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.

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 …

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 …

Dems seek leverage by forcing GOP split on Ryan's budget plan  —  Senate Democratic aides expect Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to force Senate Republicans to vote on the Paul Ryan budget plan.  —  Reid hasn't made a formal decision yet, and won't until he returns from an overseas trip.

Boehner: Oil Companies Share Blame for Gas Prices, Open to Cutting Subsidies  —  At a time of skyrocketing gas prices and near-record profits for oil companies, House Speaker John Boehner made a major concession today: Congress should consider cutting multi-billion dollar subsidies to oil companies.

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 …

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 …

Union Official, Professor Teach How-to College Course in Violent Union Tactics  —  If you are wondering why some folks are starting to question whether a college education is worth the cost, the video below goes a long way towards explaining it.  Recently, the University of Missouri-St. Louis …

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.

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 …

IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end  —  Commentary: China's economy will surpass the U.S. in 2016  — Front Page - News Viewer - Commentary - Markets - Investing - Personal Finance - Community - Games  —  BOSTON (MarketWatch) — The International Monetary Fund has just dropped a bombshell, and nobody noticed.

NBC Allows Trump To Begin Campaigning On ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’  —  While bathing in the media limelight, real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump is still playing coy over whether he fully intends to run for president.  Any announcement will necessarily come after the completion of his show …

Donald Trump Responds to Robert De Niro's Criticisms: 'He's Not the Brightest Bulb'  —  Donald Trump slammed Robert De Niro Monday, following the Oscar-winner's criticisms of him this weekend, telling Fox News that the actor is “not the brightest bulb on the planet.”