Israel urges world to curb criticism of Egypt's Mubarak  —  Jerusalem seeks to convince its allies that it is in the West's interest to maintain the stability of the Egyptian regime.  —  Israel called on the United States and a number of European countries over the weekend to curb their criticism …

Barack Obama braces for Jon Huntsman 2012 bid  —  The White House expects Jon Huntsman, the U.S. Ambassador to China, to resign his post this spring to explore a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, top Democrats said.  —  GOP allies of Huntsman have already begun laying plans …

Federal Judge Rules Health Law Violates Constitution  —  A second federal judge ruled on Monday that it was unconstitutional for Congress to enact a health care law that requires Americans to obtain commercial insurance, evening the score at two-to-two in the lower courts as the conflicting opinions begin …

Key points  — Egyptians are holding a seventh day of mass demonstrations calling for President Mubarak to step down.  — Military helicopters continue to circle over Cairo's central Tahrir Square where crowds of people defied an overnight curfew.  — Police in Egypt are returning …

DCCC picks 19 early GOP House targets  —  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has pegged its first GOP targets of the 2012 cycle, launching radio and Web ads in the districts of 19 House Republicans this week.  —  Democrats need to pick up 25 House seats to win back the majority in 2012.

Americans Believe GOP Should Consider Tea Party Ideas  —  Half of Republicans are Tea Party supporters; 5% are “opponents”  —  PRINCETON, NJ — About 7 in 10 national adults, including 88% of Republicans, say it is important that Republican leaders in Congress take the Tea Party movement's positions …

The uncivil left  —  Showing no concern for the new civility push that followed the Arizona massacre, a group of leftist activists from groups including Code Pink, Common Cause and jewel of liberal think tanks, the Center for American Progress, turned into a loud mob complete with Nazi imagery outside …

‘Pay China First’ — Republicans' Wild Plan To Avoid U.S. Debt Default  —  New Republican legislation in the House and Senate would force the U.S. government to reroute huge amounts of money to China and other creditors in the event that Congress fails to raise its debt ceiling.

Big Law Firm Takes Down Big Conservative Blogger  —  I'm late to this, but the story has not received a lot of coverage in the conservative blogosphere.  Paul Mirengoff of Power Line blog no longer is of Power Line blog.  —  Mirengoff is an attorney at Akin Gump, a big law firm …

House Republicans Plan to Redefine Rape  —  Drugged, Raped, and Pregnant?  Too bad — Republicans are Pushing to Limit Rape and Incest Cases Eligible for Government Abortion Funding  —  Rape is only really rape if it involves force, according to the new House Republican majority as it now moves to change abortion law.

Professor Cornpone  —  Ethanol lobbyist Newt Gingrich and us—and the future of the GOP  —  The last time these columns were lambasted by a presidential candidate in Iowa, he was Democrat Richard Gephardt and the year was 1988.  The Missouri populist won the state caucuses in part on the rallying cry that …

Was Spying On Us In The Pledge?  —  Earnest as many Tea Partiers are in wanting a smaller, less intrusive government, it's going to be difficult to take their movement seriously if they keep insisting that the Republican Party is the only choice for liberty-minded individuals, as this CNET story shows: