Romney's ‘huge freaking deal’  —  At this point in the morning yesterday, it looked like the biggest political screw-up of the day would be Rick Perry's latest Birther flirtations.  As it turns out, though as ridiculous as this was, it was eclipsed rather easily.

Police Fire Tear Gas at Occupy Protesters in Oakland  —  Last Updated 9:48 a.m. Riot police in Oakland dispersed hundreds of protesters with tear gas on Tuesday night as crowds tried to re-enter a plaza outside of City Hall that the authorities had cleared of an encampment earlier in the day.

New Poll Finds a Deep Distrust of Government  —  With Election Day just over a year away, a deep sense of economic anxiety and doubt about the future hangs over the nation, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, with Americans' distrust of government at its highest level ever.

Obama education chief: student loan reform to address income inequality  —  President Obama's education reform efforts will address growing income inequality in the U.S., Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Wednesday.  —  Speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Wednesday …

Obama: If We Lose in 2012, Government Will Tell People 'You're on Your Own'  —  At a million-dollar San Francisco fundraiser today, President Obama warned his recession-battered supporters that if he loses the 2012 election it could herald a new, painful era of self-reliance in America.

Poll: Issue 2 sinking  —  Law that limits collective bargaining trailing by 25 points  —  A year ago, it was Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland complaining about the accuracy of the Quinnipiac poll when the survey showed him trailing GOP challenger John Kasich.

How Rick Perry's Tax Plan Would Affect You  —  Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, today released some details on his flat tax proposal.  The plan would give Americans the option of determining their taxes based on an alternate system that has one tax rate and fewer deductions.

The next front in the abortion wars: Birth control  —  Mississippi debates a “Personhood” initiative that could ban the pill — but ultimately aims at Roe v. Wade  —  Dr. Freda Bush has a warm, motherly smile.  In her office just outside Jackson, Miss., she smiles as she hands me a brochure …

Gupta to Face Criminal Charges  —  For decades, Rajat K. Gupta was the face of business success, leading global consulting giant McKinsey & Co. and serving on the boards of several prestigious American companies, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc.  —  Now, prosecutors say …

Record-Low 26% in U.S. Favor Handgun Ban  —  Support for stricter gun laws in general is lowest Gallup has measured  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A record-low 26% of Americans favor a legal ban on the possession of handguns in the United States other than by police and other authorized people.

Ryan: Obama ‘sowing social unrest’  —  House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will take direct aim at President Barack Obama in a speech Wednesday morning, accusing him of “preying on the emotions of fear, envy and resentment” as he travels the country to sell his jobs plan.

Perry's nightmare: WaPo's Rubin  —  The WaPo blogger has described the Texan as 'sleepy," 'hostile," and 'dreadful.

Leno Goes Easy on Obama  —  You'd hardly know from Jay Leno's softball questions Tuesday night that Obama was presiding over a tanking economy.  Lloyd Grove on the well-orchestrated sit-down.  Plus, watch video.  —  Barack Obama is looking long in the tooth.

President Obama Holds Secret Meet-and-Greet With Hollywood Execs and Influencers (Exclusive) … Before he left Los Angeles for San Francisco on Tuesday, President Barack Obama stopped for an undisclosed meeting with some of the entertainment industry's high-level executives …

As the Data Show, There's a Reason the Wall Street Protesters Chose New York  —  When the federal income tax was first imposed in 1913, the richest 0.1 percent of households reaped 8.6 percent of the nation's income.  In 2007, as the recession began, the share going to that sliver of megarich Americans was 12.3 percent.

Obama on Libya: ‘We led from the front’  —  President Obama said Tuesday the often-repeated idea that the U.S. led from behind in the ouster of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi was incorrect.  —  “We led from the front,” Obama said in a pre-taped interview for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”