McDonnell apologizes  —  After a defensive first reaction, Bob McDonnell realizes that there's little upside to this fight for him:  —  The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission.  The failure to include any reference …

Air Marshals Stop Alleged ‘Shoe Bomb’ Attempt On United Jet to Denver  —  Qatari Diplomat In Custody After Attempting to ‘Light Up’ His Shoes  —  Federal air marshals subdued a man who authorities say attempted to “light his shoes on fire” on a United flight from Washington Reagan to Denver Wednesday night …

U.S. Approves Targeted Killing of American Cleric  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has taken the extraordinary step of authorizing the targeted killing of an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks …

Reporter's notebook: What really happens at Tea Party rallies  —  (CNN) — When it comes to the Tea Party movement, the stereotypes don't tell the whole story.  —  Here's what you often see in the coverage of Tea Party rallies: offensive posters blasting President Obama and Democratic leaders …

Five things we learned about Obamacare after it passed  —  “[W]e have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., famously said that about President Obama's health care reform package.  She was right.

AP sources: FBI arrests man for threatening Pelosi  —  WASHINGTON — The FBI arrested a northern California man Wednesday for allegedly making threatening phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over health care reform, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz Insists Health Care Law Doesn't Require Individuals to Buy Insurance  —  (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D.-Fla.) is insisting that the new health care law she voted for last month does not mandate that individuals buy health insurance, despite language in the law that plainly says otherwise.

FIRST THOUGHTS: THE GOP'S VOID  —  The GOP's leadership void... The hits keep on coming for Steele, though the RNC reported raising $11.4 million in March... But that is less than the $13 million-plus the DNC is reporting... Is Bart Stupak going to call it quits?... Obama heads to Prague this evening …

Kyrgyzstan  —  The news out of Kyrgyzstan is awful, and the latest events there should serve as yet another reminder that the Bakiyev regime has been significantly worse for Kyrgyzstan than the government Western governments and media outlets were so happy to see overthrown in yet another “color” revolution.

GOP will win House, Senate  —  Stanley Greenberg and James Carville claim that the Republican Party has peaked too soon.  —  Stanley Greenberg and James Carville claim that the Republican Party has peaked too soon.  Incredibly, Greenberg says that “when we look back on this, we're going to say Massachusetts is when 1994 happened.”

STORMY STUNT IRKS GOP  —  Stormy Daniels and her team may not have come to a conclusion about her Senate candidacy over the past few months (and we'd be surprised if they ever do!), but she's nonetheless managed to be a thorn in the side of Louisiana Republicans.

Voters Issue Strong Rebuke of Incumbents in Congress  —  Fewer than half (49%) would re-elect own member, 28% for most members  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A record-low percentage of U.S. voters — 28% — say most members of Congress deserve to be re-elected.  The previous low was 29% in October 1992.

Nearly half of US households escape fed income tax  —  Recession, new tax credits have nearly half of US households paying no federal income tax  —  FILE - In this April 5, 2010 file photo, Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman gestures while speaking at the National Press Club in Washington.

Behind Obama's Cool  —  In 2004, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois attended a White House event wearing the campaign pin of her state's candidate for the United States Senate.  When she saw President Bush do a double take at the one word on her pin, she assured him that it spelled “Obama,” not “Osama.”

Federal Reserve Gets Political, Sends Congress Veiled Message  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Facing perhaps the biggest loss of power in the institution's nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve fought back today with a little-noticed move that seemed to send a message to Congress …

For the wealthy, less in taxes is not always more  —  You thought only conservatives got mad about taxes?  —  Tea partiers, eat your hearts out: A group of liberals got together Tuesday and proved that they, too, can have a tax rebellion.  But theirs is a little bit different: They want to pay more taxes.

Fear of Falling  —  There are a lot of things out there to be afraid of, and there seem to be phobias named for each one.  For example, you may not be familiar with bathmophobia, which is an abnormal and persistent fear of stairs or steep slopes, or a fear of falling.

Obama weighs new peace plan for the Middle East  —  Despite recent turbulence in U.S. relations with Israel, President Obama is “seriously considering” proposing an American peace plan to resolve the Palestinian conflict, according to two top administration officials.

55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem in Politics Than Big Contributions  —  Voters agree that big money talks in politics but apparently not as loudly as big media.  —  Fifty-five percent (55%) of U.S. voters continue to think that media bias is a bigger problem in politics today …

Palin, Bachmann enthrall Minn. rally  —  Two of the conservative movement's biggest stars, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), lavished praise on each other Wednesday at a boisterous rally held at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

N.Korea leader sets world fashion trend: Pyongyang  —  AFP - The trademark suit sported by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is now in fashion worldwide thanks to his greatness, Pyongyang's official website said Wednesday.  —  Uriminzokkiri, quoting an article in communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun …