Jane Harman to resign from Congress  —  California Rep. Jane Harman (D) will resign from Congress, according to two senior Democratic leadership aides, a surprise announcement that will set off a special election in her 36th district.  —  NBC's Andrea Mitchell, who broke the news of Harman's resignation …

Democratic Leadership Council will fold  —  The Democratic Leadership Council, the iconic centrist organization of the Clinton years, is out of money and could close its doors as soon as next week, a person familiar with the plans said Monday.  —  The DLC, a network of Democratic elected officials …

Betting on News, AOL Is Buying The Huffington Post  —  The Huffington Post, which began in 2005 with a meager $1 million investment and has grown into one of the most heavily visited news Web sites in the country, is being acquired by AOL in a deal that creates an unlikely pairing of two online media giants.

Beck blasts Kristol: ‘Do anything to keep their little fiefdom together’  —  Fox News's Glenn Beck lashed out at Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol on his radio show this morning, accusing Kristol of betraying conservatism and missing the significance of what Beck sees as an alliance between Islamism and socialism.

Ex-Gov. Rendell Splits With Wife After 40 Years Of Marriage  —  Gov. Rendell and his wife, U.S. Appellate udge Marjorie “Midge” Rendell, announced in an e-mail to friends today that they will be “living separately” now that they have left the Governor's Mansion in Harrisburg.

Bush 2012  —  John J. Miller has a cover story in the new issue of National Review that's a compelling portrait of the accomplishments of Jeb Bush.  Four years after leaving the Florida governor's mansion, he remains one of the most impressive Republican politicians in the country …

Obama: Corporate Profits “Have To Be Shared By American Workers”  —  “If we're fighting to reform the tax code and increase exports, the benefits cannot just translate into greater profits and bonuses for those at the top.  They have to be shared by American workers, who need …

How President Obama plays media like a fiddle  —  In early November, Barack Obama was one sad sack of a president—his agenda repudiated by midterm voters, his political judgment scorned by commentators, his future darkened by a growing belief he might be a one-time president.

After Ban, Groups Say Earmarks Aren't So Bad  —  WASHINGTON — Gone for now are the likes of the taxpayer-financed teapot museum, or studies on the mating habits of crabs.  —  But also shelved are a project to help consolidate information about arrests in Brazos County, Tex. …

A License to Shampoo: Jobs Needing State Approval Rise  —  Amid calls for shrinking government, lawmakers across the country are vowing to cut regulations that crimp economic growth.  President Barack Obama recently said it's time to root out laws that “are just plain dumb.”

Pawlenty: Rescinding Funds To Implement DADT Repeal Is ‘A Reasonable Step’  —  Last month, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) made waves when he suggested that he would reinstate the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy if elected President.  This morning, Pawlenty went a step further …

Conservative Democrats switch to GOP across the Deep South  —  Defections reflect the Democrats' drubbing in the midterm election and Republicans' consolidation of power in the South.  —  Reporting from Atlanta — For Democrats, Ashley Bell was the kind of comer that a party builds a future on …

An ObamaCare Appeal From the States  —  Twenty-one governors representing more than 115 million Americans have written to Kathleen Sebelius asking for more flexibility on health-care reform.  —  Unless you're in favor of a fully nationalized health-care system, the president's health-care reform law is a massive mistake.

Senators look for immigration deal  —  Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have rekindled their alliance on immigration reform, taking some early steps to test the political will for addressing the contentious issue this year.  —  Their call list hasn't focused …

Sarah Palin And Gay Rights: Comments Fuel Speculation About Where She Stands  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone reports:  —  Some conservatives who are already upset that this week's Conservative Political Action Conference will include a right-leaning organization that promotes gay rights grew …

The CPAC 2011 straw poll  —  Here's the full list of '12 prospects who are listed on CPAC's presidential straw poll this week.a.  Michele Bachmannb.  Haley Barbourc.  Herman Caind.  Chris Christiee.  Mitch Danielsf.  Newt Gingrichg.  Mike Huckabeeh.  Jon Huntsmani.  Gary Johnsonj.  Sarah Palink.

WEB EXTRA: Watch video of closing arguments in the Hassan trial.  —  Hassan began Monday morning by presenting 19 pages of e-mails to the judge that he claims captured his state of mind around the time of the beheading.  Aasiya accuses Hassan in these messages of being emotionally and physically abusive.

Droughts, Floods and Food  —  We're in the midst of a global food crisis — the second in three years.  World food prices hit a record in January, driven by huge increases in the prices of wheat, corn, sugar and oils.  These soaring prices have had only a modest effect on U.S. inflation …

CCR Announces Bush Indictment for Convention Against Torture Signatory States  —  No Immunity for Former Presidents Under Law  —  Geneva and New York - Today, two torture victims were to have filed criminal complaints, with more than 2,500-pages of supporting material …

The best campaign ad of 2012  —  So it may not actually have been cut yet, but Haley Barbour's rivals will struggle to beat his repurposing of this direct-to-camera endorsement from his 1982 Senate race:  —  I'd like to take a moment to talk with you about our country's future and a very special leader - Haley Barbour.

Chrysler releases $9m Super Bowl ad while requesting more taxpayer dollars  —  You may have noticed that Chrysler released the longest ad in Super Bowl history on Sunday night, featuring the new Chrysler 200 driven by Detroit native rap star Eminem, an ad that CEO Sergio Marchionne says cost less than $9 million.

How to Balance the Budget Without Raising Taxes or Cutting Essential Services  —  There's a 19 percent solution to our debt and deficit problems.  —  Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) new budget plan cuts $500 billion from the federal budget this year.  Paul proposes cutting defense spending by 6.5 percent, saving $47 billion.