Clashes Erupt in Cairo Between Mubarak's Allies and Foes  —  CAIRO — President Obama's calls for a rapid transition to a new order in Egypt seemed eclipsed on Wednesday as thousands of demonstrators for and against President Hosni Mubarak, some on horses and camels, fought running battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square.

White House reporters complain Obama is shutting them out  —  White House reporters criticized President Obama on Wednesday for providing too little information and access to the media during the crisis in Egypt.  —  In a letter to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs …

‘The Whole World Is Watching,’ Daley Warns Egyptian Authorities About Reprisals  —  “The whole world is watching,” White House Chief of Staff William Daley said of the crisis in Egypt this morning, borrowing a slogan that demonstrators in Chicago used against his father more than three decades ago …

Senate Poised To Vote On Health Care Repeal  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports:  —  The US Senate today is poised to vote on repealing President Obama's controversial new health care law.  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today on the Senate floor that the repeal vote will likely occur sometime late this afternoon.

Paul: Should the Tea Party compromise?  —  Washington (CNN) - During his first speech on the Senate floor, Tea Party champion Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, brought up what may be a dirty word for some of his constituents: compromise.  —  “Many ask will the Tea Party compromise?

Enviro Groups' Public Health Pivot in Support of EPA Regs Hitting Red States Too  —  The first signs of a shift came even before Election Day 2010, arriving as letters (pdf) and dramatic ads (pdf).  But as the 112th Congress gets to work, environmental groups are stepping up their transition toward …

Reagan's Solicitor General Charles Fried: ‘I Am Quite Sure That The Health Care Mandate Is Constitutional’  —  In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on “The Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act,” President Ronald Reagan's former Solicitor General — Harvard Law Professor Charles Fried …

Florida to Barack Obama: Keep your health care reform cash  —  No thanks.  That's what the state of Florida is saying to the Obama administration, declining a $1 million grant to implement the health law.  —  The move follows this week's federal court decision declaring the law unconstitutional.

Obama admin. threatens climate veto  —  The Obama administration Wednesday repeated its threat to veto legislation that would curb its ability to regulate greenhouse gases.  —  Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said that the White House continues to oppose any efforts …

The Neocons Split with Israel Over Egypt  —  Well, this is interesting.  The neoconservative (or liberal interventionist) wing of American Jewish political thought (not that all neocons are Jewish, God forbid anyone should think that!) is cheering on the revolution in Egypt …

Daniels wants to ‘mute’ debate over social issues  —  Washington (CNN) - Potential presidential candidate Mitch Daniels irked more than a few conservatives last year when he called for a “truce” on social issues while the country works through its economic problems.  —  Now he's doubling down on that position.

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Headed For Earth  —  House Republicans say the bill, which was passed to stop the giant asteroid from hitting Earth, is ‘big government at its worst.’  —  WASHINGTON—In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda …

Will Boehner's be the shortest Speakership ever?  —  [UPDATE] In the comments, Boy Culture's Matthew Rettenmund leaves a link to photos of the National Enquirer story.  Can't quite make out the text, but it's a two-page spread.  —  Remember the videos at the bottom of this post?

A Toast to Your Health  —  Warning: Alcohol may increase your life expectancy and reduce dementia.  —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans on Monday.  There weren't many surprises in its recommendations to reduce fat and salt, eat whole grains, and cut the overall amount we eat.

The Kochs fight back  —  RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Faced with an avalanche of bad publicity after years of funding conservative causes in relative anonymity, the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, Charles and David, are fighting back.  —  They've hired a team of p.r. pros with experience working …