The battle for the presidency is about to get a whole lot more interesting with the news that actress Roseanne Barr has filed the official paperwork to run for the office of the president of the United States. Barr will be running for a Green Party nomination.

If you're wondering where Roseanne stands on all of the issues, here's a quick overview: she promises to institute a "Europeanstyle" single-payer health care and forgive all credit card and mortgage debt.

Barr's official announcement read:

"I am pleased to announce that I am seeking the Green Party's nomination for President of these United States of America. The Democrats and Republicans have proven that they are servants-bought and paid for by the 1%-who are not doing what's in the best interest of the American people. As a long time supporter of the Green Party, I look forward to working with people who share my values. Behold the greening of America!"

According to the results of a Quinnipiac University survey released on Monday, 43 percent of those likely to vote in the Florida primary on Tuesday say that they back Romney, while 29 percent say they support Gingrich.

11 percent support both Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. 7 percent said they were undecided, and 24 percent indicated that they could change their minds.

Romney's lead seems to be increasing. His 14 point lead this week is up from his 9 point advantage in another Quinnipiac poll released on Friday.

Romney also head an 11 point lead over rival Gingrich in an American Research survey released on Sunday, a 15 point lead in a new NBC/Maris poll, and an 11 point lead in a Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 survey.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released his tax returns, which show that in 2010 he paid roughly $3 million in federal income taxes on an income of more than seven times that from investments. Romney's $21.7 million in earnings in 2010 put him among the wealthiest of U.S. taxpayers.

Romney also gave $3 million to charity, with about half of that going to the Mormon church. According to the records, which were released on Tuesday, this helped to reduce his effective tax rate to about 14 percent.

For 2011, Romney will pay about $3.2 million with an effective tax rate of 15.4 percent. Romney's campaign said that his 2011 returns haven't yet been filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

Romney had been under pressure in recent weeks to release his tax returns. His GOP rivals wanted to paint the former Massachusetts governor as a wealthy businessman who cut jobs in the private sector.

Romney rival Newt Gingrich released his tax returns on Saturday, which he showed he paid about $1 million in federal income taxes. This is a rate of about 31 percent.

During Monday night's GOP debate in Tampa, Romney spoke of his taxes:

Various news outlets have confirmed that Texas governor Rick Perry will be announcing Thursday that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Perry will also announce that he is endorsing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at an event in South Carolina at 11:00am local time.

Perry's decision to withdraw from the race comes as he has struggled to gain traction among social conservatives in South Carolina ahead of the state's Saturday primary.

An NBC/Marist poll released on Thursday showed that Perry had just four percent support in South Carolina. A CNN/Time/ORC International poll released on Wednesday also showed him in last place in the state with six percent.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who backed Barack Obama and his 2008 bid for the presidency, described President Obama as a "masterful leader", and said that she is confident that he will be re-elected.

Winfrey, however, says that this time she doesn't feel an urgency to formally endorse Obama because he is so well-known:

"I don't need to endorse him because I am a 100 percent supporter of him and I've already endorsed him."

She added:

"If he or his office called me tomorrow and said that they needed me I would do whatever I thought would be of service. I did what I did in 2008 because I really thought that would be of value and of service. I don't think that's needed in 2012. There's not a person in the world who doesn't know who Barack Obama is."

Oprah says that she is confident Obama will be elected, and noted:

"I think he is a masterful leader."

Winfrey made the remarks during an interview in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was in town to celebrate the graduation of the first students attending a school for girls that she established five years ago. 72-students are graduating on Saturday from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.

President Barack Obama announced on Monday that his White House Chief of Staff, William M. Daley, had resigned. The decision to resign at the start of a critical election year came as a surprise to the Democratic president.

Obama said that Daley will be succeeded by White House budget director Jack Lew. The changes will go into effect at the end of January, which will give Lew time to finish up details on the President's budget proposal that is due next month.

Speaking of Lew, Obama said:

"I have every confidence that Jack will make sure that we don't miss a beat and continue to do everything we can to strengthen our economy and the middle class and keep the American people safe."

Daley offered his resignation to Obama in an Oval Office meeting last Tuesday. The President then asked Daley to take some time to think about the decision, but the following day. Despite his promise to stay through the 2012 election, Daley informed him of his final decision to leave the very next day.

In his resignation letter, Daley praised Obama's leadership on a number of issues and said he was honored to be a part of his administration. He did not, however, give any indication of his reasons for leaving, other than to note, "It is time for me to go back to the city I love."

Michelle Bachmann's dreams of being the leader of the free world and residing at the White House are now over. During a press conference held Wednesday morning in Des Moines, Iowa, the Minnesota congresswoman announced that she is suspending her campaign for the Republican nomination for president.

Bachmann came in at a paltry sixth place during the Iowa Caucuses on Tuesday. Her announcement today means she has effectively dropped out of the presidential race.

Bachmann said:

“And so last night, the people of Iowa spoke, with a very clear voice. And so I have decided to stand aside. And I believe that if we are going to repeal Obamacare, turn our country around, and take back our country, we must do so united. And I believe that we must rally behind the person that our country, and our party, and our people, select to be that standard-bearer.”

Bachmann did not comment on whether or not she will run for re-election in the House, but did say she'd continue to be "a strong voice" in public life.

A new poll showed on Thursday that Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has pushed ahead of President Obama and taken his largest lead yet in a national head-to-head matchup. In the Rasmussen Reports survey, Romney topped Obama 45 percent to 39 percent.

The pollsters said:

“It’s also the biggest lead a named Republican candidate has held over the incumbent in Rasmussen Reports surveying to date."

The former Massachusetts governor and millionaire businessman is also amongst the frontrunners in Iowa's first nominating contest on Tuesday, the first in the country.

Just one week ago, Romney trailed Obama 44 to 41 percent. The week before that, Romney held a slight 43 percent to 42 percent edge over Obama in the Rasmussen polls.

Thursday's poll and Obama's 39 percent represents a new low for the president. His support previously ranged from 40 to 46 percent in head-to-head matchups against Romney.

Obama does, however, lead all other named GOP candidates by between 7 and 15 percent.

Plagued by rumors of affairs and has encountered a series of gaffes during his run for the Republican Party nomination for the 2012 presidential race, Herman Cain may have finally hit his limit. According to the National Review, Cain told his senior staff on a conference call this morning that he is "reassessing" whether to stay in the race and will make his final decision in "the next few days."

Cain said on the call:

“Obviously, you’re all aware of this recent firestorm that hit the news yesterday. First thing I want to do is say to you what I have said publicly: I deny those charges, unequivocally. Secondly, I have known this lady for a number of years. And thirdly, I have been attempting to help her financially because she was out of work and destitute, desperate. So, thinking that she was a friend — and I have helped many friends — I now know that she wasn’t the friend that I thought she was. But it was a just a friendship relationship.