CNN Poll: Blame game in Arizona shootings  —  Washington (CNN) - Americans feel sadness, anger and shock in the wake of the tragic events in Tucson, Arizona, according to a new national poll.  A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday also indicates there's plenty of blame …

The War on Logic  —  My wife and I were thinking of going out for an inexpensive dinner tonight.  But John Boehner, the speaker of the House, says that no matter how cheap the meal may seem, it will cost thousands of dollars once you take our monthly mortgage payments into account.

Scenes From a Marriage  —  In every twisted, wretched, ruinous relationship, there are moments so grim, flare-ups so appalling, that they offer both parties a chance to step back, take inventory, and realize that it's time — far past time, in fact — to go their separate ways.

Deutsch, Sharpton claim Arizona “has seceded” for not recognizing MLK Day  —  Ah, those layers of fact-checkers and editors in the mainstream media come in handy, don't they?  Thank goodness NBC imposes news standards for its cable channel; otherwise, MSNBC would just spew misinformation and smears to advance a political agenda.

Utah's “Quiet Title Law” Bypasses MERS, Awards Homes Free and Clear; One Homeowner Had $417,000 Debt Erased  —  The Salt Lake Tribune has an interesting article on Utah's “Quiet Title Laws”, MERS, clouded titles, and record keeping.  Several people won titles free and clear to their houses …

Could This Be the End?  —  The end of the Israeli Labor Party has been a slow motion story going back perhaps decades now and in a particularly acute form over the last decade.  But this might really be the beginning of the end.  After the last election Labor, which arguably founded the country …

NYT: Say, maybe we should have waited for the facts before blaming the Right  —  Don't worry, though, because the New York Times' public editor (their term for ombudsman) “shares the view to an extent” (emphasis mine) that the Times and the media rushed to put the Tucson shootings in a political context.

ABC News Exclusive: Capt. Mark Kelly Talks to Diane Sawyer About Wife Gabrielle Giffords' Recovery; Says She Is Still Looking Out for Others  —  Rep. Gabrielle Giffords smiles at her husband and has even given him back rubs, her doctors said today.  —  The tracheotomy tube in the throat …

Seahawks fall to climate of hate in Chicago  —  You should have known something like this was going to happen.  The vitriol and anger in our nation's sports talk has never been harsher - and we may as well face it: most of it is coming from Chicago Bears Fans.

A Former Dictator Reappears in Haiti  —  MEXICO CITY — Haiti's exiled former dictator, Jean-Claude Duvalier, returned unexpectedly to his homeland Sunday for the first time since he was deposed in a coup in 1986.  —  Although the reason was not immediately clear, his return …

New Call Not to Raise Debt Cap  —  WASHINGTON—Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a likely GOP White House hopeful, called on congressional Republicans to block an increase in the limit on federal borrowing, and he proposed legislation that he said would prevent a U.S. default on its loans.

Ex-Swiss Banker Gives Data to WikiLeaks  —  LONDON — A former Swiss bank executive said on Monday that he had given the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, details of more than 2,000 prominent individuals and companies that he contends engaged in tax evasion and other possible criminal activity.

Grand jury probes what Edwards knew about spending  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal criminal investigation targeting John Edwards is examining how much the two-time presidential candidate knew about money used to cover up his extramarital affair and out-of-wedlock child and whether …

No. 2 bank overcharged troops on mortgages  —  NBC News exclusive: JPMorgan Chase also improperly foreclosed on homes  —  Below:  —  on TODAYshow.com -  — More from: - TODAY - Nightly News - Meet the Press - Dateline - Morning Joe - Hardball - Countdown - Rachel Maddow - msnbc tv

the blindspot (updated)  —  I'm sorry, but I feel compelled.  —  The last week has seen an endless discussion, within the political blogosphere, about the meaning of rhetoric, extremism, and what is acceptable discourse.  I'm on break now, so I've been more attentive than usual.

Budget Worries Push Governors to Same Mind-Set  —  CHICAGO — The dismal fiscal situation in many states is forcing governors, despite their party affiliation, toward a consensus on what medicine is needed going forward.  —  The prescription?  Slash spending.  Avoid tax increases.

Loughner's Conspiracy-Fueled Rampage Has Origins in the Fringe Right  —  Republicans have pulled off a neat trick with respect to Jared Loughner.  They have worked very hard to characterize him as a “whacko” and a “nutjob” (inadvertently hurting the prospect of a successful prosecution …

Correcting our record  —  We've removed an explosive 2005 report by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about autism and vaccines.  Here's why  —  In 2005, Salon published online an exclusive story by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that offered an explosive premise: that the mercury-based thimerosal compound present …