Is the Senate majority now in play?  —  The victories in Illinois by Rep. Mark Kirk (R) and state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) coupled with former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats' (R) decision to challenge Evan Bayh (D) in the fall is likely to stir chatter about the possibility that Republicans …

Why I'm speaking at Tea Party convention  —  Later this week I'll head to Nashville, where I'll have the honor of speaking with members of the Tea Party movement.  I look forward to meeting many Americans who share a commitment to limited government, common sense and personal responsibility.

Official Says Terrorism Suspect Is Cooperating  —  WASHINGTON — Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a jetliner bound for Detroit on Dec. 25, started talking to investigators after two of his family members arrived in the United States and helped earn his cooperation …

GOP finds loophole in reconciliation ploy  —  As it turns out, Senate Democrats may not be able to force healthcare legislation through the chamber on a simple majority vote.  —  Republicans say they have found a loophole in the budget reconciliation process that could allow them to offer an indefinite number of amendments.

D-Day at CBS News  —  On the evening of Monday, Feb. 1, Katie Couric, anchor of the CBS Evening News, was wearing red.  For the next half-hour, she tore through the headlines.  There were allegations of bigotry among the federal air marshals in the U.S., an American church group accused …

Republicans wonder what's next in Illinois governor's race  —  Posted by Monique Garcia, Rick Pearson and Ray Long at 5 a.m.; last updated at 11:24 a.m.  —  Illinois Republicans are gathering downtown for a unity breakfast this morning but found they had to add an extra seat at the main table.

Obama Acts to Engage G.O.P., Testing Party's Intentions  —  WASHINGTON — Emboldened by the response to President Obama's face-off with House Republicans last week, the White House is intensifying its push to engage Congressional Republicans in policy negotiations as a way to share the burden …

Countdown begins for end of Keith Olbermann's ‘Countdown’?  —  Remember Keith Olbermann?  —  He was the one-time must-see anti-Bush ranter who helped rescue MSNBC (yes, it's still on at night) from even worse oblivion years ago.  —  Well, quietly last month while no one was looking …

Left-right want Obama ‘question time’  —  A politically diverse group of bloggers, commentators, techies and politicos on Wednesday will launch an online campaign, Demand Question Time, urging President Barack Obama and GOP congressional leaders to hold regular, televised conversations …

Our licence fees pay for climate denial  —  The BBC spouts rightwing bias while ignoring environmental science.  So why not give other conspiracies a platform too?  —  After watching last night's Newsnight, I can only come to one conclusion: the BBC has become this country's …

Rush Limbaugh: 'I love the women's movement — especially when walking behind it.'  —  Last week, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh judged the Miss America pageant.  Today he went on Fox and Friends and spoke to host — and former Miss America winner — Gretchen Carlson to respond to the criticism he has been receiving.

Warning sign in Illinois  —  I think last night's Illinois primary results indicate some difficulties ahead in the state for Democrats that have nothing to do with who the winners and losers were.  —  Based on the current numbers 885,268 voters were cast in the Democratic primary for Senate compared to 736,137 on the Republican side.

Powell Favors Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Gen. Colin L. Powell, who as the nation's top military officer in the 1990s opposed allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, switched gears today and threw his support behind efforts to end the “don't ask, don't tell” law he helped shepherd in.

Large Portion Of GOP Thinks Obama Is Racist, Socialist, Non-U.S. Citizen: Poll  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  A new poll of more than 2,000 self-identified Republican voters illustrates the incredible paranoia enveloping the party and the intense pressure drawing lawmakers further and further away from political moderation.

Conservative Blogger Faces Criticism Over Protege … text sizeAAA  —  The conservative online news entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart is, for the moment, doing little to dispel stereotypes about bloggers.  During a recent visit to his home on the west side of Los Angeles, Breitbart, 41, is working from his own basement.

Facts and Data Be Damned  —  I was pulling my hair out this morning reading this Washington Post piece.  Titled “Despite his roots, Obama struggles to show he's connected to middle class,” it's one of those classics of Washington political journalism where the thesis is unsupported …

The Case Against Gays in the Military  —  Open homosexuality would threaten unit cohesion and military effectiveness.  —  As expected, President Obama pledged during his State of the Union address to “work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans …