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.”

SOTU not exceptionalist enough?  —  If there's one thing President Obama did go on about a bit about in the State of the Union, it was American exceptionalism — as the National Journal's Ron Fournier noted at some length.  —  Two who didn't entirely notice were Speaker John Boehner and Kathleen Parker.

DeMint open to 2012 presidential bid, advisers say  —  Washington (CNN) - News that South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint will travel to Iowa on March 26 to address a conservative forum organized by Rep. Steve King is sparking another round of chatter that DeMint might launch a dark horse bid for the White House in 2012.

O, Mark Salter!!  —  McCain wordsmith revealed as “anonymous” author of “O” the novel.  —  Confirmed by sources, but there were lots of in-plain-sight clues that led to Salter's Maine door.  —Simon and Schuster topper Jonathan Karp was Salter's editor on books he did with Senator McCain.

Reid, McConnell swear off changes to filibuster  —  The top Democrat and top Republican in the Senate agreed Thursday to swear off seeking major changes to rules in the chamber in this Congress — and the next one.  —  Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced a series of rules changes …

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.

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 …

Obama Poised to Intensify U.S. Criticism of Egypt's Mubarak  —  Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) — The White House is prepared to step up its criticism of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a key Middle East ally, if his government intensifies its crackdown on protesters, said an administration official.

To target Fox News over ‘Nazi’ label, rabbis make use of Murdoch's other media  —  A coalition of rabbis wants Fox News chief Roger Ailes and conservative host Glenn Beck to cut out all their talk about Nazis and the Holocaust, and it's making its views known in an unusual place.

Better off bankrupt  —  States should have the option of bankruptcy protection to deal with their budget crises.  —  During the 2008 financial crisis, the federal government reacted in a frantic, ad hoc fashion, tapping taxpayers for bailouts galore, running roughshod over the rights …

When the politically fueled murder of a 9-year-old girl in Arizona is NOT national news  —  All of America continues to mourn the unbelievably tragic loss of Christina Green, the 9-year-old granddaughter of former Phillies' manager Dallas Green who was killed, along with five adults …

Iranian Book Celebrating Suicide Bombers Found in Arizona Desert  —  EXCLUSIVE: A book celebrating suicide bombers has been found in the Arizona desert just north of the U.S.- Mexican border, authorities tell Fox News.  —  The book, “In Memory of Our Martyrs,” was spotted Tuesday …

Jon Huntsman's Inner Circle  —  Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is seriously considering a run for president in 2012.  —  U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) appears to be leaning toward a run for president in 2012 and a team of political operatives and fundraisers have begun informal talks …

California Lawmaker Receives Racist Death Threat Warning ‘Rush Limbaugh Will Kick Your Ch-nk Ass’  —  Last week, California State Sen. Leland Yee (D) called on right-wing hate radio host Rush Limbaugh to apologize for mocking Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chinese language by speaking gibberish …

Snow gridlock traps commuters for up to 13 hours  —  Stuck.  —  On the George Washington Parkway.  On 16th Street NW.  Interstate 66, too.  —  Buses, cars, people - just plain stuck as snow, sleet and ice covered roadways and knocked down trees across the region, turning the evening commute into a seemingly endless nightmare.

Airport bans toy soldier's three-inch rifle from plane... because it's a safety threat  —  Airport officials ordered a holidaymaker carrying a toy soldier onto a plane to remove its three-inch gun - because it was a safety threat.  —  Ken Lloyd was stunned when he was told he could not go on the plane …

SURPRISED BY THE DEGREE OF SURPRISE.... The day of President Obama's inauguration, the federal budget deficit left by the Republican administration was $1.3 trillion.  After some additional economy-saving measures were added to the mix, the 2009 deficit reached $1.4 trillion.