NAACP Reacts To Mitt Romney: ‘Patronizing,’ ‘Totally Disconnected,’ ‘A Serious Misjudgment’  —  HOUSTON, Texas — Mitt Romney addressed the national convention of the NAACP Wednesday morning, the nation's largest civil rights organization.  He was cordially received by the audience …

House votes 244-185 to repeal Obama healthcare reform law  —  The House voted again Wednesday to repeal the 2010 healthcare reform law, giving Republicans some revenge against the late June Supreme Court ruling that found the law to be constitutional.  —  Members approved the bill in a 244-185 vote …

DNA Match Tying Protest to 2004 Killing Is Doubted  —  By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM and JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN  —  A link between DNA from the unsolved killing of Sarah Fox, a Juilliard student, in 2004 and DNA taken from a chain placed at the site of an Occupy Wall Street action in March may be the result …

The new CBO report shows Americans paid historic low tax rates during Obama's first year in office.  —  Americans paid the lowest federal tax rate in three decades during President Obama's first year in office, according to a new government report out this week.

Marquette Law School Poll finds tighter U.S. Senate race and GOP primary  —  Obama continues to lead Romney in latest poll  —  Milwaukee, Wis. - A new Marquette Law School poll finds the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination has tightened since mid-June.

Pro-Tip, as They Say  —  There's been a lot of chatter over the last few days about whether super-wealthy candidates get a hard rap in US politics or whether Mitt Romney is being held to a higher or harder standard.  Romney is probably the wealthiest man ever to run for President, even in inflation adjusted dollars.

Obama Sinks to Historic Lows Among Blue-Collar Men  —  The new Quinnipiac University and ABC/Washington Post national surveys out this week converge on one key conclusion: as the election nears, President Obama is sinking to historic lows among the group most consistently hostile to him.

Soros-Backed SuperPAC Targeting Allen West Confidential Memo Leaked  —  The ‘Dump West’ Super PAC, backed by George Soros himself, is taking aim at conservative Congressman Allen West.  As we reported earlier, a “top national Democrat operative has been retained by a new George Soros-backed super-PAC …

The Puzzling Pre-FOMC Announcement Drift  —  For many years, economists have struggled to explain the “equity premium puzzle”—the fact that the average return on stocks is larger than what would be expected to compensate for their riskiness.  In this post, which draws on our recent …

Dems split of what Jackson Jr. should do  —  Washington (CNN) — Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is “receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder,” according to a statement released on Wednesday by the congressman's office, which attributed the quote to an unidentified doctor.

A Political Users Guide To The Trolls Of Twitter  —  They've come slouching out of the comments section and blogs to destroy the social web.  Some have jobs.  —  Graphic by Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed  —  The trolls have come to Twitter.  —  The social service, which has become …

America's Falling Corruption Rankings … - Why Is Ralph Lauren Making America's Olympic Heroes Wear Hideous Frenchy Berets?  - Bloomberg Thinks Hot-Dog-Eating Contests Are Fun but Burgers and Soda Are Shameful - If Tom and Katie Share Custody of Suri, Will She Practice Scientology or Catholicism?

Gay marriage has majority support in poll  —  PORTLAND — Mainers support legalizing same-sex marriage, 57 percent to 35 percent, according to a statewide poll commissioned by the Portland Press Herald.  —  The proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot to allow gay couples to marry in Maine has broad support among most groups of voters.

“God Wants Ron Paul to Be President” - Nebraska Republican Delegates Should Obey God  —  “God wants Ron Paul to be President.  Paul is the only Christian still running who beat Obama in polls, but will Christians and pastors obey God?” says Pastor Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries.

UN arms treaty could put U.S. gun owners in foreign sights, say critics  —  A United Nations treaty on the trade of conventional arms could give enemies of the U.S. access to the records of American gun owners, say critics.  (AP)  —  UNITED NATIONS - A treaty being hammered out this month …

Obama to Miami anchor: Hugo Chávez has not posed ‘serious’ national security threat  —  UPDATE: Read full story here.  —  Oscar Haza, a well known Miami Spanish-language broadcast journalist and anchor, scored an interview this week in Washington with President Barack Obama in which Obama …

Voters sick and tired of health care debate  —  Washington (CNN) — Thomas Dean is sick of all the congressional bickering over the health care law.  —  Sure, the small town doctor understands the law's technical nuances and what's at stake for the millions of people covered by President Barack Obama's biggest policy achievement.

In Defense of John Roberts  —  Conservatives do not usually support Orwellian political tactics, but many of them are evidently willing to make an exception for John Roberts, judging from the “two minutes hate” to which the chief justice is being subjected in the wake of his decisive vote …