Obama Puts Taxes on Table  —  President Barack Obama will lay out his plan for reducing the nation's deficit Wednesday, belatedly entering a fight over the nation's long-term financial future.  But in addition to suggesting cuts—the current focus of debate—the White House looks set to aim …

The Tea Party's First Victory  —  Obama opposes spending cuts right up to the time he calls them historic.  —  This is getting to be a habit.  President Obama ferociously resists tax cuts, trade agreements and spending cuts—right up to the moment he strikes a deal with Republicans and hails the tax cuts …

Republican lawmakers sour on 2012 field  —  A presidential primary favorite is emerging among the ranks of congressional Republicans: none of the above.  —  The dissatisfaction with the likely GOP field — long whispered among party activists, operatives and elected officials — is growing more audible in the House and Senate.

The President Is Missing  —  What have they done with President Obama?  What happened to the inspirational figure his supporters thought they elected?  Who is this bland, timid guy who doesn't seem to stand for anything in particular?  —  I realize that with hostile Republicans controlling the House …

Peter Thiel: We're in a Bubble and It's Not the Internet.  It's Higher Education.  —  Fair warning: This article will piss off a lot of you.  —  I can say that with confidence because it's about Peter Thiel.  And Thiel - the PayPal co-founder, hedge fund manager and venture capitalist …

The Prosecution Rests, but I Can't  —  I SPENT 18 years in prison for robbery and murder, 14 of them on death row.  I've been free since 2003, exonerated after evidence covered up by prosecutors surfaced just weeks before my execution date.  Those prosecutors were never punished.

How Donor Disclosure Hurts Democracy  —  As a candidate, I learned how much potential campaign contributors fear incumbent retribution.  —  In the debates about campaign-finance regulation and the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision of last year, there seems to be widespread agreement on one thing …

Ryan budget could stymie Senate's ‘Gang of Six’ on deficit bargain  —  House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's 2012 budget resolution, set to pass the House this week, may kill closed-door bipartisan negotiations in the Senate over a grand deficit bargain.

Ed Case Announces Run For Senate  —  Politician Lost Bid For Seat Against Out-Going Sen. Akaka  —  HONOLULU — Former U.S. Rep. Ed Case on Sunday announced his decision to run for the U.S. Senate.  —  Sen. Daniel Akaka said last month he would not seek re-election in 2012.

Poll: Only a third of Florida independents approve of Obama's performance  —  President Barack Obama is in trouble in Florida as he begins his re-election campaign.  —  A new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll found that only 34 percent of independent voters in Florida — always the key to winning …

AP Exclusive: US blocks 350 suspected terrorists  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has prevented more than 350 people suspected of ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups from boarding U.S.-bound commercial flights since the end of 2009, The Associated Press has learned.

Scholars' outrage at Manning ‘torture’  —  Obama professor among 250 experts who have signed letter condemning humiliation of alleged WikiLeaks source  —  More than 250 of America's most eminent legal scholars have signed a letter protesting against the treatment in military prison …

Comments follow statements by Donald Trump questioning legitimacy of president's birth record  —  Below:  —  The Hawaiian state health official who personally reviewed Barack Obama's original birth certificate has affirmed again that the document is “real” and denounced “conspiracy theorists” …

Trump is Final Proof that the Political Class Has Failed  —  There are two main theories cooperating to explain the Trump phenomenon:  — Donald Trump is today's best self-promoter and professional opportunist.  — The Republican field of presumptive candidates for president is lame.

Pawlenty to Hire Ayers as Campaign Manager  —  Fox News has learned former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will announce on Monday that his presidential exploratory committee has hired Nick Ayers on as campaign manager.  The move puts Ayers in position to fill the role of campaign manager …