Tea Party Express leader gets the boot  —  (CNN) — The National Tea Party Federation, an organization that represents the Tea Party political movement around the country, has expelled conservative commentator Mark Williams and his Tea Party Express because of an inflammatory blog post he wrote …

Firms cancel health coverage  —  With cost rising, small companies turning to state  —  The relentlessly rising cost of health insurance is prompting some small Massachusetts companies to drop coverage for their workers and encourage them to sign up for state-subsidized care instead …

Republican lawmakers gird for rowdy tea party  —  So who wants to join Rand Paul's “tea-party” caucus?  —  “I don't know about that,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) replied with a nervous laugh.  “I'm not sure I should be participating in this story.”  —  Republican lawmakers see plenty …

Biden: Failed stimulus all GOP's fault; Update: Obama, 2/5/09: “I think we're in range” Update: 2/9/09, “the right size, the right scope”  —  Jake Tapper interviewed Vice President Joe Biden and challenged him on the administration's new Recovery Summer public-relations sloganeering …

A nice new shopping mall opened today in Gaza: Will the media report on it?  —  [Please link to and credit this website if writing on this.]  —  Will the Western media show these images?  —  All notes below by Tom Gross  —  Please scroll down below for photos of the new shopping mall that opened today in Gaza.

GOP senators: Obama failing in oil clean-up  —  Just days after BP temporarily plugged the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, Senate Republicans on Sunday lashed out at the Obama administration for failing to clean up America's soiled shoreline.  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell …

McDonnell wants to show Virginia the way out of liquor business  —  RICHMOND — For months, aides to Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell have been meeting behind closed doors with alcohol retailers and wholesalers, public safety officials and faith-based groups to come up with a way to fulfill …

Mike Pence Explains Why America Can Afford Tax Cuts For The Rich But Not Jobless Aid  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  The unsavory task of explaining why America apparently can't afford to help the unemployed but can afford tax cuts for the rich fell to Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) on Sunday.

Bob Schieffer: I Didn't Ask Holder About the Black Panther Thing Because I Didn't Know About It  —  Last Sunday, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer had Attorney General Eric Holder on for an entire half hour, and never once asked him about the Department of Justice dropping the case …

Greene gives first public speech  —  Manning, South Carolina (CNN) — South Carolina Democratic Senatorial candidate Alvin Greene urged voters Sunday to “get South Carolina and America back to work” in his first major public speech since surprising the political world last month by capturing his party's nomination.

Obama's the “most” racial president  —  While President Obama has touted himself as a post-racial president, he has built a record demonstrating precisely the opposite.  Is it Obama's bitterness, or is the incessant playing of the race card by him and many of his supporters merely calculated political exploitation — or both?

Female minister insists women must be able to choose their own clothes as ban on burka is ruled out  —  Banning the burka would infringe a woman's right to ‘choose each morning when you wake up what you wear’, Cabinet minister Caroline Spelman said today.  —  The Environment Secretary claimed …

Obama's speed vacation  —  BAR HARBOR, Me.  - President George H.W. Bush did speed golf.  President Barack Obama does speed vacationing.  —  In Maine this past weekend the practice began immediately.  —  While most travelers head from the airport to their hotel, Obama stepped off …