Mubarak Steps Down, Ceding Power to Military  —  CAIRO — President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt turned over all power to the military and left the Egyptian capital for his resort home in Sharm el-Sheik, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on state television on Friday.

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 …

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 …

Thune jabs Palin, '12ers  —  John Thune, playing coy, took a little shot at his potential rivals in his remarks at CPAC just now:  —  I've never had a book signing.  —  I've been to Iowa plenty of times, but it's usually on the way to South Dakota.  —  And the closest I've come …

Paul Ryan's Limited Imagination  —  Everyone knows that Ron Paul has some crank notions about monetary economics, but Paul Ryan's own crankitude on this score is badly underrated.  Will Wilkinson, for example, flags this alarming quote from Ryan's participation in a recent committee hearing with Ben Bernanke:

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.

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 …

Former Bush-Cheney National Spokesman Thinks Muslims Are Incapable Of Democracy: ‘This Is The Middle East’  —  This morning on Fox News, anchor Martha MacCallum hosted a panel of three experts that was very hostile towards the idea of backing the protesters in Egypt.

Multiculturalism has failed, says French president  —  PARIS (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared Thursday that multiculturalism had failed, joining a growing number of world leaders or ex-leaders who have condemned it.  —  “My answer is clearly yes, it is a failure,” …

Oprah wants ‘respect’ for Obama  —  Oprah Winfrey (left) and Barack Obama attend a campaign event in Dec. 2007.  AP Photo  —  Oprah called on President Obama's critics on Friday to “show some level of respect.”  —  “I feel that everybody has a learning curve, and I feel that the reason …

From freedom agenda to freedom doctrine  —  Today, everyone and his cousin supports the “freedom agenda.”  Of course, yesterday it was just George W. Bush, Tony Blair and a band of neocons with unusual hypnotic powers who dared challenge the received wisdom of Arab exceptionalism …

Top Democrat: Obama's critics ‘have been silenced’  —  President Obama's critics “have been silenced,” a top Senate Democrat and Obama ally said Friday.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the majority whip, claimed a political rebound for the president that could propel him to a second term.

Senate Democrats again warn of government shutdown  —  Washington (CNN) - Senate Democratic leaders organized a conference call with reporters Friday to pound away at one of their central political messages - Republicans are risking a government shutdown over spending differences.

Republicans turn Congress into ‘clogged toilet,’ says Democratic lawmaker  —  One of the Democrats' fieriest voices on Capitol Hill accused the Republicans of turning Congress into a “clogged toilet.”  —  Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said Friday that House Republicans were blocking …

What Egyptians Really Want  —  Islamofascism: Romantics in Western media expect “democracy” to flower from the anti-Mubarak rioting in Cairo.  But polling shows Egyptians actually seek strict Islamic rule.  —  According to a major survey conducted last year by the Pew Research Center …

IMF calls for dollar alternative  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The International Monetary Fund issued a report Thursday on a possible replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve currency.  —  The IMF said Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, could help stabilize the global financial system.