Constitutional Conservatism: A Statement for the 21st Century  —  We recommit ourselves to the ideas of the American Founding.  Through the Constitution, the Founders created an enduring framework of limited government based on the rule of law.  They sought to secure national independence …

Clinton Plotting Tea Party Counterattack  —  Last week, former President Clinton was rushed to the hospital in New York for an emergency heart operation.  Medical experts said the procedure was “relatively routine” and predicted Clinton would make a full recovery and be back to his regular schedule soon.

Exclusive: Hot Air Acquired By Salem Communications  —  CPAC hasn't even officially started and already its making news.  Mediaite has learned that leading center-right web site Hot Air has been acquired by Salem Communications for an undisclosed sum.  Sources close to the deal claim that Michelle Malkin …

Judging Stimulus by Job Data Reveals Success  —  Imagine if, one year ago, Congress had passed a stimulus bill that really worked.  —  Let's say this bill had started spending money within a matter of weeks and had rapidly helped the economy.  Let's also imagine it was large enough …

Selling insurance across state lines: A terrible, no good, very bad health-care idea  —  The big Republican idea to bring down health-care costs is to “let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.”  Jon Chait has some commentary here, but I want to simplify a little bit.

“May The Judgement Not Be Too Heavy Upon Us”  —  To have lived in an America where its former vice-president can boast of supporting the torture of human beings is tragic and terrifying enough.  For me and many others, this is not America.  As a former president said of the abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib,

Dodd: Changing filibuster rules would be ‘foolish’  —  Diluting the Senate's filibuster rules would be “foolish,” Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) suggested Wednesday.  —  Dodd, who has served in the Senate since 1981 and is the sixth most senior Democrat in the chamber, rejected some colleagues' efforts …

Exclusive: Another Taliban Leader Captured in Pakistan  —  By Sami Yousafzai and Mark Hosenball  —  Another leader of the Afghan Taliban has been captured by authorities in Pakistan working in partnership with U.S. intelligence officials.  Taliban sources in the region and a counterterrorism officials …

Gibbs calls Cantor a ‘hypocrite’ on stimulus  —  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the number two House Republican a ‘hypocrite’ for criticizing the use of stimulus funds while at the same time requesting them for his district.  —  Democrats have been defending the $787 billion program Wednesday, its one-year anniversary.

Conservatives will take a ‘whack’ at Pelosi piñata  —  Attendees at a conservative conference in town this week will have the opportunity to whack a pinata of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).  —  Conservative Political Action Conference “CPAC” begins Thursday here in D.C. and will feature …

Assassins had Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in sight as soon as he got to Dubai  —  Mahmoud al-Mabhouh took no notice of the two men who joined him in the lift of his hotel in Dubai during the short ride to the second floor on the afternoon of January 20.  —  One was short and portly with a moustache, the other tall.

U.S. Economy Grinds To Halt As Nation Realizes Money Just A Symbolic, Mutually Shared Illusion  —  WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy ceased to function this week after unexpected existential remarks by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke shocked Americans into realizing that money is, in fact …

Poll: Large majority opposes Supreme Court's decision on campaign financing  —  Americans of both parties overwhelmingly oppose a Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations and unions to spend as much as they want on political campaigns, and most favor new limits on such spending, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Endgame?  House, Senate Edge Towards Deal On Bill For Health Summit  —  Okay, contrary to what you've been hearing, House and Senate Dem leaders are in fact edging towards reaching a deal on a health care reform package to take to next week's big summit, leadership aides tell me, though it remains a steep uphill climb.

Gibbs: President Obama “Would Love” To Appear On Daily Show, But Not Colbert Report  —  On Tuesday afternoon, I caught up with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in his office, and the conversation turned to President Obama's decision last year to appear on both The Tonight Show …

Cheney's Washington Post  —  First Hiatt fired the only opinion writer who really held Cheney to account for war crimes, Dan Froomkin.  Then he hires a mediocre writer, and proud Catholic-for-torture, and Cheney's former speech-writer, Marc Thiessen, for a weekly column.

Huckabee Gets Michelle Obama on Fox  —  Michelle Obama and Fox News are sort of going to break bread this weekend.  That's because former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has wooed the obesity-fighting first lady onto his weekend show to talk about food, fat, and kids.

Plan Would Allow for Early College  —  Dozens of public high schools in eight states will introduce a program next year allowing 10th graders who pass a battery of tests to get a diploma two years early and immediately enroll in community college.  —  Students who pass but aspire to attend …

Bill would ban federal currency in SC  —  Legislation by SC Rep. Mike Pitts would replace paper money with gold and silver coinage  —  PITTS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REPLACE PAPER MONEY WITH GOLD, SILVER COINS  —  South Carolina will no longer recognize U.S. currency as legal tender, if State Rep. Mike Pitts has his way.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Rolls Back Non-Discrimination Protections For Gay State Workers  —  Gay and lesbian state workers in Virginia are no longer specifically protected against discrimination, thanks to a little-noticed change made by new Gov. Bob McDonnell.

British Columbia  —  Man infatuated with U.S. VP breaches 2010 security … By: ctvbc.ca  —  A mentally ill man with a homemade security pass was able to get within metres of U.S. Vice President during a security breach at the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, CTV News has learned.

Life Support for “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”: Are Democrats the Problem?  —  To a degree that has caught even longtime advocates off guard, the substantive debate about whether to end “don't ask, don't tell” has rather suddenly been resolved.  The impassioned statement by Adm. Mike Mullen …

James O'Keefe and the myth of the ACORN pimp  —  Last September, when the ACORN scandal that his website helped launch was breaking in the press, Andrew Breitbart wrote a column for The Washington Times detailing the rollout of the undercover, right-wing gotcha.

Celebrity chef Beppe Bigazzi upsets viewers with his cat casserole  —  A top Italian food writer has been suspended indefinitely from the country's version of the television programme Ready Steady Cook for recommending stewed cat to viewers as a “succulent dish”.