Egypt Erupts in Jubilation as Mubarak Steps Down  —  CAIRO — Egypt erupted in a joyous celebration of the power of a long repressed people on Friday as President Hosni Mubarak resigned his post and ceded control to the military, ending his nearly 30 years of autocratic rule.

Ron Paul slams Patriot Act, backers drown out jeers at conference  —  Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) elicited the loudest reaction of any speaker so far at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, with a throng of raucous supporters drowning out audible boos emanating from the CPAC crowd.

Palin impersonator stuns CPAC  —  Just how much of a draw is Sarah Palin among conservatives?  —  A Palin impersonator drew dozens of excited, mostly young CPAC attendees around her in the hotel lobby here just as Mitt Romney, the GOP's ostenisble frontrunner, was taking the stage.

Tea Party wins: House GOP spending bill cuts at least $100 billion  —  House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) on Friday evening introduced a revised 2011 government spending bill that the GOP said will cut at least $100 billion in spending this fiscal year, bowing to demands by Tea Party-backed House freshmen.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee says he won't back Orrin Hatch in GOP Senate primary  —  Sen. Mike Lee (R) said Friday that he wouldn't endorse fellow Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) for reelection in the 2012 GOP Senate primary.  —  Lee, a freshman senator allied with the conservative Tea Party movement …

In Obama's Words  —  Washington, D.C. … Obama delivers remarks on Egypt  —  SPEECH TRANSCRIPT  —  Good afternoon, everybody.  —  There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place.  This is one of those moments.  This is one of those times.

The GOP Cannot Control Its Own Noise Machine (The Egypt Edition)  —  Tune into Glenn Beck tonight to watch the Fox News host explain how the pro-democracy uprising in Egypt, which culminated in the peaceful overthrow of the country's authoritarian rule, is a demonstrably bad thing.

CPAC Exclusive: An Interview With Olympia Snowe's Primary Challenger, Andrew Ian Dodge  —  CPAC Exclusive: An Interview With Olympia Snowe's Primary Challenger, Andrew Ian Dodge  —  There have been rumors that Andrew Ian Dodge would challenge Olympia Snowe in the 2012 Republican primary.

CPAC 2011: Big Ol' Gay Party  —  WASHINGTON — On January 7, Andrew Breitbart said he was fed up with the social conservative groups boycotting CPAC over the inclusion of the gay Republican group GOProud and wanted to do something about it.  —  “I will be the harshest critic of the activist gay left …

Walker says National Guard is prepared  —  MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker says the Wisconsin National Guard is prepared to respond wherever is necessary in the wake of his announcement that he wants to take away nearly all collective bargaining rights from state employees.

How to spot trouble  —  PERHAPS it's an indicator of a low birth rate (so no one to pay for future pensions).  Maybe it hints at a lack of ambition and accountability.  Or maybe it's a sign of a civilisation in the final stage of decline.  Whatever explains it, the correlation is remarkable:

Pawlenty: Obama appeasing Muslim Brotherhood  —  Washington (CNN) - Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, an all-but-declared candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, accused the Obama administration Friday of “appeasing” the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as the country navigates …

ThinkProgress, SEIU and Others Targeted by US Chamber of Commerce for Smears  —  The next time you hear some lofty conservative twaddle about our freedoms, please point them to this Think Progress post and ask for an explanation.  Ask them why they think they're threatened by government …

WHAT HATH FLORIDA WROUGHT?.... Atrios joked the other day that Floridians “elected Lex Luthor as their governor.”  That's a good line, in large part because it's hard not to wonder if Florida's new chief executive is some sort of super-villain. … Scott's plan is certainly unique.

Chapter 11 for Borders, New Chapter for Books  —  Borders Group Inc. is in the final stages of preparing a bankruptcy filing, clinching a long fall for a company with humble beginnings that helped change the way Americans buy books but failed to keep pace with the digital transformation rocking every corner of the media landscape.

Mitch Daniels Suggests Re-Examination of End-of-Life Care  —  Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who is considering a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, veered from his party's orthodoxy on end-of-life care Friday, suggesting the nation cannot afford to provide every treatment …