EXTREMELY GRAPHIC IMAGES IN THIS POST  —  It's been written countless times that Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino is something of a walking contradiction.  But let's take him at his word that the tragic death of his son Patrick in 2009 caused him to re-assess his life, his past, and his values.

Washington Memo: Baffled by Health Plan?  So Are Some Lawmakers  —  WASHINGTON — It is often said that the new health care law will affect almost every American in some way.  And, perhaps fittingly if unintentionally, no one may be more affected than members of Congress themselves.

SEIU officials: Stern to resign  —  Service Employees International Union President Andrew Stern, one of America's most prominent labor leaders, is set to resign, according to a member of the union's board and another SEIU official.  —  The President of an SEIU local based in Seattle …

Sarah Palin Has Earned an Estimated $12 Million Since July  —  With A Steady Stream of Six-Figure Speaking Gigs, The Former Alaska Governor's Haul May Be Even Bigger  —  Pundits can debate the political costs and benefits of Sarah Palin's decision to step down as Alaska governor …

Obama team points to smaller deficit numbers  —  The federal deficit is running significantly lower than it did last year, with the budget gap for the first half of fiscal 2010 down 8 percent over the same period a year ago, senior Obama administration officials said Monday.

Lehman Channeled Risks Through ‘Alter Ego’ Firm  —  It was like a hidden passage on Wall Street, a secret channel that enabled billions of dollars to flow through Lehman Brothers.  —  In the years before its collapse, Lehman used a small company — its “alter ego,” in the words of a former Lehman trader …

Barney Frank gets a high-altitude haranguing on health care  —  Barney Frank has enemies, even 30,000 feet in the air.  —  Flying back to Boston from LA yesterday, the congressman was assailed by a pair of ophthalmologists upset about the health care reform bill.

Obama spokesman Gibbs sounds eager for future strategist role  —  Robert Gibbs does not seem particularly attached to his office.  —  There is a dormant fireplace ("a problem with the flue," Gibbs said), a cluttered desk, a flat-screen television and a smaller monitor simultaneously displaying C-SPAN, MSNBC, the networks.

Republicans Lead by 48% to 44% on Congressional Ballot  —  Republican Party maintains an advantage on voter enthusiasm  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup Daily tracking for the week ending April 11 puts Republicans slightly ahead of Democrats, 48% to 44%, in the congressional voting preferences of registered voters nationally.

Israeli Official Warns Against a U.S. Timeline for Peace  —  JERUSALEM—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said it would reject any moves by the Obama administration to set its own timeline and benchmarks for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, potentially establishing a new fault line between the U.S. and Israel.

Diverse Court List Floated  —  WASHINGTON—The White House said Monday it was considering a diverse list of about 10 candidates for the Supreme Court, including at least one Westerner, a former state court judge, two politicians and several women.  —  The list was part politics …

Nuclear Security Summit: Obama Invokes Mushroom Clouds  —  Nearly a decade ago, a President of the United States used the specter of a nuclear blast to argue his case for invading a foreign country.  “We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud,” President Bush's …

Twitter Unveils Plans to Draw Money From Ads  —  Twitter will unveil on Tuesday a much-anticipated plan for making money from advertising, finally answering the question of how the company expects to turn its exponential growth into revenue.  —  The advertising program …

Women, Liberty, and the Gilded Age: A Reply to My Critics  —  There's been a lot of pushback against my claim that women were freer during the Gilded Age than they are today.  I'm standing my ground.  Replies to leading criticisms:  —  1. I'm ignoring marital rape.  To be blunt, this issue is almost entirely symbolic.

JPMorgan Chase Argues Against Mortgage Modifications, Citing Sanctity Of Contracts  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  With millions of homeowners losing their homes to foreclosure during this recession, megabank JPMorgan Chase plans to argue against the Obama administration's latest weapon …

Senators End Impasse on Extending Jobless Aid  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Monday agreed to consider a temporary extension of unemployment benefits after four Republicans joined Democrats in voting to debate the proposal, which has become the focus of an intensifying fight over deficit spending.

A GOP divide on Palin's Hub rally  —  Some key figures plan to stay away  —  Sarah Palin, 2008 vice presidential candidate, has her speech scheduled for 10 a.m. on Boston Common.  (Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)  —  Unsure where they fit in among the restive masses of the “tea party movement …

Miss. Confederate History Month ignores slavery  —  JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour drew criticism for proclaiming April as Confederate Heritage Month without mentioning slavery, the second governor this month to come under fire for the omission.

U.S. Faces Shortage of Doctors  —  As Ranks of Insured Expand, Nation Faces Shortage of 150,000 Doctors in 15 Years  —  First-year resident Dr. Rachel Seay, third from left, circumcises a newborn in George Washington University Hospital's delivery wing on March 12.

Robin Givhan examines Michelle Obama's first trip abroad alone  —  On Tuesday, first lady Michelle Obama will travel abroad.  She has already visited nine countries since moving into the White House.  But this time, when she arrives in Mexico, she will be a solo star on the world stage.

Income falls 3.2% during Obama's term  —  Real personal income for Americans - excluding government payouts such as Social Security - has fallen by 3.2 percent since President Obama took office in January 2009, according to the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis.