Clinton: ‘I take responsibility’ for security ahead of Benghazi attack  —  Lima, Peru (CNN) — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the buck stops with her when it comes to who is to blame for security ahead of a deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Charity president unhappy about Paul Ryan soup kitchen ‘photo op’  —  Paul Ryan and his wife Janna wash pots at St. Vincent De Paul dining hall.  (Associated Press)  —  The head of a northeast Ohio charity says that the Romney campaign last week “ramrodded their way” into the group's Youngstown soup kitchen …

Swing States poll: Women push Romney into lead  —  IN THE SWING STATES, THE POWER OF WOMEN  —  A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of the Swing States shows Mitt Romney with a lead among likely voters as he strengthens his standing with women in the nation's top battlegrounds.

Obama-Romney II: Prez needs to win by knockout  —  A worker walks past a sign in the media filing center for Tuesday's presidential debate.  (AP Photo)  —  More Photos Popular in Politics  —  Judging by word coming from the Obama campaign, Tuesday night's second presidential debate …

Our Awful Economy, In One Chart  —  Michelle Obama says we are “in the midst of a huge recovery.”  That claim is laughable to anyone who has lived through the last four years; this simple chart from the Senate Budget Committee highlights one of the central failings of Obamanomics …

Obama: ‘We Got Back Every Dime’ of Bailout; CBO: Bailout Will Lose $24 Billion  —  (CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday that “we got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system.”  —  According to the Congressional Budget Office, however, the government will lose about $24 billion on the bailout.

Romney Is Attacked by His Father's Longtime Aide  —  A longtime aide to George W. Romney issued a harshly worded critique of Mitt Romney, accusing him of shifting political positions in “erratic and startling ways” and failing to live up to the distinguished record of his father, the former governor of Michigan.

5 Things to Watch for in Presidential Debate  —  Five things to watch for when President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney meet in their second debate:  —  1. A REBOUND?  After taking a drubbing in the first debate, Obama's under big pressure to step up his game Tuesday night.

Report: Bush takes up painting  —  Former President George W. Bush's low profile since leaving office has left the Texan with a lot of time on his hands — and he's using those hands to keep himself busy.  —  Bush has started painting, mostly portraits of dogs and arid Texas landscapes, according to New York Magazine.

Ex-Sen. George McGovern, who lost presidency to Nixon in historic landslide, in hospice care  —  PIERRE, S.D. — Longtime former U.S. Sen. George McGovern, the Democratic presidential candidate who lost to President Richard Nixon in a historic landslide, has moved into hospice care near his home in South Dakota, his family said Monday.

Tea Party Group Launches Racist ‘Obama Phone’ Ad  —  Late last month, conservative media lit up with a video of an African-American woman excitedly praising President Barack Obama because he supposedly gave racial minorities in Cleveland free telephones.  The video received prominent placement …

Over the Decades, How States Have Shifted  —  Recent elections have placed a heavy emphasis on “swing states” — Ohio, Florida, and a handful of other states most-easily swayed from one party to the other.  Yet in the past, many more states shifted between the Democratic and Republican parties.

Mitt Romney: The Great Deformer  —  Is Romney really a job creator?  Ronald Reagan's budget director, David Stockman, takes a scalpel to the claims.  —  Bain Capital is a product of the Great Deformation.  It has garnered fabulous winnings through leveraged speculation in financial markets …

Romney campaign files federal suit to ensure all military ballots count in Wisconsin  —  Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign has filed a federal lawsuit in Wisconsin to extend the amount of time military and overseas absentee ballots can be returned.

FLOTUS: Reach out to ‘knuckleheads,’ tell them to vote  —  First lady Michelle Obama is encouraging supporters to reach out to the “knuckleheads” in their life to ask them to vote for President Obama.  —  Speaking in Delaware, Ohio, the first lady encouraged people to cast their net wide …

“Would You Consider Voting for President Obama?”  —  A man rang my doorbell Saturday afternoon to ask me that question.  I was busy working on a few projects at the time, so his question caught me off guard.  The first thing that came out of my mouth was a very loud, “Absolutely not!