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.

A disappointing State of the Union address  —  PRESIDENT OBAMA entered office promising to be a different kind of politician - one who would speak honestly with the American people about the hard choices they face and would help make those hard calls.  Tuesday night's State of the Union Address …

Sen. Harry Reid Says Earmarks Will Return, Despite Obama's State of the Union Vow  —  Senate Democratic Leader Concedes GOP Can Force Health Care Repeal Vote  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told ABC News that earmarks will return to Capitol Hill despite President Obama's vow …

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.

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.

Medicare official doubts health care law savings  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two of the central promises of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law are unlikely to be fulfilled, Medicare's independent economic expert told Congress on Wednesday.  —  The landmark legislation probably …

BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: FISCAL YEARS 2011 THROUGH 2021  —  Text-only.  —  The United States faces daunting economic and budgetary challenges.  The economy has struggled to recover from the recent recession, which was triggered by a large decline in house prices and a financial crisis …

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.

Loughner researched lethal injection before Tucson shooting, sources say  —  TUCSON — In the weeks and days before the shooting rampage in Tucson, suspect Jared Lee Loughner surfed the Internet on his computer in what investigators believe was an effort to prepare for his alleged assassination attempt …

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.

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.

Matthews Yells At Tea Party Leader: Why Is ‘Balloon-Head’ Bachmann Speaking For You  —  Chris Matthews was nearly apoplectic in his questioning of Tea Party Express co-founder Sal Russo on the topic of Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and her controversial re-imagining of history …

Against Obligatory Editorials  —  He still loves his wife.  But after 25 years of marriage, he has lost his enthusiasm for sex with her.  Still.  It is Valentine's Day.  And she has been hinting.  So he takes her to a nice dinner, uncharactertistically orders an after-dinner drink …

The 40-Percent President: Obama's Cruise to Reelection  —  We're at the halfway mark of Barack Obama's first term as president.  I say “first term” because I'm confident that this isn't his last.  Conservatives will not want to hear this, but I've felt all along that Obama will be a two-term president …

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 …

MLK bomb laced with chemical, sources say  —  A bomb maker mixed chemicals with shrapnel in what law enforcement officials say was a weapon designed to inflict maximum injuries during last week's Martin Luther King Jr. march in downtown Spokane.  —  Tests are being conducted to determine …

Palin's PAC Raised $279,000 in Late 2010  —  SarahPAC, the leadership committee of former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, said in its latest fund-raising report on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission that it brought in $279,000 from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31, 2010.

Shiny Lazy People  —  A few further thoughts about the Ryan response to the SOTU, which was deeply revealing.  —  Again, let me focus first on this passage: … Imagine yourself in Ryan's position.  You've been chosen by one of America's two great political parties to respond to the president of the United States.