Paul Ryan — THE TOPLESS PHOTO  —  THE TOPLESS PHOTO  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Here it is ... the very first photo of Paul Ryan's mysterious athletic physique ... REVEALED!!!  —  TMZ has (finally) obtained a photo of Mitt Romney's running mate — sans shirt — taken roughly 6 years ago ... right before Ryan got hooked on the P90X workout.

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 …

Hateful speech on hate groups  —  Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization, posted an alert on its blog Tuesday: “Paul Ryan Speaking at Hate Group's Annual Conference.”  —  The “hate group” that the Republicans' vice presidential candidate would be addressing?

Romney advisers confirm it: We're running a ‘just trust me’ campaign  —  I noted here yesterday that Mitt Romney is running a “just trust me” campaign, in which his lack of specificity and transparency extends far beyond just his tax returns, to his bundlers and to large swaths of his policy proposals.

Unemployment rate rises in 44 states  —  Close to 90 percent of states saw their unemployment rates rise in July, a potentially worrisome development for President Obama's reelection campaign.  —  The Labor Department reported Friday that 44 states in all saw their jobless rate go up, with four states seeing no change at all.

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.

TPM2012  —  Paul Ryan Slams Obama For Not Saving Auto Plant That Closed Under Bush  —  Paul Ryan slammed President Obama on Thursday for failing to rescue an auto factory in his Wisconsin district — one that closed in 2008, under President George W. Bush.

Geraldo Rivera: Napolitano Has Orchestrated A ‘Same-Sex Takeover’ Of Homeland Security  —  In an attempt to explain the allegations of sexual harassment at the Department of Homeland Security, Fox News host Geraldo Rivera on Friday resorted to saying that the few women in powerful roles …

Hillary rejected VP slot to ready her own 2016 run … Popular in Politics  —  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was pressed by her husband and a top Obama aide to consider replacing Vice President Joe Biden just a couple of weeks ago, claims the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Amateur.”

City of San Francisco to place sharia-compliant disclaimers next to every AFDI pro-Israel bus ad  —  Scott Goldstein, President of Titan Transit advertising, just called me.  Titan handles the outdoor ads for San Francisco MUNI and BART.  —  In an unprecedented move, the city of San Francisco …

Anti-Obama Navy SEAL leader: I'm a Birther  —  President Barack Obama is a socialist, was raised by communists, and wasn't born in the United States, according to the former Navy SEAL who founded the group Special Operations Speaks (SOS), which aims to portray Obama as anti-military in this election season.

SpongeBob SquarePants is gay  —  At least, so says the National Commission for moral affairs in the Ukraine which has requested that the series be banned along with The Simpsons and The Teletubbies.  —  null -  —  The Commission claims that SpongeBob SquarePants is a homosexual.

Colorado U. to segregate dorms for students with gun permits  —  The University of Colorado will segregate dorms for students who have valid permits to carry concealed weapons, The Denver Post reports.  —  The newspaper says student housing contracts at CU-Boulder and CU-Colorado Springs …

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 …

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.

TPMMuckraker  —  Federal Court Rules Florida's Shortening Of Early Voting Discriminates Against Blacks  —  A panel of federal judges ruled late Thursday that a Florida law that limits the number of early voting days cannot be implemented in several counties because it would have an adverse impact on minority turnout.