Rick Perry: Obama is an American citizen  —  ST PETE BEACH - Texas governor Rick Perry clarified Wednesday that he has no doubt that Barack Obama was born in the U.S., saying that he was only kidding around when he voiced doubts in a TV interview earlier this week.

Romney rushes to clarify to comments on union bargaining bill  —  FAIRFAX, Va. — Mitt Romney sought to overturn his controversial comment on unions Wednesday, saying he supports Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) “110 percent” in limiting collective bargaining power.

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.

EXCLUSIVE: ACORN Playing Behind Scenes Role in ‘Occupy’ Movement  —  The former New York office for ACORN, the disbanded community activist group, is playing a key role in the self-proclaimed “leaderless” Occupy Wall Street movement, organizing “guerrilla” protest events and hiring door …

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.

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 …

Pizza Magnate Leads GOP Presidential Pack In Ohio, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Romney Stalled As Perry Vanishes  —  Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain has jumped to the front of the line among GOP presidential contenders with 28 percent support among Ohio Republicans.

Lamar Smith endorses Romney  —  U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Tx, hold a news conference , Dec. 13, 2010.  The congressman spoke of his priorities as incoming Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.  Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, JERRY LARA / glara@express-news.net

Health care cases set for Nov. 10  —  The Supreme Court will take its first look at the challenges to the new federal health care law at its Conference on Thursday, November 10.  Five of the six pending petitions (the sixth is not ready yet) were distributed to the Justices' chambers on Wednesday …

Obama Wrote Fewer Rules Than Bush, Cost More  —  President Barack Obama's “tsunami” of new government regulations looks more like a summer swell.  —  Obama's White House has approved fewer regulations than his predecessor George W. Bush at this same point in their tenures …

OWS Supporter Michael Moore Lies on National Television About His Wealth: No I'm Not Worth Millions  —  Schlockumentary filmmaker Michael Moore is so hell-bent on being a leader of the Occupy Wall Street movement that he's willing to lie about his wealth on national television.

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.

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.

Top Earners Doubled Share of Nation's Income, C.B.O. Says  —  WASHINGTON — The top 1 percent of earners more than doubled their share of the nation's income over the last three decades, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday, in a new report likely to figure prominently …

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.

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.

Carville: 'I'm worried' for the general election  —  James Carville underscored the concerns among Democrats about the current economic picture and what it means for 2012 in a radio interview with Scott Hennen: … To some extent, underscoring concern helps gin up the Democratic base …