Road to the Nut House  —  It was 1976 and I was interviewing Democratic presidential candidates as they came through Boston for the Massachusetts primary.  One of them was Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson, who came into our radio studios with a small entourage.  The Washington state Democrat talked about his issues, mostly national defense.

Colorado Mom Held in Terror Plot Case  —  A Second American Woman Is Arrested in Cartoonist Case  —  By VANESSA O'CONNELL in New York, STEPHANIE SIMON in Colorado and EVAN PEREZ in Washington  —  Last Easter, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, a 31-year-old mom with a $30,000-a-year job as a medical assistant …

Pro-life group urges Congress to pass Senate health care bill  —  Twenty-five pro-life Catholic theologians and Evangelical leaders yesterday sent letters to members of Congress urging them not to let misleading information about abortion provisions in the Senate health care bill block passage of sorely-needed reform.

Obama previews No Child Left Behind overhaul in address  —  President Barack Obama said it will be his administration's goal to have all high school students graduate “prepared for college and a career.”  —  Obama, in his weekly address, said the ambitious goal will be part of his proposed overhaul …

Rove's Pride.  —  So Karl Rove is “proud” of waterboarding, which means he's proud of the fact that his administration disgraced the United States with torture.  I'm not sure what else he was supposed to say — the only possible justification he has is that some good might have come out of his administration breaking the law.

‘The Rachel Maddow Show’ for Thursday, March, 2010  —  RACHEL MADDOW, HOST: Good evening from Washington, D.C., where the political fight to reform health care at last appears to be in the homestretch.  —  Today, the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, granted me a one-on-one interview at the Capitol.

Gingrich Savors Another Turn in the Spotlight  —  WASHINGTON — Newt Gingrich still relishes stirring the pot of the culture wars.  —  There he was last month in Akron, Ohio, telling an audience of 300 people that President Obama was out of touch.  Why?  Because the president did not understand …

Hardcover Nonfiction  —  BUY THESE BOOKS FROM:  —  This WeekLast WeekWeeks on List  —  NO APOLOGY, by Mitt Romney.  (St. Martin's, $25.99.)  The former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate calls for economic and civic­ ­revitalization.  (†) (†)

Marco Rubio's lavish rise to the top  —  Marco Rubio was barely solvent as a young lawmaker climbing his way to the top post in the Florida House, but special interest donations and political perks allowed him to spend big money with little scrutiny.  —  About $600,000 in contributions …

New York Cabs Gouged Riders Out of Millions  —  About 3,000 New York City taxi drivers routinely overcharged riders over two years by surreptitiously fixing their meters to charge rates that would normally apply only to trips outside the five boroughs, according to the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Tea Party Avoids Divisive Social Issues  —  For decades, faith and family have been at the center of the conservative movement.  But as the Tea Party infuses conservatism with new energy, its leaders deliberately avoid discussion of issues like gay marriage or abortion.

Stupak: Dems told me they want to fund abortions because more kids mean higher health-care costs; Update: Waxman?  —  I don't quite believe it, although that's partly because I don't want to believe it.  It's the abortion equivalent of death panels, essentially.