Another Runaway General: Army Deploys Psy-Ops on U.S. Senators  —  The U.S. Army illegally ordered a team of soldiers specializing in “psychological operations” to manipulate visiting American senators into providing more troops and funding for the war, Rolling Stone has learned …

Video: CWA union thug strikes young female FreedomWorks activist; Updated  —  This is Tabitha Hale, a young conservative activist/original Tea Party organizer/blogger who works for Washington, D.C.-based FreedomWorks.  I know her from her great grass-roots work with Smart Girl Politics when the Tea Party movement was just emerging.

Lobbyists: White House sends meetings off-site to hide them  —  Caught between their boss's anti-lobbyist rhetoric and the reality of governing, President Barack Obama's aides often steer meetings with lobbyists to a complex just off the White House grounds - and several of the lobbyists involved …

Lubbock man arrested: weapon of mass destruction charge  —  LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - FBI agents arrested a Lubbock man on charges of Attempted Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction.  The full text of an official statement is copied below.  —  WASHINGTON - Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20 …

Gaddafi blames unrest on al-Qaeda  —  Libyan leader says protesters are young people being manipulated by al-Qaeda, as violence continues across the country.  —  Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, has said in a speech on Libyan state television that al-Qaeda is responsible for the uprising in Libya.

Liberals to stage Tea Party-like revolts against GOP spending cuts  —  Democratic strategists believe their Tea Party moment has arrived.  —  Working with labor unions and liberal groups, they are using the Presidents Day congressional recess to organize a public backlash against billions of dollars in cuts to federal programs.

Andy Stern: ‘It may not end beautifully in Wisconsin.’  —  Last year, Andy Stern retired as the president of SEIU, the service employees union that he'd built into a 2.2 million member heavyweight.  During his tenure, Stern was known — and sometimes reviled — for his efforts to reform organized labor …

67% Disapprove of Legislators Fleeing Wisconsin to Avoid Vote  —  Half of America's voters favor public sector unions for government workers, but they strongly oppose the tactic by Wisconsin state senators to flee their state to prevent a vote that would limit the rights of such unions.

How Chris Christie Did His Homework  —  Like a stand-up comedian working out-of-the-way clubs, Chris Christie travels the townships and boroughs of New Jersey­, places like Hackettstown and Raritan and Scotch Plains, sharpening his riffs about the state's public employees …

U.S. Pushes Mortgage Deal  —  Obama Proposal Seeks Multibillion-Dollar Settlement of Loan-Servicing Cases  —  The Obama administration is trying to push through a settlement over mortgage-servicing breakdowns that could force America's largest banks to pay for reductions in loan principal worth billions of dollars.

WikiLeaks founder must face Swedish rape allegations  —  WikiLeaks founder can be sent to Sweden, Belmarsh magistrates court rules  —  Follow reactions to the ruling on our live blog  —  The WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Neither Party Has Edge on Federal Budget Dealings  —  Americans favor compromise over budget shutdown by 2-to-1 margin  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans are closely divided over whether the Republicans in Congress (42%) or President Obama and the Democrats (39%) are doing the better job …

Pawlenty looks to take lead in boosting Wisconsin governor  —  Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) sought Thursday to take the lead among possible GOP presidential candidates in bolstering Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) in his state's labor dispute.  —  Pawlenty released a video …

McCain's Shift Makes Him Senate's Most Conservative  —  Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., along with seven of his colleagues, voted most often on the conservative side.  —  The politician who once best exemplified the idea of a “maverick” independent has shifted so far to the right that he is now tied …

Wis. Assembly agrees to deal ending debate  —  MADISON, Wis. — Republicans and Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly have agreed to a deal that will limit further debate on a bill taking away collective bargaining rights for public workers and lead to a vote on the measure later Thursday.

Video of US Ambassador Jon Huntsman at “Jasmine Revolution” protests in Beijing hits the Chinese interwebs  —  On Monday, we expressed skepticism at reports suggesting US ambassador Jon Huntsman was present at the Jasmine non-Revolution in Beijing.  —  But Holy Angel Moroni!

Daniels '71: Into the spotlight  —  After Mitch Daniels '71 was arrested, indicted and convicted on charges of drug use as an undergraduate in May 1970, he said that he thought his aspiring political career was doomed.  “Any goal I might have had for competing for public office were shot,” …

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — February 2011  —  In the wake of the health reform repeal vote in the U.S. House and the ongoing legal challenges over the individual mandate, nearly half the country either believes that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) …

Obama's mystery links to Gadhafi uncovered  —  Prez fails to call for dictator's removal despite reports of attacks on citizens  —  JERUSALEM - As pressure mounts on the White House to intervene to stop Moammar Gadhafi's bloody crackdown in Libya, many commentators have been wondering …