Moving past right-wing rhetoric  —  We get it, Sarah Palin.  You're not morally culpable for the tragic shooting in Tucson, Ariz. All of us around the “Morning Joe” table agree, even if we were stunned that you would whine about yourself on Facebook as a shattered family prepared to bury their 9-year-old girl.

Kent Conrad to retire  —  North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad plans to announce his retirement today, according to two informed Democratic sources, creating a potentially prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in a GOP-leaning state.  —  Conrad, who currently chairs the Senate Budget Committee …

Toward a 21st-Century Regulatory System  —  If the FDA deems saccharin safe enough for coffee, then the EPA should not treat it as hazardous waste.  —  For two centuries, America's free market has not only been the source of dazzling ideas and path-breaking products, it has also been the greatest force …

Obama Approval Rises, But Hazards Remain  —  Obama's Job Approval Has Matched his Highest in More Than a Year  —  Aided by his response to the Tucson shootings, popular lame-duck legislation and a hint of economic relief, Barack Obama has matched his highest job approval rating in more than a year …

Government finds up to half of Americans under 65 have preexisting conditions  —  As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government's first attempt to quantify the number of people …

Cheney: Obama has learned that Bush policies were right  —  President Obama has “learned from experience” that some of the Bush administration's decisions on terrorism issues were necessary, according to former Vice President Dick Cheney.  —  In his first interview since undergoing major heart surgery …

Bysiewicz declares for U.S. Senate  —  Susan Bysiewicz today declared herself a candidate for U.S. Senate, trying to put the disasters of 2010 behind her by getting an early jump on 2012, when U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is up for re-election.  —  Bysiewicz, 49, a Democrat whose career derailed …

China-style dictatorship of climatologists  —  NASA's Hansen prefers rule by decree to fight ‘global warming’  —  November's election made it quite clear that the people of the United States do not want to radically change our society in the name of global warming.

Study: Many college students not learning to think critically  —  NEW YORK — An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn't learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills …

Shooting victim apologizes for ‘misplaced outrage’ at Tea Party leader  —  Tucson, Arizona (CNN) — Arizona shooting victim James Eric Fuller sent his apologies Monday for telling a Tea Party leader, “you are dead.”  —  Dorothy DeRuyter, a companion of Fuller's, provided CNN with a statement.

Arizona statute could endanger Gabrielle Giffords's hold on seat  —  TUCSON - Even as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords shows signs of a near-miraculous recovery, with doctors on Sunday upgrading her condition from critical to serious, a little-known statutory provision in Arizona state law could endanger …

Court rejects appeal over DC gay marriage law  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from opponents of same-sex marriage who want to overturn the District of Columbia's gay marriage law.  —  The court did not comment Tuesday in turning away a challenge from a Maryland pastor …

Amy Chua Is a Wimp  —  Sometime early last week, a large slice of educated America decided that Amy Chua is a menace to society.  Chua, as you probably know, is the Yale professor who has written a bracing critique of what she considers the weak, cuddling American parenting style.

Meredith Whitney Should Show Her Cards  —  What's Your Reaction:  —  Meredith Whitney should finally come clean.  —  The banking analyst who made a name for herself properly warning investors about the dire condition of the big banks a full year before the 2008 financial collapse …

State Sen. Thomas Duane to push gay marriage bill as hopes rise that Gov. Cuomo will live up to vow  —  ALBANY - The battle over same-sex marriage is about to heat up again in the state Senate.  —  Sen. Thomas Duane (D-Manhattan), the Senate's biggest booster of gay marriage …

What Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill could teach Washington today  —  A vigorous debate over the role of government is always at the heart of our democracy.  Since the shootings in Arizona, however, many have said that our partisan ferocity is unhealthy.  —  So it seems like a good time to reflect on Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill.

Watch Herman Cain Battle Bill Clinton on Health Care  —  In my short profile of Herman Cain, the Tea Party favorite and GOP presidential hopeful, I mentioned his auspicious debut on the national political stage.  It came in 1994, when Cain was CEO of Godfather's Pizza and challenged Bill Clinton …

Pirates seized record 1,181 hostages in 2010 - report  —  Somali pirates are now operating further offshore, the IMB says  —  Pirates took a record 1,181 hostages in 2010, despite increased patrolling of the seas, a maritime watchdog has said.  —  The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) …