Left's angst grows over Obama's shift to the political center  —  Anxiety over President Obama's shift to the political center is threatening to alienate the White House's liberal base.  —  As Obama prepares Wednesday to outline his deficit reduction strategy, liberals worry he'll embrace Medicare …

Mitt Romney to birthers: Barack Obama was born here.  Period.  —  Mitt Romney forcefully said Tuesday night that he believes President Barack Obama was born in America and that “the citizenship test has been passed.”  —  “I think the citizenship test has been passed.

Lobbyists Won Key Concessions in Budget Deal  —  WASHINGTON — At a quarter till midnight last Friday, with a deal to avert a government shutdown barely an hour old, Senator Harry Reid phoned a fellow Democratic senator, Ron Wyden, at home and startled him with some bad news.

Do-Nothing Congress as a Cure  —  A trick question: If Congress takes no action in coming years, what will happen to the budget deficit?  —  It will shrink — and shrink a lot.  This simple fact may offer the best hope for deficit reduction.  —  As federal law currently stands …

Diplomatic Breakdown Amid Bieber Fever in Israel  —  JERUSALEM — The teenage pop idol Justin Bieber became embroiled in a diplomatic imbroglio on Tuesday when it emerged that plans for a meeting between the singer and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had been called off, with the sides differing over why.

How Congress can balance the budget in eight years by literally doing nothing.  This is not a joke.  —  The Simpson-Bowles blue-ribbon deficit commission longs to slash Social Security and defense spending.  The Bipartisan Policy Center's Alice Rivlin and Peter Domenici yearn for a value-added tax.

Wall Street executives warn John Boehner on debt limit  —  NEW YORK — Republicans are growing increasingly concerned about the impact a bruising fight over raising the nation's $14.29 trillion debt ceiling could have on U.S. financial markets.  —  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) …

Inflation Actually Near 10% Using Older Measure  —  After former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was appointed in 1979, the consumer price index surged into the double digits, causing the now revered Fed Chief to double the benchmark interest rate in order to break the back of inflation.

Pawlenty makes another hire  —  Washington (CNN) - Republican Tim Pawlenty is adding to his team of advisers and strategists.  —  The former Minnesota governor announced Wednesday that GOP strategist Jon Seaton will join Pawlenty's presidential exploratory committee as national political director, the second big hire in three days.

The Real Housewives of Wall Street  —  Why is the Federal Reserve forking over $220 million in bailout money to the wives of two Morgan Stanley bigwigs?  —  By  —  America has two national budgets, one official, one unofficial.  The official budget is public record and hotly debated …

ThinkProgress Leaves Bachmann Speechless: Doesn't ‘Have An Answer’ On Whether Homosexuality Is A Public Health Hazard  —  Yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) — who is seriously considering launching a campaign for the presidency — appeared before the FAMiLY Leader, an anti-gay social conservative group in Iowa.

Wisconsin previews 2012 chaos  —  Here we go again.  —  Wisconsin's contested Supreme Court race has set in motion a drama that's by now almost painfully familiar.  It goes something like this: A hard-fought election comes down to a few troublesome precincts.

Egypt junta bows to protesters, Mubarak and sons jailed  —  It didn't take long for Egypt's interim military-backed regime to respond to the country's latest popular demands.  —  On Friday hundreds of thousands of Egyptians again filled Cairo's Tahrir Square, this time demanding the government …

Tea Party group warns GOP members: Shape up or face primaries  —  One of the nation's largest Tea Party groups is warning congressional Republicans to watch their right flanks ahead of a final vote this week on the long-term budget deal that averted a government shutdown.

John DiStaso's Granite Status: Santorum will discuss his next step regarding possible candidacy on Wednesday night  —  TUESDAY NIGHT UPDATE: WHAT'S NEXT FOR RICK?  Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will discuss the next step he will be taking regarding a potential presidential candidacy on Wednesday night on the Fox News channel.

Ex-Governor Apologizes for Using Song in Ad  —  Some days Charlie Crist is an ally of rock stars, and some days he is their adversary.  —  On Monday, Mr. Crist, the former governor of Florida who, before he left office, helped champion a posthumous pardon for Jim Morrison, the front man of the Doors …

Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Drink  —  Republicans can make up for a Reagan-era error by returning this issue to the states.  —  'If you get shot at, you can have a shot.  " That's the rationale behind Alaska State Representative—and Vietnam veteran—Bob Lynn's effort to establish …