Brown vs. Warren, Koch Brothers vs. Justices, and More

‘Romneycare’ for Only Some:

According to a new report, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s health care plan would leave roughly 72 million Americans uninsured by 2022. The study suggests that implementing Romney’s plan would actually be worse than doing nothing. For what it’s worth, the group behind the analysis, Commonwealth Fund, has a history of studies that are “pro-Obamacare.” (Read more)

The Religion Debate: Mitt Romney has remained, for the most part, quiet about his Mormon faith. But The Daily Beast’s Stacey Solie, who was raised Mormon, think it is pertinent for the GOP White House candidate to discuss how Mormons treat women, and she wants him to do it on a national stage. To that end, Solie wrote that moderator Jim Lehrer should pose the following question to Romney at the first presidential debate: “Why do Mormons continue to treat women of the faith as second-class citizens?” (Read more)

Not Supporting Akin: The Republicans have definitely softened their stance recently on Missouri GOP Senate nominee Todd Akin, with some conservatives offering up endorsements of the controversial candidate who claimed women can’t get pregnant from “legitimate rape.” One who won’t, however: Mitt Romney. (Read more)

Voter ID Law Halted: A controversial voter identification law in Pennsylvania that could have disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of voters has been blocked ahead of the November election. Poll workers can still ask for IDs on Election Day, a Pennsylvania judge ruled, but voters cannot be turned away — at least not during the upcoming election — if they do not have one. Some are concerned that this could lead to confusion when voters head to their polling places to cast their ballots. (Read more)

Round 2 in Massachusetts: Republican Scott Brown may have cost himself his Senate seat Monday night when he said uber-conservative Antonin Scalia was his “model” Supreme Court justice during a debate against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. Scalia isn’t just a Republican — he’s considered a far-right ideologue, something that will not play well in a liberal state like Massachusetts. As Salon noted, “Maybe he just likes the guy who made George W. Bush president and made corporations people (in Citizens United) but who believes 14th Amendment equal protection provisions don’t apply to females.” (Read more)

Kochs Target Florida Court: The billionaire Koch brothers are pumping money into a group that is attempting to oust three Florida Supreme Court justices. If they can be voted out, Republican Gov. Rick Scott — who has been pushing efforts to purge the state’s voter rolls — will get to appoint three justices to the court. Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity is running the Internet ads targeting the trio. (Read more)

Seeking ‘Porn Star’ Wife: Rep. Allen West, the tea party darling noted for saying all kinds of crazy and incendiary things, once demanded (this will be “the standard and it is nonnegotiable,” he wrote) in a letter to his wife that she be his “porn star.” It’s noteworthy for the fact that Republicans already have a major image problem with women, not to mention West uses religion as his justification for wanting his wife to be all “porny.” (Read more)

Video of the Day: Look! It’s Paul Ryan on video saying he thinks 30 percent of Americans want a welfare state. That’s like way less than Mitt Romney’s 47 percent figure!