Poll: Romney favors the rich Swing state voters say Romney favors the rich; the GOP frets; Gingrich for Akin; and other top Wednesday stories

Romney for the 1 percent: A new New York Times/CBS News poll shows that majorities of likely voters in the swing states of Wisconsin, Virginia and Colorado say that Mitt Romney's policies favor the rich. In each state, about 55 percent say Romney is better for the rich, while a plurality say Obama's policies favor the middle class. Only a sliver of voters say the president favors the rich. This pattern has been evident since the early GOP primaries.

GOP frets Romney's comments: Republicans are concerned about the fallout from Mitt Romney’s comments on the secret video released earlier this week. Bu the problem goes beyond just the quotes: “Elected officials, donors and operatives are irritated about facing yet another distraction, but the surreptitiously recorded clips have triggered a round of broader complaints over Romney’s fundraising-focused schedule, lackluster candidate skills and a seemingly adrift campaign that trails in key battleground states with less than 50 days to go,” Politico reports. “As a candidate, he is just not going to improve,” an unnamed “senior Republican” said. The strategist described the party’s mood this way: “Not panic, but a recognition that the way to get [to 270 electoral votes] is limited.”

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Obama slams Romney on 47 percent: Appearing on David Letterman’s show last night, President Obama made his first comments on Romney’s 47 percent remarks. “When I won in 2008, 47 percent of the American people voted for John McCain. They didn’t vote for me and what I said on election night was: ‘Even though you didn’t vote for me, I hear your voices, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to be your president,’” Obama said. Romney, however, Obama added, was “writing off a big chunk of the country.”

Gingrich for Akin: Newt Gingrich will campaign for embattled Rep. Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin next week, conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly announced yesterday. Gingrich has long supported Akin, even when virtually every other conservative abandoned him, saying of Akin’s controversial comments on rape and abortion, "Todd Akin was a choice for people in Missouri, and Todd Akin has publicly apologized.”

Chicago strike ends: Chicago students returned to school today after the teachers strike ended. Representatives of the 29,000 striking Chicago public schoolteachers and support staff voted on Tuesday to suspend their strike and accept a compromise agreement on a new three-year contract with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

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Eastwooding: Finally, Clint Eastwood, asked if he would do his Republican National Convention chair routine again, told Extra, “I probably would, I wouldn’t be afraid of it.”