Election 2012: Barack Obama 42%, Ron Paul 41%  —  Pit maverick Republican Congressman Ron Paul against President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 election match-up, and the race is - virtually dead even.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters finds Obama with 42% support and Paul with 41% of the vote.

Yes, 47% of Households Owe No Taxes.  Look Closer.  —  Forty-seven percent.  —  That's the portion of American households that owe no income tax for 2009.  The number is up from 38 percent in 2007, and it has become a popular talking point on cable television and talk radio.

Why FL-19 isn't a health care referendum  —  In the immediate wake of soon-to-be Rep. Ted Deutch's (D) victory in a special election in Florida's 19th district on Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee released a statement casting it as a rejection of Republican claims that health care …

The Curious Cook: Why Cilantro Tastes Like Soap, for Some  —  FOOD partisanship doesn't usually reach the same heights of animosity as the political variety, except in the case of the anti-cilantro party.  The green parts of the plant that gives us coriander seeds seem to inspire …

Obama/Bush Nearly Divided  —  Americans are now pretty evenly divided about whether they would rather have Barack Obama or George W. Bush in the White House.  48% prefer Obama while 46% say they would rather have the old President back.  —  Bush had atrocious approval ratings for his final few years …

Our Fill-in-the-Blank Constitution  —  AS the Senate awaits the nomination of a new Supreme Court justice, a frank discussion is needed on the proper role of judges in our constitutional system.  For 30 years, conservative commentators have persuaded the public that conservative judges apply the law …

McConnell: White House trying to ‘jam’ GOP on financial overhaul  —  Republican congressional leaders are criticizing President Barack Obama for bulldozing them on financial regulatory legislation.  —  Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) exited a White House meeting on the issue Wednesday …

Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill  —  Arizona lawmakers on Tuesday passed one of the toughest pieces of immigration-enforcement legislation in the country, which would make it a violation of state law to be in the U.S. without proper documentation.  —  It would also grant police the power …

How Bad Could 2010 Really Get For Democrats?  —  Though Election Day is still months away, pundits have already begun to speculate on possible outcomes for this year's midterms.  There's a general consensus that Democrats will lose seats in November, but beyond that opinions vary widely on how big those losses might be.

Bernanke to Unemployed: Drop Dead  —  Ben Bernanke's economic forecast indicates a dire future for the currently unemployed and also for young Americans who'll be graduating from school this spring and next: … That sounds right to me.  And if Congress asked me to give my forecast, that's what I would give.

Thompson Denies Report He Will Not Run for US Senate  —  MILWAUKEE - According to a source who has spoken with TODAY'S TMJ4 HD's Charles Benson, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson says he will not run for Senator Russ Feingold's seat.  —  Thompson is set to announce his future at a “tea party” rally in Madison on Thursday.

Sen. Mark Warner: Mitch McConnell 'either doesn't understand or chooses not to understand'  —  When Sen. Mitch McConnell said that the Senate financial-regulation bill meant “endless taxpayer-funded bailouts for big Wall Street banks,” he was, knowingly or not, taking aim at a policy …

Eliot Spitzer's flameout  —  (Fortune) — It was one of America's most shocking political sex scandals, instantly transforming New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer — who had terrified Wall Street during his political climb — into the infamous “Client 9.”  —  In Rough Justice, his new book out April 20 …

The Price of Assassination  —  I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me 20 years ago that America would someday be routinely firing missiles into countries it's not at war with.  For that matter, I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me a few months ago that America would soon …

Battle of the Barons!  —  Wall Street Journal managing editor Robert Thomson and Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. met last week for the first time.  They were at the Manhattan apartment of Sir Martin Sorrell, head of the big WPP advertising firm, and they were there for a dinner on the night of April 6.

Joe Lieberman thanks “GOD” that Republicans have the momentum in the upcoming election  —  Good old Joe.  He's doing what he does best.  Throw as much dirt as he can on the left.  While giving an interview with the conspiracy theory-wingnut site known as Newsmax, he says he's really happy …

Conservative group's ‘Pig Book’ reports earmarks fell 10 percent in past year  —  Congressional earmarks fell over 10 percent in the last year, a fiscally conservative watchdog group said Wednesday.  —  Citizens Against Government Waste highlighted $16.5 billion in earmarks over the last fiscal year …

O'Reilly lies to Coburn: 'Nobody's ever said' at Fox you'll go to jail if you don't buy health insurance.  Oh yes they have.  —  Evidently, Bill O'Reilly's idea of defending his network's journalistic honor is to lie blatantly — not just to his national TV audience, but to a U.S. Senator to boot.

Crist Advisers Push Independent Bid  —  Florida Governor Insists Independent Bid Isn't in the Cards Despite Conservative Primary Opponent's Big Lead in Polls  —  Gov. Charlie Crist, right, listens to teacher Scott Whittle's views on a merit-pay bill Tuesday in Tallahassee.