Breaking: Reid Signals Support For Reconciliation Vote On Public Option  —  In another surprising step forward for the public option, Senator Harry Reid's office says that if a final decision is made to pass health reform via reconciliation, the Majority Leader would support holding a reconciliation vote on the public option.

A Sensible Response to Terrorism  —  As you probably know, a white guy entranced by an extremely version of Tea Party-style right-populist paranoia deliberately crashed an airplane into an IRS building in Texas yesterday.  I'm not especially interested in debating semantics …

Palin and Brown: Mitt Romney's best friends  —  Mitt Romney got a rousing reception at the Conservative Political Action Conference.  And why not?  He was introduced by the new conservative hero, Scott Brown, the Massachusetts senator whose election Romney played an important role in bringing about.

Holder admits nine Obama Dept. of Justice officials worked for terrorist detainees, offers no details  —  Attorney General Eric Holder says nine Obama appointees in the Justice Department have represented or advocated for terrorist detainees before joining the Justice Department.

John Ashcroft: Civilian Trials For Terrorists Have ‘Use And Utility’  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  In an acknowledgment that throws a wrench in Republican talking points, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said on Friday that the criminal justice system does, indeed, have a role to play in trying terrorist suspects.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg is diagnosed with cancer … U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey's 86-year-old senior senator, was diagnosed with treatable stomach cancer in the last 24 hours and will begin chemotherapy today.  —  The Democrat still plans to finish out his current term …

Bush lawyers who approved waterboarding to face no discipline  —  Bush administration lawyers who wrote memos blessing the waterboarding of terrorism suspects and other harsh interrogation tactics “exercised poor judgment” but will not face discipline for their actions, according …

Pawlenty compares administration to Tiger Woods, voters to scorned wife  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) on Friday told voters to follow the lead of Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren and “take a nine-iron and smash the window out of big government.”  —  Pawlenty, who is considered …

Bachmann: Obama ‘intending to fail’  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) urged conservatives on Friday to fight to prevent an American “decline” created by the policies of President Barack Obama.  —  In a long and meandering speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference evoking …

F.B.I., Laying Out Evidence, Closes Anthrax Letters Case  —  WASHINGTON — More than eight years after anthrax-laced letters killed five people and terrorized the country, the F.B.I. finally closed its investigation of the matter on Friday.  The bureau released a 92-page report adding eerie …

Krugman Don't Know Health Insurance  —  When I debated Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman on health care reform, I asked him if he was familiar with the work of University of Pennsylvania economist Mark Pauly.  Pauly is a leader in the economics of health insurance.

Far-Right John Birch Society 2010  —  ABC's Jonathan Karl reports: This week's Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington has a co-sponsor from the far-right fringe of American politics: The John Birch Society.  —  According to Ian Walters, a spokesman for CPAC …

CPAC audience boos former GOP Rep. Bob Barr for saying waterboarding is torture.  —  This afternoon, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held a debate titled “Does Security Trump Freedom?” that featured former GOP congressman and Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr …

Rapper Sky Blu says Mitt Romney used ‘Vulcan grip’ on him in plane fiasco  —  Sky Blu, singer of the band LMFAO, says Mitt Romney had him in a ‘Vulcan grip’ while aboard an airplane Monday night in Vancouver.  —  Mitt Romney used a “Vulcan grip” on rapper Sky Blu?  —  Wow.

Gays, gay marriage foes spar at CPAC  —  The young crowd at CPAC doesn't seem terribly interested in the issue of same-sex marriage, but there's been a bit of shadow boxing between the gay Republican group GOProud, which got a booth over objections from social conservatives …

Ron Paul supporters are taking over CPAC!  —  ABC News' Bret Hovell reports: Libertarian Texas Congressman Ron Paul - who has a large and occasionally rowdy backing throughout the country - was scheduled to speak here at the Conservative Political Action Conference at 4:30  —  Friday afternoon.

Profit-Seeking Palin Reportedly Rips CPAC As A Profiteering Convention  —  One leading Republican who is conspicuously absent from this year's CPAC is Fox News pundit Sarah Palin.  A source told Politico that Palin declined the invitation because she “does not want to be affiliated” …

Ellsworth to run for Indiana Senate  —  Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth announced today that he will seek the seat being vacated by Sen. Evan Bayh.  —  “After many conversations with Hoosiers this week, and with the love and support of my family, I have decided to run for the U.S. Senate,” Ellsworth said in a statement.