Romney's present, Ryan's future  —  Vice-presidential picks are always judged by their effect on the coming election.  They rarely have any.  —  They haven't had a decisive influence since Lyndon Johnson carried Texas for John Kennedy in 1960.  (That and Illinois put Kennedy over the top.)

Letter from Jim Messina to Matt Rhoades  —  Dear Matt:  —  I am writing to ask again that the Governor release multiple years of tax returns, but also to make an offer that should address his concerns about the additional disclosures.  Governor Romney apparently fears that the more he offers …

Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism  —  Judge Marina Syrova: “These three plus others... plotted together to undermine civil order, motivated by religious hatred”  —  Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.

Mitt Romney paid taxes at a rate of at least 13 percent.  And he's proud to say so.  —  Can we stand back and pause a short minute to take in the spectacle of a man who wants to be President of The United States, who wants us to seriously regard him as a paragon of the American civic ideal …

Biden's ‘good friend,’ donor receives $20M federal loan to open foreign luxury car dealership in Ukraine  —  In late July, John Hynansky — a longtime friend of Vice President Joe Biden, and a major donor to Biden's campaigns as well as President Barack Obama's — was awarded a $20 million taxpayer loan …

Obama's betrayal  —  In the innocent, bygone days of February, President Obama told NBC News that the campaign would get negative against him, but provided this assurance: “I think that you will be able to see how we conduct ourselves in the campaign.  I think it will be consistent …

SPLC: Family Research Council License-to-Kill Claim ‘Outrageous’  —  Editor's Note: The following statement may be attributed to Mark Potok, Senior Fellow of the Southern Poverty Law Center and editor of its Intelligence Report and Hatewatch blog.  —  Yesterday's attack on the Family Research Council …

Islamophobic Billboard At Metro-North Station Encourages Hatred, Says Local Pol  —  On the heels of a pro-Palestine ad at Metro-North stations and a judge ruling that the MTA shouldn't have rejected Islamophobic pro-Israel ads is a new poster controversy: At the Hartsdale Metro-North station …

Secret ‘Menu’ Details Perks for Big Democratic Donors  —  Those seeking invites to the most lavish receptions at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, “gold ticket” access to “dialogues,” and private breakfast briefings with party luminaries, can expect a hefty price of admission.

Exclusive: White House studying potential oil reserve release  —  (Reuters) - The White House is “dusting off old plans” for a potential release of oil reserves to dampen prices and prevent high energy costs from undermining sanctions against Iran, a source with knowledge of the situation said on Thursday.

Presented With Letters, Ryan Admits Requesting Stimulus Cash  —  After repeated denials, Paul Ryan has admitted he requested stimulus cash even after sharply criticizing the program.  —  Ryan had denied doing so as recently as Wednesday, when he spoke to ABC's Cincinnati affiliate, WCPO, in Ohio.

MSNBC's Touré: Romney Engaging In The ‘Niggerization’ Of Obama  —  On Thursday's edition of MSNBC's The Cycle the group discussed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's assertion that President Obama should “take [his] campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago.”

Finland prepares for break-up of eurozone  —  Finland is preparing for the break-up of the eurozone, the country's foreign minister warned today.  —  Erkki Tuomioja, Finland's foreign minister: “We have to face openly the possibility of a euro-break up”.