Democrats to End Union Standoff  —  Playing a game of political chicken, Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to stymie restrictions on public-employee unions said Sunday they planned to come back from exile soon, betting that even though their return will allow the bill to pass …

The Fading Power of Beck's Alarms  —  Almost every time I flipped on television last week, there was a deeply angry guy on a running tirade about the conspiracies afoot, the enemies around all corners, and how he alone seemed to understand what was under way.

Obama's hard line on leaks  —  The Obama administration, which famously pledged to be the most transparent in American history, is pursuing an unexpectedly aggressive legal offensive against federal workers who leak secret information to expose wrongdoing, highlight national security threats or pursue a personal agenda.

Number of healthcare reform law waivers climbs above 1,000  —  The number of temporary healthcare reform waivers granted by the Obama administration to organizations climbed to more than 1,000, according to new numbers disclosed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Degrees and Dollars  —  It is a truth universally acknowledged that education is the key to economic success.  Everyone knows that the jobs of the future will require ever higher levels of skill.  That's why, in an appearance Friday with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, President Obama declared that …

Christie receives ‘hottest’ title  —  Washington (CNN) - Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie nabbed the “hottest politician” title among those in elected office, according to a new national survey.  —  First lady Michelle Obama received 60 degrees on the “feeling thermometer,” …

First Thoughts: Romney 3.0  —  In New Hampshire on Saturday, Romney unveiled Romney 3. (a presidential candidate who focuses more on the economy than on social issues)... How that compares with Romney 1. (the socially moderate Massachusetts governor) and Romney 2. (the 2008 presidential candidate …

White House Seeks to Allay Muslims' Fears on Terror Hearings  —  STERLING, Va. — As a Republican congressman prepares to open hearings on the threat of homegrown Islamic terrorism, President Obama's deputy national security adviser visited a mosque here on Sunday to reassure Muslims that …

Recall drives could make history  —  Rarely have multiple lawmakers faced such action  —  By Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel  —  As improbable as the last three weeks have been in state politics, Wisconsin is about to embark on another wild ride into the political unknown …

Meet the lobbyist who turns ‘green’ into greenbacks  —  Senior Political Columnist Follow Him @TPCarney  —  Environmental policy is not driven by tree-hugging activists, earnest liberal bloggers, or ecologically minded citizens.  Instead, it flows from the lobbyists and executives …

America's secret plan to arm Libya's rebels  —  Obama asks Saudis to airlift weapons into Benghazi  —  Desperate to avoid US military involvement in Libya in the event of a prolonged struggle between the Gaddafi regime and its opponents, the Americans have asked Saudi Arabia if it can supply weapons to the rebels in Benghazi.

China Tracks Foreign Journalists  —  BEIJING — Western journalists have lately been tolerated in China, if grudgingly, but the spread of revolution in the Middle East has prompted the authorities here to adopt a more familiar tack: suddenly, foreign reporters are being tracked and detained …

Congressional leaders push Obama administration for more aggressive Libya response  —  Congressional leaders prodded the Obama administration on Sunday for a more aggressive U.S. response to Libya's increasingly brutal attacks on opposition groups - calling for a no-fly zone and other military measures …

Sen. Alexander on Trump: 'He's famous for being famous,' won't be president  —  Add Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to the bipartisan list of skeptics who don't think real estate Donald Trump has a chance of winning the 2012 Republican nomination for president, much less the presidency.