Poll Finds Lack of Passion for Republican Candidates  —  With less than a year to go before the Iowa caucuses, Republican voters have yet to form strong opinions about most of their potential candidates for president in 2012, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

‘The Shining’ — national debt edition  —  Remember that great scene in the 1980 film classic, “The Shining,” when the wife comes upon the typewriter of the Jack Nicholson character, who's supposed to have been working night and day for months on his novel?  To her horror, she finds thousands …

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?

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.

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.

The Death of Right to Work  —  After 17 months and $2 billion, the NLRB sandbags Boeing.  —  We knew that Big Labor had political pull at the Obama-era National Labor Relations Board, but yesterday's complaint against Boeing is one for the (dark) ages.  By challenging Boeing's right …

Obama jabs ‘climate change deniers’  —  President Obama called out Capitol Hill's “climate change deniers” Wednesday night at a Democratic fundraiser in California.  —  Obama, speaking at a San Francisco event for donors, called rising gasoline prices an economic drain on drivers …

Trump blasts Seinfeld pullout  —  Donald Trump wasn't laughing when funnyman Jerry Seinfeld canceled an upcoming appearance at a benefit for his son's Eric Trump Foundation.  —  Seinfeld pulled out of the Sept. 13 event benefiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital because he disagrees …

Obama: Mistakes?  Can't think of any.  —  Chief Political Correspondent Follow Him @ByronYork  —  Seven years ago, in April 2004, President George W. Bush held a formal news conference in which he was asked, “What would your biggest mistake be...and what lessons have you learned from it?”

Invitation to Israeli Leader Puts Obama on the Spot  —  WASHINGTON — A Republican invitation for Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to address Congress next month is highlighting the tensions between President Obama and Mr. Netanyahu and has kicked off a bizarre diplomatic race …

Key Republican in deficit talks rules out significant tax increases  —  Republican senators trying to hash out a bipartisan deal to reduce the deficit will refuse any significant tax hikes, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said Thursday.  —  Coburn, one of six senators involved in behind …

[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 …

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announces he'll seek GOP presidential nomination  —  The libertarian-leaning Gary Johnson has climbed Mt. Everest so he knows about uphill fights: In a Gallup poll released last week, he ranked last in name recognition among 14 potential Republican candidates for president.

More Companies Pull Ads From Wonkette After Trig Palin Post  —  More companies have joined Papa Johns, Huggies and Vanguard in dropping ads from the liberal, pro-abortion blog Wonkette after it ran a crass post mocking Sarah Palin and her son trig, who has Down Syndrome.

What if the Birthers Are Right?  —  Inside the political vacuum, the headline story on Drudge was none other than Obama's birth certificate.  It's the story that just won't go away-and it won't go away until Obama himself releases the long-form document.  But with the coming release on May 17 …

Paul Ryan, Rand Paul Clash Privately Over Budget … WASHINGTON — Before releasing his budget publicly, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) gave Senate Republicans a private briefing about the plan in early April.  During that meeting, Sen. Rand Paul, a Tea Party-backed freshman from Kentucky …

Business owner casts reasonable doubt on accuracy of speed cameras  —  PG business owner gets tickets tossed  —  FIVE DOWN, 40 TO GO: Will Foreman holds the speeding tickets he successfully challenged in court.  Mr. Foreman ironically used the photos shot by speed cameras to challenge the charge of speeding.

Iowa professor's response to GOP prompts outrage  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa— A University of Iowa professor who studies same-sex relationships was so upset by an email from a campus Republican group promoting “Conservative Coming Out Week” that she fired off a vulgarity aimed at all Republicans …