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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Democrats Push for Disclosure of Corporate Campaign Roles  —  WASHINGTON — The White House and leading Democrats in Congress are close to proposing legislation that would force private companies and groups to disclose their behind-the-scenes financial involvement in political campaigns and advertising …

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 …

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.

How to prevent America's next financial crisis  —  America is close to turning the page on this economic crisis.  While far too many Americans are still out of work and face deep economic hardship, we have now reported three quarters of positive growth and the beginnings of job creation.

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.

Tax hikes forever  —  Nearly everyone understands that his taxes just went up.  —  President Obama won't admit it, although he must suffer from a guilty conscience.  He uncorked a defensive 17-minute-long answer in response to a question at a town-hall meeting about new taxes in the health-care bill …

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 …

Okla. tea parties and lawmakers envision militia  —  OKLAHOMA CITY - Frustrated by recent political setbacks, tea party leaders and some conservative members of the Oklahoma Legislature say they would like to create a new volunteer militia to help defend against what they believe are improper federal infringements on state sovereignty.

Hello World  —  Although our services extend beyond the Web, Twitter ranks as one of the most popular sites on the Internet.  Over the years, we've resisted introducing a traditional Web advertising model because we wanted to optimize for value before profit.

Bill Kristol: Kagan Would Be Respectable Choice for Supreme Court, But Republicans Should Oppose Her  —  Well folks, here's some of the rhetoric we're going to be hearing from the GOP on this upcoming Supreme Court nomination.  Bill Kristol talks out of both sides of his mouth and while saying …

King, Bachmann co-opt abortion rights message to attack health reform  —  SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa — Co-opting the argument advocates of legal abortion have used for decades, two leading congressional conservatives Saturday said health-care reform is nothing short of a federal intrusion …

Not Inadvertent at All — By: Michael Ledeen  —  Victor says there is neither rhyme nor reason to our foreign policy.  Obama has no idea what he is doing and wings his way from one embarrassment to another, he says.  Victor lists the embarrassments: dissing the Brits; pulling the carpet …