Consent of the governed - and the lack thereof  —  Our Declaration of Independence observes:  —  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Baird: Healthcare votes of retiring Democrats aren't necessarily in the bag  —  Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) stressed Sunday that the votes of retiring Dems such as himself aren't necessarily in the bag.  —  Appearing across from Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen …

Explosions Hit Baghdad as Iraqis Vote in Pivotal Election  —  BAGHDAD — A concerted wave of attacks struck Baghdad and other cities across the country on Sunday as Iraqis voted to elect a new parliament and possibly a new prime minister.  Explosions reverberated across the capital moments …

Sources: U.S.-born al-Qaida spokesman caught  —  Gadahn, 31, reportedly held in Pakistan; $1 million reward on his head  —  KARACHI, Pakistan - Adam Yahiye Gadahn, a U.S.-born spokesman for al-Qaida, has been captured in Pakistan, government sources said Sunday.

The Up-or-Down Vote on Obama's Presidency  —  WEDNESDAY'S health care rally was one of President Obama's finest hours.  It was so fine it couldn't be blighted even by his preposterous backdrop, a cohort of white-jacketed medical workers large enough to staff a hospital in one of the daytime soaps …

Channel 7 ABC flashes angry message, then goes black for Cablevision customers at midnight  —  ABC has gone dark.  —  Seconds after midnight, Channel 7 disappeared from the screens of Cablevision customers right in the middle of a repeat episode of “Lost.”

Nothing Funny About This Monkey Mail  —  Walt Baker, the prominent CEO of the powerful Tennessee Hospitality Association who was a key figure in gaining approval of the controversial $585 million convention center, sent the kind of “joke” email last night — comparing First Lady Michelle Obama …

Torture memos resemble Clarence Thomas' way of thinking  —  The Supreme Court justice has a history of dismissing prisoner brutality.  And it's his former law clerk who was investigated for authorizing harsh interrogation tactics as a Justice Department lawyer.

Secret Israeli report: U.S. cozying up to Palestinians  —  The U.S. administration will not put a lot of effort into the upcoming indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, opting instead to focus on the November Congressional elections, according to an internal Foreign Ministry report …

McConnell: RNC Fundraising Presentation ‘Not Helpful’  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the recently exposed Republican National Committee presentation that discussed cynical fundraising strategies based on fear was “not helpful”.  The presentation, first reported by Politico …

Revealed: How hundreds of military personnel, millions of pounds and an experimental ‘lung’ saved the life of a British soldier... shot by accident in his own camp  —  Last updated at 2:29 AM on 07th March 2010  —  It was one of the most complex military logistical and medical operations ever undertaken …

Graham: Reconciliation would be “catastrophic”  —  Using the reconciliation process to pass health care would be “catastrophic,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned on Sunday.  —  “It is taking a partisan product and making it law,” Graham said on CBS's “Face The Nation.”  “It will be catastrophic.”

Bishops and Abortion  —  Scott Lemieux wrote yesterday: … In fairness, the Bishops seem to me to put quite a lot of political emphasis on institutionalized discrimination against gays and lesbians.  —  On the abortion point, the “life begins at conception and ends at birth” …

Hatch: reconciliation ‘very, very dangerous’  —  Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) warns that Democrats are playing with fire by attempting to pass health care legislation using the Senate's reconciliation rules and without bipartisan support.  —  “To do this is just very, very dangerous,” Hatch said Sunday on NBC's “Meet The Press.”