Patriot Act extension fails in the House by seven votes  —  House Republicans suffered an embarrassing setback Tuesday when they fell seven votes short of extending provisions of the Patriot Act, a vote that served as the first small uprising of the party's tea-party bloc.

Webb won't seek reelection  —  Virginia Democratic Senator Jim Webb plans to announce today that he won't seek reelection, the Senator confirmed Wednesday.  —  Webb appeared likely to face a rematch with former Senator George Allen, whom he beat in a bruising 2006 contest.

Arianna Huffington's ideological transformation  —  Did Arianna Huffington just sell out her fellow progressives?  —  In the literal sense, she undoubtedly has: The sale of Huffington Post to AOL for $315 million (including a large pile of cash going to Huffington herself) …

Obama's Approval Rating on Deficit Sinks to New Low  —  Egypt ranks among issues on which Obama is best rated  —  PRINCETON, NJ — President Barack Obama's approval rating for handling the federal budget deficit has gone from bad to worse in recent months, even as his ratings …

Rep. Allen West receives plum speaking slot at conservative gathering  —  Freshman Tea Party Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) will deliver the coveted closing speech on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).  —  West, the headline-grabbing lawmaker and former Army officer …

Under Banner of Fiscal Restraint, Republicans Plan New Abortion Bills  —  WASHINGTON — All but invisible during the midterm elections, the abortion debate has returned to Congress.  —  Invoking the mantra of fiscal restraint that has dominated House action since lawmakers reconvened last month …

ABC7 poll: Emanuel leading mayor's race  —  ABC7's exclusive poll on the Chicago mayor's race provides a snapshot of how the candidates are doing as we head into the final two weeks of the campaign.  —  Rahm Emanuel's 54 percent share in the survey suggests an overwhelming lead …

RNC's former Tampa convention team spent $1 million  —  TAMPA - They rented an exclusive waterfront mansion, wined and dined at five-star restaurants and hired family members and friends, all on the taxpayers' dime.  —  Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's 2012 convention team based …

Saudi oil reserves ‘overstated by 40%’  —  US diplomat convinced by Saudi expert that reserves of world's biggest oil exporter have been overstated by nearly 40%  —  • Peak oil alarm revealed by secret official talks  —  • Datablog: Are we running out of oil?

Obama to propose relief for states burdened by debt from unemployment benefits  —  States that have borrowed billions of dollars from the federal government to cover the soaring cost of unemployment benefits would get immediate relief from the Obama administration under a plan to suspend interest payments for the next two years.

Plans Near for Freddie and Fannie  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration and House Republicans are settling into a game of chicken over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with each side daring the other to advance a plan for replacing the two housing finance companies.

Culture of corruption: Who's policing Amtrak Joe Biden's $53 billion rail boondoggles?  —  Yesterday, we had a little fun with Amtrak Joe Biden's “seize the future” moment during his rail boondoggle event in Philly.  Today, I take a serious look at the continued politicization and cronyism in the federal rail bureaucracy.

Apple's New iPad in Production  —  Apple Inc. has started manufacturing a new version of its iPad tablet computer with a built-in camera and faster processor, said people familiar with the matter.  —  The new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the first model, these people said.

Nelson ‘learning toward’ another Senate run  —  Sen. Ben Nelson has rehired his former campaign manager, sending a strong signal that he will run for reelection in 2012.  —  KETV NewsWatch 7 in Nebraska reports that Nelson has brought back Paul Johnson, the manager of his 2006 Senate campaign.

Cuban Dissidents beaten and arrested outside church in Havana  —  For dissidents in Cuba, not even a church is safe haven from the beatings administered by Castro State Security.  The diabolical regime could care less about the sanctity of a house of worship, and the leadership of the Catholic Church …