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.

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?

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.

The Charts That Doom Obama  —  News out this afternoon is that Obama is looking into opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a means to relieve pressure at the gas pump.  Someone at the White House woke up and realized that the welcome springtime fall in gasoline prices has reversed course …

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.

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.

Ohio Elections Chief Suspends Democrats From County Board  —  After a Wednesday order that his office says bans weekend early voting hours, the Ohio Secretary of State, a Republican, responds to rebellion from one county's Democratic members.  A confrontation as the election approaches.

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.

Ryan releases tax returns for last two years  —  By Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel  —  Paul Ryan and his wife Janna paid an effective tax rate of 15.9% in 2010 and 20% in 2011, according to tax returns provided by the Romney-Ryan campaign to the Journal Sentinel Friday.

Federal court rejects Florida early voting changes  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal court says a Florida law that restricts the number of early-voting days could result in a dramatic reduction in participation by blacks.  —  The Republican-controlled Florida legislature last year cut the number of early-voting days to 8 from 12.

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 …

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.”

Barton's Fall From Grace  —  Back in June I wrote about a new book by two conservative evangelical writers who took great issue with the take on Thomas Jefferson's church-state views offered by the famous controversialist David Barton, who more than any one person is cited by Christian Right folk as …

A Measure of Change: Obama Lags on Filling Seats in the Judiciary  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama is set to end his term with dozens fewer lower-court appointments than both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush achieved in their first four years, and probably with less …

Obama's soft-media strategy  —  Forget Chris Matthews — he'll take Nancy O'Dell.  —  President Barack Obama has been taking a lot of questions in the two months since his last press conference or national news interview.  He's just been doing them with ESPN, Entertainment Tonight …

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 …