STATEMENT OF GOV. BARBOUR  —  “I will not be a candidate for president next year.  This has been a difficult, personal decision, and I am very grateful to my family for their total support of my going forward, had that been what I decided.  —  “Hundreds of people have encouraged me to run …

Clement firm drops DOMA case  —  In a real victory for supporters of same-sex marriage — and marking what seems like real marginalization for its foes — a major law firm has reversed course and will refuse to represent the House of Representatives in defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

WikiLeaks discloses new details on whereabouts of al-Qaeda leaders on 9/11  —  On Sept. 11, 2001, the core of al-Qaeda was concentrated in a single city: Karachi, Pakistan.  —  At a hospital, the accused mastermind of the bombing of the USS Cole was recovering from a tonsillectomy.

Let's Take a Hike  —  When I listen to current discussions of the federal budget, the message I hear sounds like this: We're in crisis!  We must take drastic action immediately!  And we must keep taxes low, if not actually cut them further!  —  You have to wonder: If things are that serious …

High court rejects quick review of health care law  —  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court rejected a call Monday from Virginia's attorney general to depart from its usual practice and put review of the health care law on a fast track.  Instead, judicial review of President Barack Obama's signature legislation …

Norquist: Coburn ‘lied his way’ into office  —  Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform, just emailed a response to Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn's claim that his group is a narrow “special interest” that doesn't represent American conservatives.  And it's memorable.

WH Fails to Release Easter Proclamation  —  President Obama failed to release a statement or a proclamation recognizing the national observance of Easter Sunday, Christianity's most sacred holiday.  —  By comparison, the White House has released statements recognizing the observance …

BITTER PILLS  —  Multitrillion-dollar piles of debt have a way of making people nervous, so it's not really surprising that Washington is now in the throes of budget-cutting hysteria.  Republicans risked a government shutdown over a few billion dollars in spending cuts …

Gov. Haley's advice to GOP presidential hopefuls: Change your message  —  South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) said Monday she is not satisfied with the message that the crop of GOP presidential hopefuls has brought to her state.  —  Haley — a rising star in the party and governor …

Heaven can wait  —  Don't call him Father Jim just yet.  —  Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey — who shocked the nation in 2004 when he announced he was a “gay American” and stepped down from office — has been denied his bid to join the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, The Post has learned.

DEFINE ‘PEACETIME’.... Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R), back on the presidential campaign trail, isn't sitting down for a lot of media interviews — but he loves writing op-eds.  Romney's latest ran in New Hampshire's largest paper this morning. … The nonsense-per-sentence ratio is awfully high here …

A Case for Hell  —  Here's a revealing snapshot of religion in America.  On Easter Sunday, two of the top three books on Amazon.com's Religion and Spirituality best-seller list mapped the geography of the afterlife.  One was “Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back …