Marco Rubio on how he learned he wasn't Romney's VP pick; kind words for Nelson, harsh ones for Akin  —  Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told a Forum Club of the Palm Beaches luncheon crowd today about the phone conversation he had with Mitt Romney the day before Romney announced Paul Ryan as his running mate.

Like a Boss  —  When it comes to being a rich guy, Mitt Romney should own it  —  What do women want?  The conventional biological wisdom is that men select mates for fertility, while women select for status — thus the commonness of younger women's pairing with well-established older men but the rarity of the converse.

Texas Judge Warns Of ‘Civil War, Maybe’ If Obama Wins  —  Texas Judge Tom Head is worried about what might happen if President Obama wins reelection in November.  There could be riots, unrest or a “civil war, maybe,” he told a local television station this week.

Sheriff candidate says he wouldn't reject deadly force to stop abortions  —  Candidate says he believes elective, late-term abortions aren't lawful  —  Candidate's abortion comments draw criticism  —  A Republican candidate for Hillsborough County Sheriff said Wednesday …

GOP takes tough platform approach  —  Filled with strict stances, most conservative plan in party history to be unveiled  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Republicans next week will likely adopt what veteran platform writers said is the most conservative platform in their history after the drafting committee voted …

Fiscal Tightening in 2013 and Its Economic Consequences - Infographic  —  Under current law, a sharp reduction in the federal budget deficit between 2012 and 2013 will cause the economy to contract, the Congressional Budget Office projects, but will also put federal debt on a path more likely to be sustainable over time.

Team Romney calls out Obama for misspelling ‘Ohio’ at campaign stop  —  President Obama needed a do-over to spell “Ohio” correctly on the campus of Ohio State University this week.  —  Although Obama and several students at a campaign stop Tuesday morning at Sloopy's Diner on the campus …

Rick Warren cancels Obama-Romney forum at Saddleback Church  —  LAKE FOREST - Rick Warren, Saddleback Church's pastor, announced Wednesday that a civil forum planned with President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the church has been canceled …

Zing!  Romney on Obama: ‘Bless his heart’; Update: No, it's not racist … Oh, yes, he did.  He dropped the most awesome insult ever. … Swoon!  Romney's point is, of course, correct and needs repeating.  But the “bless his heart” is getting more play as of now; it was the delicious final touch on the pro-freedom message.

MITT ROMNEY SETS GOAL OF NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE BY 2020  —  A crucial component of Mitt Romney's Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is a comprehensive energy strategy to achieve North American energy independence by 2020 and establish America as an energy superpower in the 21st century.

The Tax Returns are Hurting Romney, Badly  —  I didn't mention this in my previous post, but in addition to the aforementioned questions, NBC News and the Wall Street Journal asked respondents about the recent controversies over Bain Capital and Mitt Romney's tax returns to gage whether they affected support for the Republican nominee.

First Thoughts: Not your ordinary August poll  —  This isn't your ordinary August poll; it looks more like October... The poll's three macro-conclusions: 1) Obama has the advantage heading into the conventions, 2) he's still below 50%, 3) Romney has work to do repairing his image …

Economists Risk Labeling as Political Hacks  —  By Laurence Kotlikoff 2012-08-21T22:30:48Z  —  Some 500 of my colleagues in economics, almost all academics, have signed a statement applauding former Governor Mitt Romney's economic plan and condemning President Barack Obama's handling of the economy.