Obama's State of the Union Was Tantamount to Plagiarism  —  If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what can be said of plagiarism?  President Obama's second State of the Union address contained enough recycled ideas and lines lifted from speeches of others to make historians wince.

Sarah Palin on Barack Obama speech: ‘WTF’  —  Former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday night that President Barack Obama's call for “winning the future” during his State of the Union address is best framed by the acronym it shares with a much different phrase — “wtf.”

Celebrity Journalist: I Never Spoke to Hawaii Gov About Obama Birth Certificate  —  A celebrity journalist now claims he misspoke when he said last week that Hawaii's governor told him he was unable to find President Barack Obama's original birth certificate after a search of state and hospital archives.

Boehner: Saying retirement age needed to be raised was ‘mistake’  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he “made a mistake” when he suggested raising the retirement age to 70 last year.  —  The Speaker indicated he was premature in suggesting raising the legal age at which retirees …

Rep. Paul Ryan 1, ObamaCare 0  —  House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) held an important hearing on ObamaCare, showing just how important is the process for educating the public, and thereby setting defenders of ObamaCare back on their heels.  —  As he did last night …

G.O.P. Splits Over Plans to Cut Defense Budget  —  WASHINGTON — To hear the Republican leadership tell it, the once-sacred Pentagon budget, protected by the party for generations, is suddenly on the table.  But a closer look shows that even as Speaker John A. Boehner and Representative Eric Cantor …

Dealing With Assange and the Secrets He Spilled  —  This past June, Alan Rusbridger, the editor of The Guardian, phoned me and asked, mysteriously, whether I had any idea how to arrange a secure communication.  Not really, I confessed.  The Times doesn't have encrypted phone lines, or a Cone of Silence.

Uganda gay rights activist David Kato killed  —  David Kato led condemnation of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill  —  A Ugandan gay rights campaigner who last year sued a local newspaper which outed him as homosexual has been beaten to death, activists say.  —  Police have confirmed the death …

Filibuster reform's small steps  —  With the start of a new session, the time was ripe for the Senate to reform its archaic procedural rules and curb obstruction - to do something about rampant filibuster abuse.  —  There had been much talk about comprehensive rules reform …

What Caused the Financial Crisis?  —  Congress's inquiry commission is offering a simplistic narrative that could lead to the wrong policy reforms.  —  Today, six members of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission—created by the last Congress to investigate the causes of the financial crisis—are releasing their final report.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich sues cafeteria over olive pit in sandwich  —  Rep. Dennis Kucinich has sued a U.S. House of Representatives cafeteria for selling him a sandwich wrap that caused dental damage when he bit into an olive pit, according to a Jan. 3 lawsuit filed in Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

Bill Aimed at Protecting S.C. From Foreign Law Introduced in Legislature  —  COLUMBIA, S.C. - A legislative initiative aimed at preventing “a court or other enforcement authority” from enforcing foreign law in the Palmetto State was introduced today in both the S.C. House and Senate by Rep. Wendy Nanney …

HHS grants 500 new healthcare waivers  —  A week after Republicans announced plans to investigate waivers granted to organizations for healthcare reform provisions, President Obama's health department made public new waivers for more than more than 500 groups.

Slopes behind ropes: fear of lawsuits closing great New Jersey sledding hills … It's one of the simple, most wonderful pleasures of life: zooming down a snow-covered hill just fast enough for a touch of fear to quicken your pulse.  Maybe it's a solo run.  Maybe you're clinging to a loved one as you tear down the hill tandem.

After Failing to Change Senate Rules, Democrats Lose Right to Blame Mitch McConnell  —  Senate Democrats must blame themselves now, rather than Mitch McConnell.  —  Senate Democrats had an opportunity to get together and make the Senate a working, majority-rule-based chamber.

Chrysler makes U-turn after bailout  —  Republicans introduced legislation this week that would amend the Constitution to prevent the government from owning stock in a private company.  —  The bill, introduced by Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), is aimed at preventing a repeat of the bailouts …

Border authorities arrest controversial Muslim cleric east of San Diego  —  U.S. border authorities have arrested a controversial Muslim cleric who was deported from Canada to Tunisia three years ago and was caught earlier this month trying to sneak into California inside the trunk of a BMW, according to court documents.

Angle comes to Iowa, doesn't rule out presidential bid  —  Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle of Nevada descended upon the movie premiere of a conservative Christian movie in Johnston tonight, and she wouldn't say that she was running for president.  —  But she wouldn't say that she wasn't.

Romney blasts Obama, says ‘no decision’ on presidential bid  —  WASHINGTON - Former Governor Mitt Romney tonight blasted President Obama, going after him using a line of attack that opponents have utilized before: competency for the job.  —  “He's trying awfully hard,” …