Election Forecast: Obama Begins With Tenuous Advantage  —  The first look at the 2012 FiveThirtyEight presidential forecast has Barack Obama as a very slight favorite to win re-election.  But his advantage equates to only a two-point lead in the national popular vote, and the edge …

Obama is killing the Democratic Party  —  President Obama, I have frequently argued, has been fabulous for the conservative movement.  He spurred the creation of the tea party.  He helped the GOP win the House majority in 2010 and make big gains in the Senate.

New Poll: The Supreme Court and the Health Care Law  —  More than two-thirds of Americans hope the Supreme Court will overturn some or all of the 2010 health care law, according to a new poll conducted by The New York Times and CBS News.  Just 24 percent said they hoped the court “would keep the entire health care law in place.”

CNN Poll: George W. Bush only living ex-president under 50%  —  Washington (CNN) - More than three years after leaving office, former President George W. Bush remains unpopular with the public, according to a new national poll.  —  A CNN/ORC International poll also indicates that two-thirds …

Did Young Mitt Romney Impersonate A Police Officer?  Another Witness Says Yes  —  Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy  —  When Mitt Romney was a college freshman, he told fellow residents of his Stanford University dormitory that he sometimes disguised himself …

Secret talks under way about ‘fiscal cliff’  —  A growing number of lawmakers are alarmed that Congress's do-nothing posture ahead of the year-end fiscal cliff could provoke a massive voter backlash and economic catastrophe if they don't start laying the groundwork right now to cut a deal.

Did President Obama Just Make A Blowjob Joke?  —  So says the pool report from his gay and lesbian fundraiser at L.A.'s Beverly Wilshire tonight.  Incredibly awkward.  —  Obama speaks during a campaign event at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills tonight.  —  (Getty Images / JEWEL SAMAD)

Bloggers' Free Speech Rights Under Attack  —  Free speech is under attack.  Conservative writers are now facing threats against themselves, their families, and their livelihoods merely because they've aggressively investigated the history and funding of radical liberals.

Holder and lawmakers spar over Fast & Furious  —  Attorney General Eric Holder sparred Thursday with Republican lawmakers who demanded to know why Justice Department officials haven't been fired over the Operation Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal and the botched prosecution of the late Sen. Ted Stevens.

The Candidate Next Door  —  ON Dunemere Drive, it seems as if just about everyone has a gripe against the owners of No. 311.  —  The elderly woman next door complains that her car is constantly boxed into her driveway.  A few houses over, a gay couple grumbles that their beloved ocean views are in jeopardy.

Stuyvesant HS students hold ‘Slutty Wednesday’ to protest school's strict dress code policy  —  Nearly 100 smarties at the city's top-performing high school bared their bodies in “risque” outfits yesterday to denounce their school's conservative dress code — which bans the exposure of shoulders, midriffs, lower backs, bras and undies.

Foie-mageddon: California in one last foie gras binge before statewide ban  —  A foie gras frenzy is under way in California as the state prepares to become the first in America to ban the controversial delicacy.  —  California's decision to ban foie gras - pictured above in its pate form …

What the Media Choose Not to Know about Trayvon  —  Unnerved by an unspoken mix of political bias and racial queasiness, the major media have chosen to know as little about Trayvon Martin as they know about Barack Obama.  —  As a case in point, consider this boy vs. man fable spun by the New York Times' Charles Blow:

House Democrats Propose Increasing Minimum Wage To $10  —  A group of House Democrats have proposed increasing the minimum wage to $10, which, as Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) pointed out would allow the wage to “catch up” with where it would be had it been allowed to grow with inflation:

11 Years Ago Today  —  As I mentioned on MSNBC last night, today marks 11 years since the Bush tax breaks for the rich were enacted.  President George W. Bush signed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act on June 7, 2001.  —  Bush claimed (as right-wingers always do) …

Video: ‘Post’ journalist attacked by mob in Greece  —  Gil Shefler released from hospital in good condition after treatment for head, chest wounds; local police: Culprits unknown.  —  Jerusalem Post reporter Gil Shefler was assaulted in Athens on Tuesday while trying to film a mob attack outside …

Boehner shuffles office with new chief of staff  —  House Speaker John Boehner's chief of staff, Barry Jackson, is taking on a new role as senior counselor to the Speaker and handing the day-to-day management of the office to veteran Boehner aide Mike Sommers.