America's Enduring Strength  —  Please click here to view the video of this statement.  —  Like millions of Americans I learned of the tragic events in Arizona on Saturday, and my heart broke for the innocent victims.  No words can fill the hole left by the death of an innocent …

Police Say They Visited Tucson Suspect's Home Even Before Rampage  —  TUCSON — The police were sent to the home where Jared L. Loughner lived with his family on more than one occasion before the attack here on Saturday that left a congresswoman fighting for her life and six others dead …

Boehner opposes new gun-control bill  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is rejecting gun-control legislation offered by the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in response to the weekend shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others in Arizona.

Illinois Legislators Approve 66% Tax Increase  —  CHICAGO — With only hours left before new state lawmakers were to take over, Illinois's State Legislature narrowly approved early on Wednesday an increase of about 66 percent in the state's income tax rate.  —  The vast size of the increase …

THIS JUST IN  —  A South Carolina gun and accessories company is selling semi-automatic rifle components inscribed with “You lie” - a tribute to the infamous words of 2nd District Republican Congressman Joe Wilson when he shouted at President Barack Obama during a congressional speech …

Christie: Retired Rudy in “peanut gallery”  —  On Morning Joe today, Chris Christie fought back against Rudy Giuliani's recent claim that Christie should have been in his state during the holiday snowstorm. … And here's the Giuliani broadside from January 7 that prompted Christie's reply.

The false rush to cry ‘balance’  —  So Democrats have noted that Republicans have advocated armed sedition while Republicans have noted that Democrats sometimes attempt to portray themselves as victims in order to stifle debate.  Neither side has a monopoly on virtue.  Balance!

Gabrielle Giffords' Arizona shooting prompts resignations  —  A nasty battle between factions of Legislative District 20 Republicans and fears that it could turn violent in the wake of what happened in Tucson on Saturday prompted District Chairman Anthony Miller and several others to resign.

Limbaugh: Loughner has Democrats' “full support”  —  Rush Limbaugh continued to push back against Democrats' criticism of violent rhetoric in connection with the Tucson shootings, suggesting that the suspected shooter, Jared Loughner, was smirking in his latest photo for a reason.

Vicki Kennedy rules out Senate run  —  The widow of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has ruled out running for her late husband's seat in her strongest words to date.  —  Vicki Kennedy said she won't run to challenge Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in 2012, or run for president in the future.

Arizona shootings: ‘Funeral protection zone’ bill signed by Brewer  —  Gov. Jan Brewer on Tuesday signed a bill to create a “funeral protection zone” to keep protesters from disrupting the funerals of those killed in the mass shooting near Tucson.  —  The bill was a bipartisan show of support …

Obama Speech to Focus on Serving Country  —  President Obama will focus his speech at a memorial service in Tucson on Wednesday evening on the victims of the attack and on the idea of service to the country, avoiding any overt commentary on the debate over violence and the nation's political culture.

Job approval of Congress jumps sharply as Republicans take over the House: Gallup  —  With so much national attention focused on the keen criminology insights of Arizona's Clarence the Talking Sheriff, a stunning new Gallup Poll on Congress almost flew right by.

Gabrielle Giffords first photos from her hospital room  —  Due to the overwhelming sympathetic response from the public following the near-fatal shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson on Saturday, her office tonight released two photos from her hospital room in the University Medical Center.

Sharron Angle defends herself, tea party  —  Former Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle is blasting those blaming her for inciting the Arizona shooting that injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others, saying the accused shooter went off the deep end long before the tea party movement started.

This New York Post story about how Kathleen Parker is soon to be dumped from CNN's “Parker/Spitzer” may or may not be right.  And it may or may not have come straight from Liot-Eay Pitzer-Say, even if it does put me in mind me of all those gossip items Donald Trump used to hand-plant …

Leading evangelical halts effort to increase political civility  —  At a moment when many Americans are decrying the overheated tone of American politics, an influential evangelical voice said Tuesday he is folding a project he helped found to increase political civility.

AP-GfK Poll: Obama, GOP improve their standing  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans give higher marks to President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans after a holiday season of compromise paid dividends for both, according to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll.