After almost a year of litigation, Bloomberg finally won access to information detailing the full scope of the Fed’s bailout of the banks. The chart below, detailing the daily amounts MorganStanley was borrowing from the Fed, relative to its market value should keep European officials awake at night:

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what a lender of last resort looks like. What you’re looking at here are three lines. The black line is Morgan Stanley’s market capitalization, which tends to hover in the $40 billion range but which fell as low as $9.8 billion in November 2008. The orange line is the amount that Morgan Stanley owed to the Federal Reserve on any given day — an amount which peaked at $107 billion on September 29, 2008. And the red line is the ratio between the two: Morgan Stanley’s debt to the Federal Reserve, expressed as a percentage of its market value. That ratio, it turns out, peaked at some point in October, at somewhere north of 750%.

The lack of transparency here is bad enough, let alone the $13 billion figure.

Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks Undisclosed $13B

And it isn’t only the U.S. bailing and re-bailing itself out.

If you’re looking for some good Euro-scare meat, look no further than this column from the FT’s Wolfgang Münchau. The basic gist: No really, now we’re getting into endgame. Why now? Because the increase in core yields, the failure of that German bund auction, and the increase in Spanish and Italian short-term yields, as well as the tightening of money for the banks, means it’s all almost over unless Europe immediately cooks up some kind of ECB-backed/Eurobond/fiscal union concoction.

Enter the IMF.

IMF drawing up £500bn package to save Italy, Spain and the euro

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Gallup’s numbers as of today.

Republicans are most likely to name Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich as their first choice for their party’s 2012 presidential nomination, with Herman Cain close behind. Among all Republicans nationwide, Romney is the choice of 20% and Gingrich 19%. Among Republican registered voters, Gingrich is at 22% and Romney at 21%.

Ever get the sense there is no leadership anywhere in Washington right now?

(AP) WASHINGTON – Failure by Congress’ debt-cutting supercommittee to recommend $1.2 trillion in savings by Wednesday is supposed to automatically trigger spending cuts in the same amount to accomplish that job. But the same legislators who concocted that budgetary booby trap just four months ago could end up spending the 2012 election year and beyond battling over defusing it.

Judd Gregg marks Obama “present” on fiscal responsibility. Is that a surprise to anyone outside the GOP political establishment?

Throughout his term, President Obama has avoided leading on the issue of fiscal responsibility. He walked away from his own commission, the one led by former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, when he found its report filled with inconvenient choices.

Now that the SuperCommittee has failed, automatic spending cuts of $1.2 Trillion, over the next ten years, kick in. Sounds like a lot, right? Keep in mind that over that same period overall spending will be around $50 Trillion, including an additional $10+ Trillion in new borrowing. This chart shows why we’re still screwed, even with the big-sounding cuts:

DOOM: So it’s like that

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With Facebook being beseiged by pornographic images of all sorts, some are pointing the finger at anonymous. Nothing else to do besides target a judge, I guess.

But numerous reports are now pointing to a threat made by Anonymous, a threat to attack Facebook using a powerful “Guy Fawkes virus” they developed. According to the hacktivist group, it’s a highly sophisticated work that takes control of your Facebook account and spreads to your friends’ accounts without you actually being logged in.

Wow! Those Tea Partiers, I mean, Occupiers sure sound like some violent folks, bitterly  clinging to makeshift weapons? Who would have guessed?

Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway filed a motion on behalf of the city today opposing a court order requiring the NYPD to allow Occupy Wall Street demonstrators back into Zuccotti Park. In filing the motion, Holloway asserted that “people who have a known history of violent interaction with the police” have been gathering in the park, and “makeshift items” that he said could be used as weapons, “such as cardboard tubes with metal pipes inside, had been observed among the occupiers’ possessions.” He also noted that after the October 1st Brooklyn Bridge march, “knives, mace and hypodermic needles were observed discarded on the roadway.”

One and done for Obama? Keep hope alive! And keep the poll numbers down.

In comparison to recent incumbents running for re-election, Obama’s 46% approval ranks above only Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford – who both lost their re-election bids – in November of the year before an election. Most incumbents who were re-elected had an approval rating above 50% a year before the election.

Meanwhile, the Cain Train has been losing steam, with Newt picking up at the same time.

New polling from the Washington Post-ABC News shows that Cain’s negative ratings among Republicans have more than doubled since mid-October. And, a new CNN survey showed Cain dropping 11 points in a hypothetical national Republican primary ballot in less than a month.

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Reports of Big Labor support come in as NYC police act to remove occupiers from Zucotti Park. Reports indicate as many as 70 people have been arrested.

Sarah Maslin Nir of the New York Times has tweeted a couple of photos of the dawn-light general assembly in Foley Square. More worryingly, someone has brought along their conga drums.

There was confused discussion this morning about union support arriving at one of the proposed general assembly locations. The general assembly ended up taking place at Foley Square, and it appears union members are beginning to arrive. Derek Grate, political coordinator at 1199 SEIU, said he was at the square “just to support the First Amendment rights of the people”.

Somewhere between Libya and public sector unions, Herman Cain executed a face plant in the crater resulting from his self-inflicted campaign implosion. How it might impact his already plummeting polling numbers remains to be seen in a very, very strange political year.

Herman Cain came out in support for collective bargaining for wages and other benefits for public sector employees at the Journal Sentinel. And then there is this video on Libya. I think it’s much worse than the Perry flub in the debate.

Given Cain’s likely collapse and Newt’s recent rise, like clock work, the opposition research has already begun to flow. Remain seated, the roller coaster ride of the 2012 GOP primary may not be over yet, folks.

With Newt Gingrich emerging as serious contender, some Republicans are questioning his fitness for a general election campaign by seizing on comments the former speaker made in 2007 about Hispanics. Making the case against bi-lingual education at a National Federation of Republican Women event, Gingrich said children should be taught “the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.”

Texas Gov. Rick Perry outlined a government overhaul plan today that has zero chance of passing Congress. Still, its a good perspective on his governing principles and a great challenge for the other campaigns:

The plan Perry rolled out at a heating and cooling company in Iowa also calls for requiring a two-thirds vote in Congress for any tax increases and halting all proposed federal regulations.

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You already know this, but it bears repeating. Last night, 60 Minutes aired its blockbuster report on possible insider trading by Members of Congress. Of course, being CBS, they tried to throw as many Republicans into the mix as possible, even stretching a pretty minor issue with Speaker Boehner as something suspicious. It isn’t. But, the actions of GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi warrant a lot more scrutiny. Many more explosive details in Breitbart Editor Peter Schweizer’s book, on sale tomorrow.

Et tu, John Kerry?

BusinessInsider is especially shocked by Bachus’ trading history.

To the extent dubious groups may be surrounding Herman Cain to profit from the arrangement, it will likely hurt his fund raising ability. Donors may thin they’ve given when, in essence, they may not have helped him as much as believed.

Fundraisers show little cash for Cain – A second group exploits his name

A felon once imprisoned for fraud is raising money in the name of Herman Cain and profiting off of it through a company he owns. It is the second group raising large amounts of Cain cash that has a history of collecting millions of dollars through politically charged mailings and spending hardly any of it on politics.

Draft Herman Cain is the latest from two California men who have raised tens of millions of dollars cashing in on causes such as breast cancer and illegal immigration, with little to show for it except payments to fundraisers and themselves, an analysis by The Washington Times shows.

Don’t look to Congress for profiles in courage. Unfortunately, that is not a surprise.

WASHINGTON — With a little over a week left to reach a deal, members of the Congressional deficit reduction panel are looking for an escape hatch that would let them strike an accord on revenue levels but delay until next year tough decisions about exactly how to raise taxes.

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It occurs to me this isn’t the first time the word orgasm has come up when discussing a Democrat administration. But Joe Biden?

Emails among George Kaiser, head of the George Kaiser Family Foundation; Ken Levit, the executive director of the Foundation; and Steve Mitchell, who manages Argonaut Private Equity and was a member of Solyndra’s board; show that Vice President Joe Biden’s office were very gung-ho. “They about had an orgasm in Biden’s office when we mentioned Solyndra,” reads a Feb. 27, 2010, email from Levit to Mitchell. A follow-up email from Mitchell to Levit later that day responds with: “That’s awesome! Get us a (Department of Energy) loan.”

Down and out, or not?

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he will not quit the presidential race, following a major gaffe at a debate in which he could not remember the name of a federal agency he’d like to cut. Perry, smiling throughout a round of TV interviews this morning, said he intends to continue campaigning and will be at the next debate Saturday in South Carolina.

Penn State found itself situated in a bizarre and most unhappy valley last night in the wake of Coach Joe Paterno’s firing.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State trustees fired football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against a former assistant coach. The massive shakeup Wednesday night came hours after Paterno announced that he planned to retire at the end of his 46th season.

To the extent education is meant to instill one with a sense of values, some of the kids at Penn State don’t seem to have gotten with the program.

Violence erupted on the campus of Penn State Wednesday night after the school’s board of trustees ousted its legendary football coach and university president in the wake of a widening child sex abuse scandal.

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The world lost a great champion last night, Smokin’ Joe Frazier is sparring with the angels, now.

Joe Frazier, the former heavyweight champion whose furious and intensely personal fights with a taunting Muhammad Ali endure as an epic rivalry in boxing history, died Monday night. He was 67.

The latest allegation has Herman Cain trying to score a date with a young woman and stiffing her girlfriends for $800 worth of wine, instead. I knew if I hung in there I’d find something to like about him, eventually. An aging rock star would kill for this rep.

Cain exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior during the dinner, though he did order two $400 bottles of wine and stuck the women with the bill, she said. The next time the women heard from Cain was Christmas, when he sent them his gospel CD.

At least he wouldn’t let Europe stick us with the bill for this, as if we’re actually in better shape.

France cuts frantically as Italy nears debt spiral — France has unveiled the toughest austerity measures since World War Two despite the looming danger of a double-dip recession, vowing to slash borrowing by €65bn over the next five years in a last-ditch effort to save the country’s AAA rating.

Oh, look, a G20 economic conference that was almost as good as open mic night at the UN.

President Obama and his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, were reportedly caught in a candid moment expressing their exasperation with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu – with the French president referring to him as a “liar”.

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Got Nuke? Latest reports may not claim Iran actually has one; however, they do suggest it has perfected the process required to produce one. That and Obama’s peace prize should make for a wonderful set of bookends as we approach the 2012 election.

Iran is pursuing its nuclear weapons program at the Parchin military base about 30 kilometers from Tehran, diplomatic sources in Vienna say. The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to release a report this week on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Well, that would be one way to deal with a pesky outbreak of head and body lice, even if a bit extreme.

A lice outbreak was announced at the #Occupy Portland squatters camp this weekend. Head AND Body lice.

With the OWS rap sheet at 151 and counting, let’s hope they don’t  infect our jails and prisons. An intrepid New York Post reporter spent a night in Zuccotti park, finding it a ‘sliver of madness.’

Depending on who you ask, Herman Cain has either slipped given old allegations  of sexual harassment, or he’s emerged “unscathed.” Like beauty, the media narrative is in the eye of the beholder these days.

(Reuters) – Allegations that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed women in the 1990s have begun to damage his bid for the White House, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

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Tune in today and watch more Occupy protesters being arrested. Our own Occupy rap sheet continues to expand.

At least 15 Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested Thursday after marching on Goldman Sachs to deliver an “indictment” of the financial giant.

It seems the #Occupy crowd in New York has already jumped the shark and overstayed their welcome. The local neighborhood “Community Board”, which had last month fawned over the protest is losing patience:

“It’s a crime scene down there, and it’s attracting all of the worst people in this city,” said a board member. “We’re hearing reports of rapes, assaults, violence, drug use. The mentally ill are assembling. It’s a public hazard.” There is also concern for businesses. “At this rate, they’re not going to make it through the Christmas season,” the chair of the Small Business Committee said, bluntly. He mentioned Mark Epstein, owner of the Milk Street Café, by name. “This is a new business and he’s not going to make it. It’s an outrage. After all of the economics problems with the loss of the World Trade Center, this is too much to take.”

Meanwhile, there seems to be little doubt which direction Greece is ultimately going – down. The questions are, how far, how are they going to get there and how long will it take?

ATHENS — Facing a no-confidence vote on Friday after a tumultuous day of political gamesmanship, Prime Minister George A. Papandreou has called off a referendum on Greece’s new debt deal with the euro zone after winning a measure of support from his opposition and managing to repair, at least temporarily, a major rupture in relations with Europe.

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If the Occupy movement and the GOP primary haven’t become hostile enough for you, there is news of other potentially even more significant possible hostilities to report. At the same time, were there a Republican in the White House, this would be being called Wag the Dog, blood for oil, or some such nonsense by the usual suspects.

The UK and U.S. are drawing up plans to attack Iran amid growing tensions in the Middle East, it was claimed last night. Barack Obama and David Cameron are preparing for war after reports that Iran now has enough enriched uranium for four nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately, that’s not the only international news not getting all the attention it deserves just now.

(Reuters) – Greece’s government was on the brink of collapse on Thursday, casting doubt on plans to hold a referendum on staying in the euro zone, as European leaders contemplated a Greek exit to preserve their single currency.

If domestic strife is more your style, scroll down the front page for several Occupy reports, or check the latest on the Occupy Rap Sheet – 128 incidents and counting at this point.

Here’s a recent report from the L.A. Times:

Riot police from a number of Bay Area departments fired tear gas and other projectiles early Thursday and arrested dozens of demonstrators to break up Occupy Oakland protests that had drawn thousands of participants Wednesday.

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Flashback to August and what was then called the Obama clause at MF Global:

Corzine’s Obama Clause in MF Global Offering Stuns Wall Street

MF Global Holdings Ltd. (MF) took the cult of the Wall Street chief executive officer to a new level with its sale of bonds that pay a higher rate if Chairman and CEO Jon Corzine quits to take a job from the U.S. president.

Come on down and open your present, Democrats. But be warned, Obama-clause seems to be delivering coal for your stockings.

Meanwhile, MF Global CEO Jon Corzine reportedly had a handshake deal Sunday evening for Interactive Brokers  to buy the company.

But as the potential acquirer sifted through MF’s books, officials became concerned about the amount of customer funds held on deposit by MF Global. The difference was roughly $900 million at one point, although the amount remained fluid and never was resolved, according to WSJ sources.

Federal regulators have now started investigating the situation. According to the New York Times, authorities believe that the amount of unaccounted money could be close to $700 million. The report said that investigators are concerned that rather than just sloppy accounting, MF Global in its rush to remain afloat diverted some customer funds to support its own trades.

Flashback. Obama: Corzine is ‘our Wall Street guy‘

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Here’s the Herman Cain news everyone is talking about today.

Funny how quick the media is to jump on the Cain allegations, yet were remarkably restrained on covering the more serious allegations surrounding John Edwards. Wonder what would account for that?

Trick or treat?

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. (AP) – Thousands of schoolchildren around the Northeast had one of the earliest snow days in memory Monday after a storm dumped as much as 30 inches of wet, heavy snow that snapped trees and power lines, caused widespread power failures and threatened to disrupt Halloween trick-or-treating.

John at Verum Serum blog spent a day at Occupy LA so you don’t have to.

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There was a time when being American helped to instill a sense of self-reliance. If that time isn’t gone, Obama is doing everything he can to make it go away.

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.

Bail-out, or buying votes, most know what Obama is up to with regard to student loans. What’s more shocking; the gross amount loaned, or the lack of quality for the investment given the state of academe?

Two weeks ago, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported the latest stats on student loan debt: The amount of loans taken out by students last year hit the $100 billion mark for the first time. What’s more, the total amount of outstanding student debt will reportedly pass $1 trillion for the first time ever this year.

Meanwhile, tuition costs soared this year, doubling inflation with an 8.3% jump.

Events are escalating quickly at #OccupyOakland, the Thunderdome of the #Occupy tantrum. Last night, hundreds of protesters (aka Kids with lots of student debt) attempted to defy a city order to vacate their protest site. Police used tear gas to disperse the mob. Tear gas. In Oakland. California.

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Pardon us for stating the obvious, everyone knows this, along with knowing that if there were a Republican in the White House, Washington is precisely where the main protest effort would be held. Funny how things change with Barry, the community organizer-in-chief in the House.

More Americans blame Washington than Wall Street for the country’s economic problems, a new poll shows.

Will last night’s debate revive Perry’s struggling candidacy? Reuters and others seem to think  so.

“This is the start of Romney vs. Romney. We’ll have him debating himself before this is over,” said one senior Perry adviser, explaining the strategy.

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, or so they say; however, what happens throughout the state of Nevada does not, obviously. They may have placed a bet, but there’s still seems room for hedging it, somewhat.

“It’s not necessarily a different answer. It’s just the more discussions you have the more you take into perspective,” she said after Tuesday night’s GOP debate in Las Vegas. “You just have to weigh pros and cons — so, as of now, we are still on the 14th.” Five GOP presidential candidates have said they will boycott Nevada’s caucuses if the date is not altered to accommodate New Hampshire.

Keep your eyes on Greece. Occupy Wall Street may be more entertaining, but only so long  as there is a Wall Street to occupy.

(Reuters) – Greek unions began a 48-hour general strike on Wednesday, the biggest protest in years, as parliament prepared to vote on sweeping new austerity measures designed to stave off a default that could trigger a crisis in the wider euro zone. (more…)

GOP candidates for President took another night out of their schedules to get smeared by smug liberal journalists. The low-point of the night was when Charlie Rose and JournOlister Karen Tumulty used a 30 second clip of Ronald Reagan to suggest that the Gipper was all about raising taxes in the interest of compromise. The high-point was the fact that the debate was broadcast on BloombergTV, so no one saw it. Breitbart-opolis reactions here and here.

Why is Obama heartbroken over the NBA delay?

President Obama said Tuesday that he’s “a little heartbroken that the NBA season is getting delayed” at a fundraiser in Orlando with Magic star Dwight Howard.

Because he took a shot in Washington. Can you say REJECTED?

United against Barack Obama, Senate Republicans voted Tuesday night to kill the jobs package the president had spent weeks campaigning for across the country, a stinging loss at the hands of lawmakers opposed to stimulus-style spending and a tax increase on the very wealthy.

Meanwhile, economies struggle worldwide – the latest from Britain. But, hey, it’s in the game, right?

The number of people unemployed in Britain jumped to 2.57 million in the three months to August, the highest amount since 1994, official data showed on Wednesday.

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The Obama administration has cost so many Americans jobs, it’s a wonder more of those in it still have theirs. David Axelrod’s current job seems to be selling Obama’s jobs bill. But then, you can’t spell “jobs bill,” let alone sell it, without bs.

As the Senate prepares to vote on President Obama’s jobs bill, the Obama campaign released a memo by senior strategist David Axelrod that seems designed to give wavering senators reason to vote for the bill: it makes the case that “there is no Republican alternative that would create jobs now.”

Are Democrats poised to try and pass Obama’s jobs bill in pieces?

Senate Democrats are poised to bring Obama’s jobs bill to the floor for a vote Tuesday, but with passage facing long odds, party leaders may break the legislation into parts, hoping for greater success in smaller increments.

The AP has Romney in the hot seat for tonight’s debate. Perry has been moved over a seat in the arrangement to make room for Herman Cain. While more window dressing, than anything,  in  terms of the debate, it should prove interesting if a shift in the  current  race  dynamics shakes up anything in  addition  to the seating  arrangements. Stay  tuned.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — They’re coming to what is essentially his home turf — and they are ready to challenge Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney on the economy, the central issue to the former Massachusetts governor’s campaign.

Is this Perry’s now-or-never debate? If not,  it may be getting close. Bachmann is trying to assure supporters that her campaign isn’t floundering. Tough sell.

Uh-oh: Romney advisors met several times with White House staff during the debates over ObamaCare. Chances this topic comes up in tonight’s debate: 150%!

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Can we afford to wait for the Supreme Court to rule on ObamaCare? Perhaps not. If the Left is anything, it is relentless. The Right needs to push back every bit as hard and consistently, or we will lose this fight, among others.

Many are focused on the Supreme Court’s take-up of the question of the constitutionality of the individual mandate clause in Obamacare as the means to stop President Obama’s signature legislation. However, some of the law has already been funded and put into place, and, until the High Court rules- and if it rules that the individual mandate is unconstitutional- there are already clear plans to change healthcare in this country as we know it.

While Wall Street remains occupied, the San Francisco version looks more like a yeast infection. Should we be surprised?

Harlem brewed up a teaparty of sorts.

“This is a Harlem tea party,” said Chet Whye, director of Harlem 4 Obama. “This is about ‘civilitea.’ But don’t let the smooth taste fool you.”

No word on whether or not Herman Cain was invited to speak.

Presidential candidate Herman Cain said Sunday that he didn’t believe racism was a major factor holding minorities back in America, asserting instead that African Americans had a level playing field on which to advance economically.

Along with reports that Sharpton will broadcast from Occupy Wall Street, the NYT’s Paul Krugman is now supporting them. I’m putting both those developments in the Right’s win column.

It remains to be seen whether the Occupy Wall Street protests will change America’s direction. Yet the protests have already elicited a remarkably hysterical reaction from Wall Street, the super-rich in general, and politicians and pundits who reliably serve the interests of the wealthiest hundredth of a percent.

Hmmm…the owner of #OccupyWallSt’s “Liberty Plaza” (Zuccotti Park) got one of those juicy “green energy” loans from the feds. Funny that the protesters are relying on a crony capitalist for their demonstration.

The Hermanator has seen enough of the #Occupy silliness. He has jumped out in front of the other GOP candidates in criticizing the protesters. He’s in good company. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize co-winner, Leymeh Gboowee also criticized those crazy kids.

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Heard this great joke the other day.

E-Mails: OMB Staffers Joked About Solyndra Bilking Tax Payers

Are you laughing, yet? They are, I trust you realize, still laughing at you. Don’t get mad, get even. Take our country back in 2012 and put some of these clowns out of a job. We’ll see who’s laughing, then.

Nevada has announced its caucus date. With other dates to be announced, New Hamphire law stipulates that its primary remain the first in the nation. It’s unclear what if any ramifications that may present. Iowa, also a caucus, has generally preceded NH by one week. I would say Election 2012 can’t get here fast enough, but it may be getting here even faster, soon. Stay tuned.

The Nevada Republican Party announced Wednesday that it will hold its presidential caucus on Jan. 14, likely pushing the first votes of the 2012 election cycle into 2011.

Microsoft is reportedly considering a bid for Yahoo, which recently did a content deal with ABC.

BusinessInsider has a round-up of all things Steve Jobs and Apple.

Democrats have tossed a White House tax proposal for another. With luck, the words “toss, Democrat” and “White House” will feature prominently in the headlines of 2012.

Senate Democrats, divided over how to pay for President Obama’s jobs plan, Wednesday tossed out the White House tax proposals and replaced them with one of their own: a tax increase on millionaires. Obama’s plan to increase taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000 was highly unpopular among some Democrats.

Senate Dems are planning a committee vote today to recommend Richard Cordray as the new head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If you think debit card fees are annoying, wait until Cordray takes on the near-limitless powers of the fed’s newest bureaucracy. Like Elizabeth Warren, he’s a lefty, but one with deep ties to the trial bar.

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The Wall Street Journal informs, NJ Gov Chris Christie’s overly grand exit (despite never having actually been “in” anything save some YouTube clips), has shifted focus to Mitt Romney.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to sit out the presidential race removes one of the last big unknowns from the 2012 Republican nomination fight and opens the path for Mitt Romney, the GOP front-runner for most of the year.

Well, at least we know what their focus is, anyway. Team Romney claims to have picked up approximately 20 new funders from a group of about 300 they contacted. Perhaps the remaining 280 are focused elsewhere?

Herman Cain has moved into a tie with Mitt Romney atop the field of Republican presidential candidates, according to a new CBS News poll, while Rick Perry has fallen 11 percentage points in just two weeks.

Meanwhile, word comes that a law firm affiliated with Sarah Palin has been making inquiries as to state filing deadlines. As with most things, focus is relative, perhaps?

Rick Perry is raising money faster than a Texas wildfire. The campaign reports raising $17 million in just 49 days. More importantly, as Politico points out, he has $15 million cash-on-hand, which means he’s running a very fiscally conservative campaign.

Rick Perry isn’t the first GOP nominee to be viewed as “soft” on immigration. Just few cycles ago, another GOP candidate ran for the nomination and spelled out in a debate that he opposed a border fence with Mexico and supporting free public schools for the children of illegal immigrants. That candidate, Ronald Reagan, was surely never heard from again.

Senate Democrats last night blocked a vote on Obama’s jobs bill. You know, the one Obama said weeks ago that Congress had to pass immediately. Seems the Dems aren’t so keen on Obama’s plan and are rewriting large parts of it.

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Obama has now suggested that hindsight is 20/20 when it comes to issues like Solyndra. Perhaps, but then, what is hindsight, or, more to the point, where was the foresight within his administration? If it was present, it didn’t seem to have much of a vote.

President Obama told George Stephanopoulos Monday that he didn’t regret his administration’s investment of $535 million in failed clean energy company Solyndra. “People felt it was a good bet,” the president said. But new e-mails revealed today indicate there were plenty of folks within the administration who had serious questions about Solyndra, with the president’s chief economic adviser at the time, Larry Summers, suggesting that the government was “crappy” at picking sound investments.

It’s difficult to see Obama surviving another national election, if numbers like these continue to hold up.

A new CBS News poll finds that nearly seven in 10 Americans believe President Obama has not made real progress in fixing the economy.

Indeed, Republicans are feeling optimistic. However, it requires more than optimism to win elections.

Republicans are overwhelmingly confident about taking back the White House in 2012, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Democrats are less sure that their guy has another big win in him.

Raising Cain?

After a quick rise in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has experienced an almost equally dramatic decline, losing about half of his support over the past month, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Meanwhile, Michele Bachmann’s pollster, veteran Ed Goes, is leaving her campaign. Bachmann is now staking her whole campaign on the Iowa Caucuses.

Chris Christie has scheduled a press conference for 1pm EDT. Reports are swirling that he will not run for president in 2012.

And the hits on Perry just keep coming. Whatever your thoughts on the Texas Governor, it’s clear the press has a full force feeding frenzy going on, now. One has to  wonder about what would have happened with Obama, if half this sort of effort had been directed at him in 2007 and 2008.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Eleven years ago, when the NAACP stepped up a campaign to remove the Confederate battle flag from statehouses and other government buildings across the South, it found an opponent in Rick Perry.

Just the same, we may not see this item coming across the wires anytime soon.

New Black Panther Malik Shabazz: Obama Evoked Tenets of Black Liberation Theology in Selma

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