An Absence of Class  —  Some of the images from the run-up to Sunday's landmark health care vote in the House of Representatives should be seared into the nation's consciousness.  We are so far, in so many ways, from being a class act.  —  A group of lowlifes at a Tea Party rally in Columbus …

G.O.P. Faces Drawbacks of United Stand on Health Bill  —  WASHINGTON — Passage of the health care legislation challenges the heart of the Republicans' strategy this year: To present a unified opposition to big Democratic ideas, in this case expressed in a stream of bristling anger …

Poll: Most Say Health Care Fight About Politics, Not Policy  —  Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.  —  Americans believe that both Republicans and Democrats were fighting about health care reform because of politics, not policy, a new CBS News poll finds.

Parliamentarian rules against first GOP objection to ‘fixes’ bill  —  Senate parliamentarian Alan Frumin ruled against Senate Republicans Monday night, setting aside the first of many expected procedural objections from the GOP.  —  The parliamentarian ruled that changes to a proposed excise tax …

Health win boosts Obama stature  —  When Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu faced off with President Barack Obama over housing in Jerusalem earlier this month, he was facing a distracted American leader whose presidency hung in the balance.  —  When he goes to the White House on Tuesday night …

The Democrats Rejoice  —  Parties come to embody causes.  For the past 90 years or so, the Republican Party has, at its best, come to embody the cause of personal freedom and economic dynamism.  For a similar period, the Democratic Party has, at its best, come to embody the cause of fairness and family security.

Exempted From Obamacare: Senior Staff Who Wrote the Bill  —  For as long as the political fight took over the past year, the abbreviated review process on the health care legislation currently pending on President Obama's desk is unquestionably going to result in some surprises …

February Existing-Home Sales Ease with Mixed Conditions Around the Country  —  Existing-home sales declined slightly in February, with modest gains in the Northeast and Midwest offset by softer sales in the South and West, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Why is Holder appearance to Congress delayed?  —  Byron York notes that the Department of Justice has delayed today's appearance of Eric Holder to the Senate Judiciary Committee after a “disastrous” hearing earlier this month.  The Attorney General made headlines when he dodged a question regarding …

Discovery expected to land “Sarah Palin's Alaska”  —  Sarah Palin to Discovery?  You betcha.  —  Discovery Communications is expected to announce that it has won the Sarah Palin tourney.  The cabler had been a front-runner to land the untitled Alaska-themed series, to be produced by Mark Burnett Prods., along with A&E.

A New Day  —  Here once again is the parking lot by the entrance to the Capitol South Metro Station that I'm always complaining about:  —  For the past 48 hours or so I've decided to think of it as the future location of the Pelosi House Office Building to go alongside Canon, Rayburn, and Longworth.

ABC's choice of Amanpour for ‘This Week’ has critics inside the network and beyond  —  If being the moderator of “This Week,” ABC's Sunday morning news-talk show, required Senate approval, then journalist Christiane Amanpour — recently named by ABC News President David Westin to take over the job — would already be in big trouble.

The First Corporate Ad  —  The first political ads bought by a corporation in Texas appeared in East Texas newspapers just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ended the state's ban on that kind of spending.  —  The ads appear to mark the first instance of a corporation directly playing …

Former Secretary of State Rice endorses Fiorina in GOP Senate race  —  Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has endorsed former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina in the Republican Senate primary, Fiorina's campaign will announce today.  —  “California needs a representative …

It's back: Abortion debate reignites  —  After nearly derailing the health care bill that passed the House on Sunday, the abortion issue is poised to make a political comeback, returning the familiar wedge issue to the campaign trail after a brief hiatus.  —  Both abortion-rights …

The Socialists Won A Battle; Now It is Our Turn  —  Yesterday was my son's 9th birthday and for his present, the government jacked his future.  As he sat in the floor and happily opened his gifts, Bart Stupak appeared on television and revealed that he'd sold his soul.

Feingold continues to lead Thompson  —  Tommy Thompson is gaining on Russ Feingold as the likelihood of his candidacy increases, and now trails just 47-44.  Feingold had a 50-41 advantage when PPP looked at a hypothetical contest back in November.  Nevertheless the poll finds warning signs for Thompson on the road ahead.

Bill Gates Start-Up in Talks on Reactor  —  An energy start-up backed by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates is in discussions with Toshiba Corp. on developing a small-scale nuclear reactor that would represent a long-term bet to make nuclear power safer and cheaper.

Key Gitmo Detainee Ordered Released  —  WASHINGTON—A suspected al Qaeda organizer once called “the highest value detainee” at Guantánamo Bay was ordered released by a federal judge in an order issued Monday.  —  Mohamedou Ould Slahi was accused in the 9/11 Commission report …

McCollum Taking the Lead on Health Care Suits  —  The genial Florida attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum has been unofficially designated as the lead for the group of AGs who plan to file suit in federal court today to try and block the health care legislation.