Obama: Profit motives don't belong in the W.H.  —  DES MOINES, Iowa - President Obama celebrated the role Iowa played in his campaign in 2008 and took aim once again at Mitt Romney's business background at a campaign rally on the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday.

Turnout  —  You have to hand it to Wisconsin's electorate: they are passionate about their politics.  When we first polled the Dairy State's voters about Republican Gov. Scott Walker's plummeting approval ratings, many right-leaning types let the blogosphere know how We Ask America's minions …

The stunning chart that shows the Obama spending binge really happened  —  In a column on Tuesday, Rex Nutting of MarketWatch ran some budget numbers and concluded the following: … And here is Nutting's graph:  —  The shocking, contrarian piece was widely circulated in liberal circles …

Romney Campaign Offers Chance To Dine With Donald Trump  —  The Donald wants you!  The latest Romney fundraising contest.  Democrats attack “birther” association.  —  Source: secure.mittromney.com  —  Source: secure.mittromney.com  —  UPDATE: Melanie Roussell, DNC Press Secretary released this statement:

My break with the extreme right  —  I worked for Reagan and wrote for National Review.  But the new hysterical right cares nothing for truth or dignity  —  Gosh!  When did I end up in bed with Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber?  Could it be because I did specialize in blowing things …

Bill Clinton — SURROUNDED By Porn Stars in Monaco  —  SURROUNDED  —  By Porn Stars  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Bill Clinton just out-Clinton'd himself — posing with two famous porn stars in Monaco moments ago ... and one of them's a real up-and-comer.  —  Clinton's in a Monte Carlo casino right …

Half Of Detroit'S Streetlights May Go Out As City Shrinks  —  Detroit Residents Stay In at Night as Lights Go Out  —  Detroit, whose 139 square miles contain 60 percent fewer residents than in 1950, will try to nudge them into a smaller living space by eliminating almost half its streetlights.

Elizabeth Warren says she knows she is part Native American ‘because my mother told me so’  —  Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that she knows she has Native American ancestry because her mother told her so.  —  Warren's comments came after nearly four minutes …

CNN's Brooke Baldwin Takes Tony Perkins To The Woodshed: ‘Why Do Homosexuals Bother You So Much?’  —  Tony Perkins has been particularly loud in recent days as a voice against equal rights of marriage for same-sex couples, arguing that one minority in the society cannot define religious sacraments that …

Obama Appeared At 1996 Event Hosted By Socialist Group  —  It's a reminder that the President presented himself as much more progressive during his time in Chicago.  In this little-seen advertisement that ran in the Hyde Park Herald in 1996, Obama was listed on a panel sponsored …

What Does President Obama's May Approval Rating Tell Us About His Reelection Chances?  —  According to a Gallup Poll analysis of recent polling data on the mood of the American public, President Obama appears to face a difficult road to winning a second term in November.

Chris Matthews blasts 'horse's ass right-wingers'  —  Follow on Twitter:Follow @charliespiering  —  Chris Matthews: Jackasses, Stop Asking About Obama Speech from National Cable and Telecommunications Association on FORA.tv  —  Yes.  Chris Matthews is sick of people making fun …

Hecklers mar Romney's visit to inner-city charter school in Philadelphia  —  PHILADELPHIA - When Mitt Romney came to an inner-city charter school here Thursday to promote his new education agenda, he received something of a history lecture about the persecution of blacks in America and the struggles …

First Thoughts: Mr. 48%  —  Mr. 48%: Obama at or near 48% in all our recent polling... Is that a good thing or bad thing?... The importance of FL, OH, and VA... The importance of cell phones, too... Given the JP Morgan and Facebook news, does any political candidate want to be tied to Wall Street right now? …

Senate Dems Betray Lilly  —  A group of Democratic female senators on Wednesday declared war on the so-called “gender pay gap,” urging their colleagues to pass the aptly named Paycheck Fairness Act when Congress returns from recess next month.  However, a substantial gender pay gap exists …

Propaganda firm owner admits attacks on journalists  —  WASHINGTON - The co-owner of a major Pentagon propaganda contractor publicly admitted Thursday that he was behind a series of websites used to discredit two USA TODAY journalists who had reported on the contractor.

New digitally focused company launches this fall with beefed up online coverage; The Times-Picayune will move this fall to three printed papers a week  —  A new company - the NOLA Media Group, which will include The Times-Picayune and its affiliated web site NOLA.com - was announced today by Ricky Mathews, who will become its president.

S.E. Cupp Discusses Her Photoshopped Hustler Picture On The “View” … Sign-Up to receive Updates from TH  —  Breaking on TOWNHALL  —  Cupp in Hustler?  Bleh.  They had to have been desperate....or maybe Hengler wasn't available to fill the rethuglican witch role.

Marion Barry commits new gaffe while apologizing to Asians  —  D.C. Council member Marion Barry yesterday stepped up his campaign to mend relations with Asians, apologizing again for disparaging remarks he made about Koreans and Filipinos, and pledging to work to improve ties between them and African Americans.

Will Alan Scott, DC's Original Green Lantern, Be Reintroduced As A Gay Man?  —  Understand that this is not a firm story.  Not like DC Comics renumbering all their New DCU comics to issues zero through September, say.  —  This is based on a number of well sourced people and involves considerable hearsay.

SEC Staff Ends Probe Of Lehman Without Finding Fraud  —  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigators have concluded their probe of possible financial fraud at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. without recommending enforcement action against the firm or its former executives, according to an excerpt of an internal agency memo.

New photos of alleged 9-11 mastermind may have been spirited out of ‘Gitmo’  —  Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is seen in one of the photos apparently taken at the Guantanamo detention center and published this week by an Islamist website.  —  U.S. military officials are investigating whether …

Dewhurst close to 50%  —  David Dewhurst leads Ted Cruz 46-29 in the Texas Republican Senate primary and the main question on Tuesday will be whether he can sneak over 50% and avoid a runoff.  Tom Leppert's in third at 15% with Craig James at 3% and 2% of voters preferring someone else. 5% remain undecided …