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.

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 …

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.

THE HILL POLL: Voters oppose raising the $14.3T debt ceiling  —  Only 27 percent of likely voters favor raising the nation's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, while 62 percent oppose it, according to an exclusive poll for The Hill.  —  The poll found solid opposition from Republicans …

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.

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 …

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.

HJS003  —  By Yasmin Alibhai: Muslims are not wanted-david cameron and his cronies, must have asked independent to remove the comments section which makes these no 10 cronies in par with their friend blair and mubarak.  FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Only say what we like, or else?  —  coastman

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 …

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 …

Bill Clinton to Meet With Blue Dogs  —  Former President Bill Clinton, whose work with Republicans angered fellow Democrats during his tenure in the White House, speaks to centrist House Democrats later today in New York as members of the Blue Dog Coalition plot a path forward after nearly half of their colleagues lost or retired.

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.”

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 …