Desperate Dems try to Palinize Massachusetts Senate race  —  Frantic over the possibility that a Democrat might lose the race to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts, the Democratic National Committee has sent its top spinner, Hari Sevugan, to the aid of Democratic candidate Martha Coakley …

Sen. Reid and son Rory each considered a burden for the other's campaign in Nevada  —  LAS VEGAS — As if Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) didn't have enough problems, say hello to Rory Reid, his eldest son.  Looks just like him.  He's running for governor of Nevada.

Ford: I'm gearing up for Senate race  —  It's true: I am strongly considering running for the United States Senate.  —  I do so because our best as a nation has always come when we test our ideas and ourselves, and when we trust competition to refine the steel of our convictions and the truth of our arguments.

Game over: The Clintons stand alone  —  A new book is out with a highly critical but unsourced portrait of Hillary Clinton.  This familiar occurrence — it's happened too many times to count over the years — has usually been greeted with an equally familiar response: A fast and furious counterattack from the Clinton inner circle.

Palin, Bachmann Tea Party sessions closed to press  —  It looks like the revolution will not be televised, after all.  —  At least not the Tea Party's revolution.  —  Word from Nashville on Monday was that the First National Tea Party Convention next month will be closed to the press …

Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans  —  Over the past decade or so, divorce has gradually become more uncommon in the United States.  Since 2003, however, the decline in divorce rates has been largely confined to states which have not passed a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Obama's Approval Rating Dips to New Low  —  President Obama's job approval rating has fallen to 46 percent, according to a new CBS News poll.  —  That rating is Mr. Obama's lowest yet in CBS News polling, and the poll marks the first time his approval rating has fallen below the 50 percent mark.

Federal Reserve earned $45 billion in 2009  —  Wall Street firms aren't the only banks that had a banner year.  The Federal Reserve made record profits in 2009, as its unconventional efforts to prop up the economy created a windfall for the government.  —  The Fed will return about $45 billion …

Bomb Blast Kills Physics Professor in Tehran  —  PARIS — A remote-controlled bomb attached to a motorcycle killed an Iranian physics professor outside his home in northern Tehran on Tuesday, state media reported, blaming the United States and Israel for the attack.  —  There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Kissell looking solid  —  A year into his first term in Congress, Larry Kissell is doing just fine.  —  45% of his constituents approve of the job he's doing to 30% who disapprove.  Those numbers are comparable to where PPP found Virginia Foxx and Patrick McHenry's approval ratings in 2008 when each won reelection by 16 points.

Vidal Loco  —  What has happened to Gore Vidal, the witty, tough-minded subversive of American letters, the 20th century's only possible answer to Oscar Wilde?  After 9/11, the author laments, Vidal's writings took a graceless lurch toward the crackpot, surpassing even the wilder-eyed efforts …

Crist loses straw poll to Rubio in his home county  —  CLEARWATER — Among the many indignities Gov. Charlie Crist has faced over the last several rocky months, this one hit home.  —  Republican Party activists in his own county of Pinellas, many of whom have been campaigning alongside Crist for years …

US Investigating 38 Cases of Reconstruction Abuse  —  KABUL (AP) — The U.S. agency overseeing the multibillion dollar Afghanistan reconstruction effort is investigating 38 criminal cases ranging from contract fraud to theft — most involving non-Afghans, officials said Tuesday.