On Fox News this morning, Michele Bachmann proposed shifting the tax code back to the Reagan tax code of 1981 — apparently without realizing that would amount to a dramatic hike in tax rates.

I’m not sure you can really have the GOP nomination battle locked up if Rush is out there saying you’re not a conservative.

Benjy Sarlin and Clint Eastwood explain how Mitt Romney introduced Rick Perry to the business end of his mop. Watch.

I don’t want to make too much of this. But something finally dawned on me when I saw the news today that a group of Republican senators were introducing what they called a “real” American jobs bill. Then today Speaker Boehner spoke to President Obama and volubly denied the president’s claim that House Republicans lacked any jobs proposals. And Boehner’s office sent out this email ‘read out’ of the call. Read More

Rick Perry’s wife, Anita: “We are being brutalized by our opponents, and our own party. So much of that is, I think they look at him because of his faith.”

Gallup: Public support for the death penalty hits a 39-year low — but still gets 61 percent approval.

Mitt Romney has reported his money take for the 3rd quarter. And it’s significantly behind Rick Perry’s — $14 million and change to $17 million. But most of that was probably raised during Perry brief era of awesomeness. Curious whether he’s outraising Mitt now.

Experts say Rick Perry’s plan to have the US military fight drug cartels in Mexico might not work out so well.

The dismal economy isn’t just affecting people’s bottom line. The US birth rate has dropped dramatically as the economy has tanked. Check out this chart.

Looking at the chart it seems like only two states, both pretty flat, have managed to buck the trend.

How the big showdown at Occupy Wall Street this morning ended up not happening.