Boos as Paul wins CPAC straw poll  —  Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Texas Republican who ran a quixotic bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, was the top vote-getter in the Conservative Political Action Conference's straw poll, capturing the support of 31 percent of those who participated in the contest.

Reid: Dems will use 50-vote tactic to finish healthcare in 60 days  —  Democrats will finish their health reform efforts within the next two months by using a majority-vote maneuver in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said.  —  Reid said that congressional Democrats …

Why I'm Leaving the Senate  —  BASEBALL may be our national pastime, but the age-old tradition of taking a swing at Congress is a sport with even deeper historical roots in the American experience.  Since the founding of our country, citizens from Ben Franklin to David Letterman have made fun of their elected officials.

Breitbart Takes Down Blumenthal at CPAC  —  A funny thing happened on the last day of CPAC.  Max Blumenthal, recently corrected and embarrassed “journalist” from Salon.com paraded through the convention with a camera crew.  Like last year, he was looking for a confrontation of some kind.

The Polling Contradiction  —  In the latest NEWSWEEK Poll, the majority of Americans are opposed to President Obama's health-care reform plan—until they learn the details.  Plus, a look at very unhappy mood of the electorate.

Another Dumb Right-Wing Idea: Default on the Debt  —  Over the years I have heard a number of conservatives suggest that defaulting on the national debt wouldn't be such a bad thing.  Today Prof. Glenn Reynolds of the University of Tennessee Law School (better known as “Instapundit") suggests the idea once again.

Israel and the Dubai Murder Mystery  —  The circumstantial evidence all points to the Mossad, and the result is a diplomatic nightmare for the Jewish state.  —  Israelis woke up Wednesday morning to pictures of 11 individuals plastered on the front page of every newspaper.

Newt Gingrich Greeted Like Rock Star at CPAC  —  Good grief.  Newt Gingrich was treated like a rock star at the CPAC 2010 Convention.  He entered the auditorium with “Eye of the Tiger” playing and the audience gave him a standing ovation and pats on the back as he made his way to the stage.

Millions of Unemployed Face Years Without Jobs  —  BUENA PARK, Calif. — Even as the American economy shows tentative signs of a rebound, the human toll of the recession continues to mount, with millions of Americans remaining out of work, out of savings and nearing the end of their unemployment benefits.

Alexander Haig, 85; soldier-statesman managed Nixon resignation  —  Retired Army Gen. Alexander Haig, who held influential positions in the U.S. military and government and who as White House chief of staff shepherded Richard M. Nixon toward peacefully resigning the presidency …

Islam envoy retreats on terror talk  —  President Barack Obama's new Islamic envoy, Rashad Hussain, changed course Friday — admitting that he made sharply critical statements about a U.S. terror prosecution against a Muslim professor after initially saying he had no recollection of making such comments.