The top story today is Herman Cain’s “reassessment” of his candidacy. And a bunch more on that below. But first, here are four other things:

1. Supercommittee Deja Vu – Republicans from the failed supercommittee are meeting right now on Capitol Hill, a Republican Senate aide confirms to Sunlen Miller.

2. Immigration Day – If we weren’t concentrating on Herman Cain’s reassessment, we’d be talking a lot more about immigration today.  Here’s what Matt Jaffe reported: “In Florida, Mitt Romney is trotting out a series of high-profile Cuban-American endorsements (even though they, like Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich and unlike Romney, support a form of DREAM Act). In New Hampshire, Rick Perry is showcasing the support of anti-illegal immigration hardliner Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. And in South Carolina, all the talk is about Newt Gingrich’s comments Monday backing the state’s strict new immigration law.” http://abcn.ws/swnl5v   

3. Perry “Oops” Patrol - Before the news, an amusing anecdote – In one sentence Rick Perry said the voting age was 21 and that election day 2012 – when he hopes to be on the ballot – is Nov. 12 and not Nov. 6. As Arlette Saenz writes, “oops.” http://abcn.ws/uOsiuX

4. Gary Johnson Sorta Quits New Hampshire – Herman Cain is reassessing, but Gary Johnson is seriously tweaking his strategy? The New Mexico Republican and former governor hasn’t really caught on, despite a bike ride across the granite state and a person by person strategy this summer. Now it may have to be a third party bid for the libertarian-minded Westerner.  And that’s a possibility, he told Sarah Parnass. “When you get outraised 140 to 1, that’s a tough one,” he said: http://abcn.ws/shUOX7    

Back in October Johnson told Top Line that he’d either get a “pink slip” or “advance to go” from New Hampshire. http://abcn.ws/uWYmjE

Back to Cain

Reassessment - Yesterday’s  news of a woman claiming to have carried on a 13-year relationship with Herman Cain led to today’s conference call with staffers in which he said he’s in a “reassessment” of his candidacy.  Said one staffer: “Mr. Cain told staff simply that, just as every time significant events occur, a reassessment is prudent.”

Here’s all of the Cain news in one place: http://abcn.ws/trQJVq   

What does reassessment mean? – Amy Walter has the Cain Train definition: http://abcn.ws/t42eo7

Jon Huntsman said Cain should probably drop out - “Every time another accusation comes up, it diminishes our ability to stay focused on the issues that really do matter for the American people. And I think that’s a disservice to the voters.” More from Russell Goldman: http://abcn.ws/s4Laem

Mixed Signals from Cain Camp – Some staffers suggested Cain’s reassessment is a harbinger for a larger announcement. Others, like spokesman JD Gordon, said the media was overreacting. Jon Karl parses the mixed signals. http://abcn.ws/tWCWva   

Ginger White Had Financial Problems – From the ABC Investigative Unit: Like one of his earlier accusers, the latest woman to accuse Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual misconduct has a history of financial trouble, with a threat of eviction for non-payment of rent just two weeks ago. Ginger White, who claimed in an interview with Atlanta Fox News affiliate WAGA to have had a 13-year-affair with Cain, has liens and civil judgments in Kentucky and Georgia dating back to 1994. http://abcn.ws/sghO0F   

The View on Cain from New Hampshire – WMUR’s James Pindell reports that “Two New Hampshire State Representatives dropped their support for Herman Cain’s presidential campaign and will now support rival Newt Gingrich in the wake of allegations Cain had an affair. Two other representatives who were announced supporters have concerns, but want to learn more information in the quickly moving story.” http://bit.ly/vnHuqa

The View on Cain from Iowa – ABC’s Shushannah Walshe talked to Cain’s staff on the ground in Iowa. “What I took from the reassessment is, it’s a financial reassessment,” Cain’s Iowa State Chairman Steve Grubbs said. “I think my advice to the campaign is to look at John McCain in 2007 and Bill Clinton in 1991. Both went through similar situations and became the nominee.” http://abcn.ws/rzyV35   

Meet Anthony Kennedy, Swing Voter – Ariane de Vogue reports that if the health reform law is decided by a 5-4 margin, it’s very likely that Justice Anthony Kennedy will be the one American deciding if every other American has to buy health insurance. http://abcn.ws/uXSd0b   

DNC Ad Misleads on Romney and the Stimulus - A week after Mitt Romney released an ad misleading viewers about something President Obama said in 2008, the DNC released an ad misleading viewers about something Mitt Romney said in 2009 just before stimulus negotiations got underway on Capitol Hill. Jake Tapper reports: http://abcn.ws/vqpG4U   

Romney answered the DNC today – ‘Bring it on!’ – ABC’s Emily Friedman reports: http://abcn.ws/sRtNzr   

Hit of the Day (on Perry) - Union Leader Editor Drew Cline says this about Rick Perry: “He did more than misspeak. He did more than recklessly attack his own base and generally act like the class bully assigned to spend study hall with the chess club. He did more than forget his talking points and display an uncomfortable lack of knowledge of important topics. He simply suffocated. “ http://bit.ly/sb8syu

Everything you ever wanted to know about newspaper endorsements – Here’s our two-day bounce on what, if anything, the Union Leader endorsement of Gingrich will mean. It includes a track record for the Union Leader and a short history of endorsements, including a look at the LA Times from Nixon to Obama. http://abcn.ws/sMtmZk   

Biden Visits Iraq - http://abcn.ws/vj4RVI   More than  20k Troops Left Iraq In a Month – About that drawdown, here’s what Luis Martinez has to say from the Pentagon: Vice President Biden’s in Iraq today provides a good opportunity to check on the quickly decreasing numbers of U.S. troops in Iraq. How quickly are those numbers decreasing?  In the last week of October there were 39,000 U.S. troops serving in Iraq.  By last week that number had dropped to 18,000.  Today it stands at 13,000. U.S. military commanders have said that the bulk of all US troops will be out of Iraq by Mid-December.   Looks like they’ll make it.

Contraception and 2012 – Obama Supporters are worried he may grant contraception exemptions to Catholic Hospitals. It all stems from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ requirement that health plans cover even emergency contraception. Reports Jake Tapper:  The Catholic Church has been pushing the White House to allow Catholic hospitals to opt out of providing contraception that it considers the termination of a life, and many in the abortion rights community are worried that the president will grant that exemption. Additionally, many Democrats invested in President Obama’s re-election are worried that if he grants that exemption, he will alienate liberal women voters they will need come November.   http://abcn.ws/sZYkKK   

Payroll Tax Cut Extension - Tapper also asked Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan Krueger  today about the Payroll Tax Cut extension everyone wants but somehow still hasn’t passed. And which some people are starting to become concerned could hurt the Medicare trust fund. http://abcn.ws/vLB5cj

Obama Ad Buy – From Devin Dwyer: The Obama campaign has made its first ad buy of the 2012 cycle, a senior campaign official confirmed to ABC News. It’s described as a “tiny” buy on national satellite. The two spots, versions of which have appeared on the campaign’s website, are aimed at signing up supporters as volunteers and potential donors. Both feature President Obama speaking directly to a camera while a campaign phone number and website appear in the lower third. ttp://abcn.ws/tqjtmL   White House Condemns Attack on British Embassy - The White House condemned “in the strongest terms” the attack on the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday and urged Iran to prosecute the offenders. Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy, ransacking the offices and vandalizing the property. Britain’s Foreign Office called the assault “utterly unacceptable” and advised British nationals in Iran to stay indoors and “keep a low profile.” http://abcn.ws/vpxL6C

The top story today is Herman Cain’s “reassessment” of his candidacy. And a bunch more on that below. But first, here are four other things:

1. Supercommittee Deja Vu – Republicans from the failed supercommittee are meeting right now on Capitol Hill, a Republican Senate aide confirms to Sunlen Miller.

2. Immigration Day – If we weren’t concentrating on Herman Cain’s reassessment, we’d be talking a lot more about immigration today.  Here’s what Matt Jaffe reported: “In Florida, Mitt Romney is trotting out a series of high-profile Cuban-American endorsements (even though they, like Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich and unlike Romney, support a form of DREAM Act). In New Hampshire, Rick Perry is showcasing the support of anti-illegal immigration hardliner Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. And in South Carolina, all the talk is about Newt Gingrich’s comments Monday backing the state’s strict new immigration law.” http://abcn.ws/swnl5v   

3. Perry “Oops” Patrol - Before the news, an amusing anecdote – In one sentence Rick Perry said the voting age was 21 and that election day 2012 – when he hopes to be on the ballot – is Nov. 12 and not Nov. 6. As Arlette Saenz writes, “oops.” http://abcn.ws/uOsiuX

4. Gary Johnson Sorta Quits New Hampshire – Herman Cain is reassessing, but Gary Johnson is seriously tweaking his strategy? The New Mexico Republican and former governor hasn’t really caught on, despite a bike ride across the granite state and a person by person strategy this summer. Now it may have to be a third party bid for the libertarian-minded Westerner.  And that’s a possibility, he told Sarah Parnass… “when you get outraised 140 to 1, that’s a tough one,” he said: http://abcn.ws/shUOX7    

Back in October Johnson told Top Line that he’d either get a “pink slip” or “advance to go” from New Hampshire. http://abcn.ws/uWYmjE

Back to Cain

Reassessment - Yesterday’s  news of a woman claiming to have carried on a 13-year relationship with Herman Cain led to today’s conference call with staffers in which he said he’s in a “reassessment” of his candidacy.  Said one staffer: “Mr. Cain told staff simply that, just as every time significant events occur, a reassessment is prudent.”

Here’s all of the Cain news in one place: http://abcn.ws/trQJVq   

What does reassessment mean? – Amy Walter has the Cain Train definition: http://abcn.ws/t42eo7

Jon Huntsman said Cain should probably drop out - “Every time another accusation comes up, it diminishes our ability to stay focused on the issues that really do matter for the American people. And I think that’s a disservice to the voters.” More from Russell Goldman: http://abcn.ws/s4Laem

Mixed Signals from Cain Camp – Some staffers suggested Cain’s reassessment is a harbinger for a larger announcement. Others, like spokesman JD Gordon, said the media was overreacting. Jon Karl parses the mixed signals. http://abcn.ws/tWCWva   

Ginger White Had Financial Problems – From the ABC Investigative Unit: Like one of his earlier accusers, the latest woman to accuse Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual misconduct has a history of financial trouble, with a threat of eviction for non-payment of rent just two weeks ago. Ginger White, who claimed in an interview with Atlanta Fox News affiliate WAGA to have had a 13-year-affair with Cain, has liens and civil judgments in Kentucky and Georgia dating back to 1994. http://abcn.ws/sghO0F   

The View on Cain from New Hampshire – WMUR’s James Pinell reports that “Two New Hampshire State Representatives dropped their support for Herman Cain’s presidential campaign and will now support rival Newt Gingrich in the wake of allegations Cain had an affair. Two other representatives who were announced supporters have concerns, but want to learn more information in the quickly moving story.” http://bit.ly/vnHuqa

The View on Cain from Iowa – ABC’s Shushannah Walshe talked to Cain’s staff on the ground in Iowa. “What I took from the reassessment is, it’s a financial reassessment,” Cain’s Iowa State Chairman Steve Grubbs said. “I think my advice to the campaign is to look at John McCain in 2007 and Bill Clinton in 1991. Both went through similar situations and became the nominee.” http://abcn.ws/rzyV35   

Un-Shredding - The Government is paying $50k to whoever can best put shredded documents back together. http://abcn.ws/slEkTO

 

Meet Anthony Kennedy, Swing Voter – Ariane de Vogue reports that if the health reform law is decided by a 5-4 margin, it’s very likely that Justice Anthony Kennedy will be the one American deciding if every other American has to buy health insurance. http://abcn.ws/uXSd0b   

DNC Ad Misleads on Romney and the Stimulus - A week after Mitt Romney released an ad misleading viewers about something President Obama said in 2008, the DNC released an ad misleading viewers about something Mitt Romney said in 2009 just before stimulus negotiations got underway on Capitol Hill. Jake Tapper reports: http://abcn.ws/vqpG4U   

Romney answered the DNC today – ‘Bring it on!’ – ABC’s Emily Friedman reports: http://abcn.ws/sRtNzr   

Hit of the Day (on Perry) - Union Leader Editor Drew Cline says this abour Rick Perry: “He did more than misspeak. He did more than recklessly attack his own base and generally act like the class bully assigned to spend study hall with the chess club. He did more than forget his talking points and display an uncomfortable lack of knowledge of important topics. He simply suffocated. “ http://bit.ly/sb8syu

Everything you ever wanted to know about newspaper endorsements – Here’s our two day bounce on what, if anything, the Union Leader endorsement of Gingrich will mean. It includes a track record for the Union Leader and a short history of endorsements, including a look at the LA Times from Nixon to Obama. http://abcn.ws/sMtmZk   

Biden Visits Iraq - http://abcn.ws/vj4RVI   More than  20k Troops Left Iraq In a Month – About that drawdown, here’s what Luis Martinez has to say from the Pentagon: Vice President Biden’s in Iraq today provides a good opportunity to check on the quickly decreasing numbers of US troops in Iraq. How quickly are those numbers decreasing?  In the last week of October there were 39,000 US troops serving in Iraq.  By last week that number had dropped to 18,000.  Today it stands at 13,000. US military commanders have said that the bulk of all US troops will be out of Iraq by Mid-December.   Looks like they’ll make it.

Contraception and 2012 – Obama Supporters Worried He May Grant Contraception Exemptions to Catholic Hospitals from Sebelius requirement that hospitals cover even emergency contraception. Reports Jake Tapper:  The Catholic Church has been pushing the White House to allow Catholic hospitals to opt out of providing contraception that it considers the termination of a life, and many in the abortion rights community are worried that the president will grant that exemption. Additionally, many Democrats invested in President Obama’s re-election are worried that if he grants that exemption, he will alienate liberal women voters they will need come November.   http://abcn.ws/sZYkKK   

Payroll Tax Cut Extension - Tapper also asked Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan Krueger  today about the Payroll Tax Cut extension everyone wants but somehow still hasn’t passed. And which some people are starting to become concerned could hurt the Medicare trust fund. http://abcn.ws/vLB5cj

Obama Ad Buy – From Devin Dwyer: The Obama campaign has made its first ad buy of the 2012 cycle, a senior campaign official confirmed to ABC News. It’s described as a “tiny” buy on national satellite. The two spots, versions of which have appeared on the campaign’s website, are aimed at signing up supporters as volunteers and potential donors. Both feature President Obama speaking directly to a camera while a campaign phone number and website appear in the lower third. ttp://abcn.ws/tqjtmL   Will DNC Attempts to Soften Mitt Embolden Newt?   Should the White House be concerned about Gingrich, asked George Stephanopoulos? “I think part of [the Democrats'] strategy is a little jujitsu,” said Matt Dowd of the DNC attacks on Romney. “I think what they could do is actually hurt Mitt Romney in the primary and create an even bigger opening for Newt Gingrich. I think the attack the Democratic National Committee has on Mitt Romney hurts him as much in the Republican primary as it does in the general election,” Dowd said. “So yeah, they are softening him up for the general election in case he is the nominee, but two they may create an opening for Newt Gingrich and cause Mitt Romney to take on more water in the primaries in the nomination process and hurt him in that process.” http://abcn.ws/unVzGR   

White House Condemns Attack on British Embassy - The White House condemned “in the strongest terms” the attack on the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday and urged Iran to prosecute the offenders. Iranian protesters stormed the British Embassy, ransacking the offices and vandalizing the property. Britain’s Foreign Office called the assault “utterly unacceptable” and advised British nationals in Iran to stay indoors and “keep a low profile.” http://abcn.ws/vpxL6C