(CNN) – The controversial removal of an Arizona state official charged with redrawing congressional districts was overturned Thursday by the state's Supreme Court.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, had sought to remove Colleen Mathis from her post as chair of Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission, citing a “substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office.”
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(CNN) – The Democratic National Committee filed requests Thursday for state-house e-mails from Mitt Romney's time as governor of Massachusetts.

The requests specifically seek e-mails that include words that could reinforce the image the Democrats seek to paint of Romney as a candidate: "delete emails," "flip-flop," "change position," "raise taxes and fees," "move to the right," and "ranked 47th in job creation."
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Washington (CNN) - Several tea party-aligned groups are pushing Republican members of Congress not to support tax increases as a congressional super committee tries to come up with a proposal to cut at least $1.2 billion from the nation's debt.

Republicans serving on the committee that is charged with cutting $1.2 trillion in federal spending over 10 years have proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes balanced against a reduction in tax rates and tax reform.
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(CNN) - As hundreds of "Occupy" demonstrators across the country take to the streets on the movement's so-called "Day of Action," GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich came out in full support of cities cracking down on the protesters.

"Every city government has an absolute obligation to enforce the rule of law and to protect private property," Gingrich said at a campaign stop in Jacksonville, Florida. "And frankly, they ought to be filming these people, and every person who engages in violence ought to be given a very long vacation from the streets."
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Washington (CNN) - What do you give as a birthday gift to the man who controls the U.S. House of Representatives? If you're the number three Republican in the House, you give him an iron - for his clothing.

"Kevin McCarthy got me a Rowenta iron," John Boehner of Ohio told a group of reporters curious about what he got on his big day.
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Washington, D.C. (CNN) - Congress passed a temporary spending measure on Thursday that will keep the federal government funded and open for business until December 16. The continuing resolution was necessary because the federal government is set to run out of money by midnight Friday.

The House passed the measure by a vote of 298-121 Thursday afternoon, and the Senate followed suit Thursday evening, passing the measure 70-30.
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Concord, New Hampshire (CNN) - Herman Cain took on his critics with high energy and humor at a campaign rally Thursday, even as more controversy bubbled up around his Republican presidential campaign.

The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza spoke before more than a hundred enthusiastic supporters - though fewer than the campaign expected - in Nashua, New Hampshire, hours after confusion over a meeting with an influential state paper had both sides accusing the other of canceling.
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Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - With the air of a college instructor, Michele Bachmann essentially gave college students a Conservative 101 on the economy, national and foreign affairs and other important issues on Thursday in Iowa. But when the Republican presidential candidate took questions, some students turned the tables on their lecturer, peppering her with tough questions.

The Minnesota congresswoman appeared at a town hall at Drake University in Des Moines. Campus Republicans sponsored the event and helped pack the room.
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Washington (CNN) - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi declined Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry's debate invitation and poked a little fun at the Texas governor while she was at it.

"He did ask if I could debate here in Washington on Monday," Pelosi said, responding to a question about Perry's invitation. "It is my understanding that such a letter has come in. Monday I'm going to be in Portland in the morning and I'm going to be visiting some of our labs in the afternoon, that's two, I can't remember what the third thing is I'm going to be doing."
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(CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will not release more Freddie Mac-related documents, according to campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond.

Though the contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination said Wednesday that his campaign would "do what they can" to release more information about payments he received as a consultant from the government-backed mortgage group, Hammond backtracked later in the evening.
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