Polish President Dies in Jet Crash in Russia  —  WARSAW — A plane carrying the Polish president and dozens of the country's top political and military leaders to the site of the Soviet massacre of Polish officers in World War II crashed in western Russia on Saturday, killing everyone on board.

Haley Barbour's growing influence  —  A self-described “fat redneck” is the most influential Republican in the country in our latest Friday Line.  —  Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is that rare combination of effective politician and savvy strategist, popular in his home state and revered among …

REMEMBER THOSE TAX CUTS?.... April 15 comes this week, so taxes will no doubt be on the minds of many.  President Obama used his weekly address to remind the public about a little detail that usually goes overlooked: he cut taxes.  —  “All across America are good, decent folks who meet …

The SRLC straw poll, up for grabs  —  NEW ORLEANS — Supporters of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) are amused by the rumors about their straw poll prowess.  —  “We keep hearing about the well-organized Paul machine,” said Tim Shoemaker, a legislative campaigner for Paul's 501(c)4, the Campaign for Liberty …

Junior Florida Republican Party staffer had $1.3 million charged to party credit card  —  She was a 25-year-old junior staffer when the Florida Republican Party gave her an American Express card.  —  Over the next 2½ years, nearly $1.3 million in charges wound up on Melanie Phister's AmEx …

A Voice of Reason  —  The Republican Party is not simply the “just-say-no” party.  It's also a shameless advocate of the free lunch.  Ronald Reagan famously told us he could jack up defense spending, cut taxes and balance the federal budget all at the same time.  —  George W. Bush put two big wars on a credit card.

Right gears for fight, not filibuster  —  Conservative judicial activists say they won't ask their Republican allies to go to the mat over President Barack Obama's nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens by pressing for the ultimate weapon in a court fight - a filibuster.

Friends and colleagues remember Franks as tireless mentor, decisive leader … NEWARK — Former U.S. Rep Bob Franks, a longtime Republican strategist credited with engineering the resurgence of the GOP and nearly becoming governor, was remembered today by friends and colleagues as being a brilliant tactician and a natural candidate.

“Bias”  —  Not to nitpick too much, but the decision by Andrew Golis and Chris Lehman to kick off their new Yahoo News venture with lame efforts at even-handedness kind of annoyed me: … I think it's important to note that on the Media Matters “about us” page they don't once mention bias.

Huckabee Rips Steele, Romney, LGBT Activists  —  Calls Romney's Healthcare Plan “Dismal Failure,” Compares Same-Sex Marriage to Incest  —  In an interview Wednesday, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee weighed in on embattled Republican National …

15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America  —  The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.  Cliché, sure, but it's also more true than at any time since the Gilded Age.  —  The poor are getting poorer, wages are falling behind inflation, and social mobility is at an all-time low.

U.S. Tries Softer Approach to Afghan Leader  —  WASHINGTON — After more than a year of watching America's ability to influence President Hamid Karzai ebb, Obama administration officials now admit privately that the tough-love approach Mr. Obama adopted when he came to power may have been a big mistake.