McConnell: ‘Not clear’ if GOP can block partisan tactic on healthcare  —  It's “not clear” whether enough Democrats will defect on a majority-vote procedure on health legislation to stop it, the Senate's top Republican said Sunday.  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) …

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.

Ron Paul Wins Presidential Straw Poll at CPAC  —  Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas known for his libertarian views, ran for president in 2008 but was never a serious contender for the GOP nomination.

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.

The Fat Lady Has Sung  —  A small news item from Tracy, Calif., caught my eye last week.  Local station CBS 13 reported: “Tracy residents will now have to pay every time they call 911 for a medical emergency.  But there are a couple of options.  Residents can pay a $48 voluntary fee for the year …

Sarah Palin coming to Illinois; Valerie Jarrett on Sarah Palin  —  Will Sarah Palin play in Peoria?  Except for a brief stop in Chicago to tape an Oprah Winfrey show last November, Palin's first public appearance in Illinois will be April 17 in Washington, a town of about 14,000 near Peoria.

Breitbart Confronts 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 GOP's ‘tea party’ dance  —  Will the movement sink or save the conservatives?  —  In September 1960, several dozen young conservative intellectuals descended on National Review editor William F. Buckley Jr.'s estate in Sharon, Conn., to draft a manifesto.

Report: State economies not seen worst of recession  —  Washington (CNN) - Although the national economy has reported growth, revenues at the state level continue to deteriorate, and state economies have not seen the worst yet, the governors' association said Saturday.

Lawmakers to press military on gay ban  —  WASHINGTON — Lawmakers this week will press the military's top uniformed officers for the first time on whether they think repealing “don't ask, don't tell” makes sense or would be too disruptive.  —  The testimony from each of the service chiefs …