House rejects measure that would extend key Patriot Act provisions through December  —  A measure to extend key provisions of the Patriot Act counterterrorism surveillance law through December failed the House Tuesday night, with more than two-dozen Republicans bucking their party to oppose the measure.

Rank-and-file reject Patriot Act  —  House Republicans Tuesday night got a harsh introduction to the majority, as more than two dozen rank-and-file GOP lawmakers voted against reauthorizing the Patriot Act.  —  And just hours before the vote on the Bush-era homeland security measure …

West: AOL-HuffPo merger threatens tea party groups  —  Florida Republican Rep. Allen West said Tuesday that AOL's purchase of the Huffington Post is a threat to tea party groups' online presence.  —  West suggested that the business deal gives the left-leaning site more control over federal regulations of the Internet.

Just as things looked brighter for Obama, Americans' approval of his deficit handling craters  —  Oh, no!  What a mid-week bummer for the White House.  —  Just when Americans appeared to be buying the rhetorical hoh-hah about President Obama realizing he had drifted way too far to the left side …