Nevada Sen. John Ensign to resign  —  Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign is expected to resign from office in the near future.  (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jessica Ebelhar) Embattled Nevada Sen. John Ensign (R) announced Thursday night that he will resign from office in early May …

Nation's Mood at Lowest Level in Two Years, Poll Shows  —  Americans are more pessimistic about the nation's economic outlook and overall direction than they have been at any time since President Obama's first two months in office, when the country was still officially ensnared in the Great Recession …

WHEN POLITIFACT BECOMES POLITIFALSE.... Independent fact-checking outlets play an important part of the political discourse, or at least have the potential to.  With a lot of figures making all kinds of claims, voters should have reliable sources they can turn to in order to help separate fact from fiction.

Obama wobbly on Libya  —  Opponents of the Vietnam War — that seemingly endless, inconclusive, increasingly unpopular and ever-more-deadly and costly conflict — called it a “quagmire.”  They said it was unwinnable and should never have been fought, and that America must avoid similar future wars.

Response to Glenn Beck  —  This week Glenn Beck has taken to his radio show to attack me as a Progressive, which he has said is the same as a “cancer” and a “Nazi.”  What did I do that apparently caused him to link me to a fatal disease and a form of government that murdered millions of innocent Jews?

[Proclamation] Gov. Perry Issues Proclamation for Days of Prayer for Rain in Texas  —  Gov. Perry Issues Proclamation for Days of Prayer for Rain in Texas  —  Gov. Rick Perry has proclaimed the three-day period from Friday, April 22, to Sunday, April 24, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas …

Barletta town hall gets heated over Medicare  —  Reminiscent of the August 2009 town halls when members of Congress faced angry constituents over health care reforms, a public forum in Carbon County with Rep. Lou Barletta Wednesday night provided a glimpse of the strong emotions stirred by a Republican plan to alter Medicare benefits.

'Don't say gay' bill clears Senate panel  —  Register or log in using your account on these websites.  —  Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH  —  NASHVILLE - After some convoluted maneuvers, a Senate committee Wednesday approved a bill that will prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality …

The Map  —  The Crystal Ball's First 2011 Take on 2012's Electoral College  —  Larry J. Sabato, Director, U.Va. Center for Politics  —  With 18 months to go until November 2012, there is exactly one use for a current projection of the 2012 Electoral College results.

Joanne Kloppenburg's Really Bad Poker Tell: She KNOWS She Didn't Win Election  —  Check out that pregnant pause at 1:33 in.  This re-count is a sham.

Inhofe Claims Fracking Has ‘Never’ Contaminated Water Supply One Day After Spill Contaminates Stream  —  Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) is perhaps Congress' most reliable defender of dirty energy and evangelizer against the “hoax” of global warming.  This morning, he took his message …

What Gary Johnson Brings to the GOP Presidential Race  —  Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has just announced his candidacy for president, and, finally, a Republican is actually running.  Johnson didn't announce an exploratory committee, or that he's thinking about running.

Democrats Sue to Force U.S. Election Agency to Reveal Political Donations  —  WASHINGTON — Unable to stanch the flow of corporate money to Republican causes, Democrats tried a new tack on Thursday by bringing a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission to force the disclosure of tens of millions of dollars in secret donations.

Obama says new task force will examine gas prices  —  RENO, Nev. - President Barack Obama said Thursday that the Justice Department will try to “root out” cases of fraud or manipulation in oil markets, even as Attorney General Eric Holder suggested a variety of legal reasons may be behind gasoline's surge to $4 a gallon.

Mitt Romney Haunted By Past Of Trying To Help Uninsured Sick People  —  BELMONT, MA—Though Mitt Romney is considered to be a frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the national spotlight has forced him to repeatedly confront a major skeleton in his political closet …

Nashville's Sedan Drivers Fight City Effort To Run Them Off the Road  —  Can government force transportation businesses to charge a minimum price to protect politically connected companies from competition?  —  That is the question the Institute for Justice (IJ) and its clients seek to answer …

Candidates reach recount deal  —  Some areas to get hand tally in court race  —  By Jason Stein and Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison — Backing off stronger stances, Supreme Court Justice David Prosser and Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg found …

Trump's view: Obama, come clean  —  On any given day, I receive hundreds of requests from television, radio and newspapers to provide comments on various topics.  There is not one interview when the “birther” issue is not raised multiple times during the conversation.

Trump to McCain: 'You're Hired!'  —  THE DAILY BEAST ON:  —  As Donald Trump flirts with a presidential run, he talks to Meghan McCain about his campaign strategy, his nights at the Holiday Inn, and why Romney won't be the Republican nominee.  —  Is The Donald serious?

Wisconsin Democrats Laugh Off “Republican Recall Racket”  —  Today, a bit less than a week before the deadline, recall petitions are being filed against three Wisconsin Democratic senators.  State Democratic party spokesman Graeme Zielinski has given me the party's response to the petitions, which can be summed up as “ha, ha.”

TEPCO: Fuel of the Fukushima plant No. 1 reactor could be melting  —  Fuel of the Fukushima nuke plant plant's No. 1 reactor could be melting, an official said on Wednesday at Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) , the operator of the crippled plant.  —  TEPCO said last week …

Man wanted for questioning after attempted bombing at Colorado mall  —  (CNN) — Investigators asked for help Thursday as they searched for a man seen in a mall in Littleton, Colorado, shortly before what they described as a possible attempt to bomb the shopping center on the 12th anniversary …

The Annoying Hypocrisy Trope  —  Gregg Easterbrook: … This is one of the most annoying tropes in existence, on both the left and the right.  The point of laws is to provide a level playing field, and no one is a hypocrite for following existing law even if they think it should be changed.