will win the House in November, swinging the gavel back into the hands of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Vice President Biden predicted Friday.  —  “Nancy, I think, is not going to be remembered just for being the first woman Speaker …

North Carolina GOP Lawmaker Calls For Bringing Back Public Hangings, Starting With Abortion Providers  —  The last legal public hanging in America took place in 1936 in Owensboro, Kentucky.  The “event” attracted 20,000 people and turned into such a sickening spectacle that many credit it with ending the practice in the U.S.

Sounding Off  —  At the risk of sounding like the shtetl police, there's a right way and a wrong way for American Jews to argue with one another.  The right way focuses on whose ideas are better—for America, for Israel, for the Jewish community, and for the world.

FRC: ‘Rebel Fleet Surrenders to Gay Empire’  —  After first going after Girl Scout cookies, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins is now attacking the game Star Wars: The Old Republic for allowing same-sex relationships.  Stephen Reid of Bioware announced that players in the MMO …

Texas Dems, minority groups near huge win with redistricting settlement  —  The Texas state attorneys defending the state's GOP-drawn redistricting plans from court challenges have reached out to settle litigation, according to sources in the state.  The settlement would give minority groups …

Voters polarized over Barack Obama, poll finds  —  President Obama's third year in office elicited some of the most polarized job approval ratings ever, as the differences between Republican and Democratic views of the president stood at near-record highs, a new survey shows.

Senate Dems should force GOP to hold vote on Buffett Rule  —  Picture this scenario.  The Senate holds a high-profile vote on a proposal focused directly on implementing the Buffett Rule, one that would bring the current tax rate for millionaires paying lower rates on investments up to 30 percent.

Lee vows to block Obama nominees  —  Fuming over President Barack Obama's four recess appointments, freshman Sen. Mike Lee signaled on Thursday he'll go it alone and try to block the president's nominations this year, even as many other GOP senators worry that going nuclear is a bad political tactic.

Mitt Romney's Tax Problem … This has been interpreted as a dig at Mitt Romney, whose personal wealth and comparatively low tax rate have been front-and-center in the campaign these past weeks.  Romney finally released his tax returns on Thursday, revealing a 2010 income of $27 million and a federal tax rate of 13.9%.

Obama Administration And Banks Near Deal On Mortgage Fraud Legal Liability … REACT:  —  FOLLOW:  —  Foreclosure Crisis, Home Foreclosures, Subprime Mortgage Crisis, Subprime Mortgages, Video, Banking Crisis, Foreclosure Fraud, Obama Mortgage Crisis, Mortgage Fraud Settlement …