Security Lapses Let Bomb Suspect Board Plane  —  WASHINGTON — Why was Faisal Shahzad permitted to board a flight for Dubai some 24 hours after investigators of the Times Square terrorism case learned he might be connected to the attempted bombing?  —  Though Mr. Shahzad was stopped …

Christian right leader George Rekers takes vacation with “rent boy”  —  The pictures on the Rentboy.com profile show a shirtless young man with delicate features, guileless eyes, and sun-kissed, hairless skin.  The profile touts his “smooth, sweet, tight ass” and “perfectly built 8 inch cock …

Primaries bruise establishment picks  —  Tuesday's primaries didn't offer any cause for panic.  But the elections in Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio confirmed what both parties suspected going in: it's going to be a very rough year for incumbents and for the Washington establishment.

Lieberman wants to strip citizenship of Americans who join foreign terror orgs.  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is planning to introduce a bill that would allow the government to take away citizenship from Americans who join foreign terrorist organizations.

Black Hopefuls Pick This Year in G.O.P. Races  —  Among the many reverberations of President Obama's election, here is one he probably never anticipated: at least 32 African-Americans are running for Congress this year as Republicans, the biggest surge since Reconstruction, according to party officials.

Why Charter Schools Fail the Test  —  THE latest evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, the oldest and most extensive system of vouchers and charter schools in America, came out last month, and most advocates of school choice were disheartened by the results.

Wash Post shifts leftward online  —  The once-cautious Washington Post has begun to invest heavily in the liberal blogosphere, transforming its online presence - a combination of accident and design - into a competitor of the Huffington Post and TalkingPointsMemo as much as the New York Times.

Taliban lackey's twisted mission  —  It was payback.  —  The Connecticut man charged yesterday with the botched Times Square car bombing confessed to trying to slaughter innocent people in retaliation for US drone attacks that wiped out the leadership of his beloved Taliban, The Post has learned.

To replace John Paul Stevens, an atheist  —  It's something Thomas Jefferson might have done: nominate a nonbeliever to the Supreme Court  —  As President Obama considers nominees to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, a debate bubbles as to whether religion should play a role in his choice.

‘Los Suns’ jerseys set for Cinco de Mayo  —  PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns will wear “Los Suns” on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, owner Robert Sarver said, “to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation.”

US takes early lumps in case against Mich. militia  —  DETROIT (AP) — Federal authorities touted the arrests of nine members of a Michigan militia as a pre-emptive strike against homegrown terrorists, declaring at an initial court hearing that the suspects with “dark hearts and evil intent” wanted to go to war against the government.

GOP could gain by raising Arizona  —  The new hard-line Arizona immigration law that has sparked talk of boycotts and caused leading Republicans to fret about the party's frayed relationship with Hispanic voters may indeed pose a long-term threat to the GOP's prospects.

Baucus: Bank tax in financial reform is unlikely to happen  —  The Senate Finance Committee chairman tells The Hill he doesn't think there are 60 votes for a bank tax.  —  Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Tuesday told The Hill that he did not believe his chamber had the 60 votes needed …

Tea party groups battling perceptions of racism  —  As several states with active “tea party” groups prepare to hold important primary elections this month, the movement is struggling to overcome accusations of racism that are tinting perceptions of this loose network of conservatives.

Shiite Blocs Join, Ensuring Dominance in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD — The electoral coalitions of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and the other major Shiite bloc in Iraq announced a postelection alliance on Tuesday night that cleared the way for a Shiite-dominated government for the next four years.

DSCC capitalizes on oil spill  —  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee emailed to ask supporters today to sign a petition to “stand with President Obama to hold BP accountable.”  —  Petitioning the White House to keep doing what it's doing is a bit of an odd stance …