Free Republic

BY NEIL KING JR. With few voters still on the fence, President Barack Obama holds leads over Mitt Romney in new polls of Ohio, Florida and Virginia, three of the states likely to determine who wins the White House in November. Mr. Obama has fought Mr. Romney to a draw on the question of which candidate is best equipped to grapple with the economy, the new Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist Poll surveys suggest. Mr. Romney's campaign is built largely on an argument that he can best reinvigorate the economy. Among likely voters, Mr. Obama leads Mr. Romney by seven percentage...

Thanks to the personal finance disclosure that members of congress are required to submit — and the folks at the Center for Responsive Politics who maintain a database of the documents — we were able to look into the investment decisions of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, who as of last week, is now the official Republican vice presidential nominee. According to the documents, Ryan has benefited from a number of trusts and inheritances that make up most of his wealth, but his investments over the years have cemented his net worth somwhere between $927,000 and $3.2 million. A brief stint...

Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands. The floating party, hosted by a Florida developer on his yacht "Cracker Bay," was one of a dozen exclusive events meant to nurture those who have raised more than $1 million for Romney's bid. "I think it's ironic they do this aboard a yacht that doesn't even pay its taxes," said a woman who lives aboard a much smaller boat moored at the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina. Romney's Cayman-based investments have come under fire during the campaign. The event, attended...