GOP elite see Mitch Daniels as 2012 savior  —  Top Republicans are increasingly convinced that President Barack Obama will be easily reelected if stronger GOP contenders do not emerge, and some are virtually begging Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to add some excitement to the slow-starting nomination race.

Newt Apologizes To Paul Ryan, Begs Democrats Not To Use His Own Quotes In Ads  —  Newt Gingrich's walk back tour reached its zenith Tuesday night, as Gingrich personally apologized to Paul Ryan for dismissing his Medicare plan as “right wing social engineering.”

BREAKING: Jerome Corsi's Birther Book Pulled from Shelves!  —  In a stunning development one day after the release of Where's the Birth Certificate?  The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President, by Dr. Jerome Corsi, World Net Daily Editor and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Farah …

White House shuts out Herald scribe  —  The White House Press Office has refused to give the Boston Herald full access to President Obama's Boston fund-raiser today, in e-mails objecting to the newspaper's front page placement of a Mitt Romney op-ed, saying pool reporters are chosen based on whether they cover the news “fairly.”

Catholic Church Investigation Says Hippies Made Catholic Priests Sexually Abuse Children  —  Laurie Goodstein reports on the release of an inquiry by American bishops into sex abuse scandals: … This hippie-blaming strategy seems unlikely to persuade anyone.

Thomas defends ideals of court  —  U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a packed dinner crowd of Augusta's judges, lawyers and politicians Tuesday that while discourse in American society seems to be growing coarser and angrier, the Supreme Court remains a bastion of respectful disagreement …

Senator questions benefits to ‘adult baby’  —  Coburn sees possible fraud  —  Stanley Thornton Jr., 30, is being fed with a bottle by his roommate, Sandra Dias.  They were featured on National Geographic Channel's “Taboo” program.  Sen. Tom Coburn is questioning their disability payment eligibility.

Democrats' plan for millionaire surtax intended to soften up GOP  —  Senate Democrats are using their proposal to raise taxes on millionaires as a stalking-horse to force Republicans to accept other tax increases.  —  Democratic officials privately acknowledge that raising personal income tax rates …

Healthcare reform waivers part of ‘crony politics,’ Pawlenty says  —  Likely GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday added to already widespread criticism of healthcare reform law waivers, calling the practice an example of “crony politics.”  —  Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor …

Obama: My People, You Continue to Have My Blessing.  —  UPDATE: Some readers have misinterpreted the headline as an actual quote.  The headline was only meant as an ironic paraphrase of the actual statements Obama made, which are highlighted below in blue.  I did not think that anyone …

Pressure Is Building on Jailed IMF Chief  —  The Obama administration strongly signaled it was time for the International Monetary Fund to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn as its chief, indicating that he can no longer be effective in his job.  —  U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner …

CIA flew stealth drones into Pakistan to monitor bin Laden house  —  The CIA employed sophisticated new stealth drone aircraft to fly dozens of secret missions deep into Pakistani airspace and monitor the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed, current and former U.S. officials said.

Prayer request for Osama bin Laden at Catholic Church in West Palm Beach  —  Priest to honor request at Sunday Mass  —  Last Updated: 3 hours and 54 minutes ago  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The name of Osama bin Laden appears in the Holy Name of Jesus Sunday bulletin.  There's a cross next to it.

Obama campaign selling ‘birther’ T-shirts  —  President Obama isn't done trying to capitalize on claims that he was not born in the United States.  —  Last month, Obama released his long-form birth certificate to prove he was born in Hawaii and lampooned billionaire businessman Donald Trump …

State Department snubs the Elders  —  Former President Jimmy Carter and former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari were hoping to visit the State Department this week to brief officials on their recent trip to North Korea, but nobody at the State Department was available to meet with them.

Gingrich hit with glitter at Minneapolis event  —  Robert Erickson, a journeyman political activist prankster also known as Nick Espinosa, approached Gingriches during the signing event at a downtown Minneapolis hotel.  He dumped a cracker box full of confetti on the pair and said, “Feel the rainbow!

All Giuliani now  —  Mike Allen scoops this morning that Jon Huntsman is basing his campaign in Orlando, Florida, setting up a showdown in that state with Romney.  —  Planting a flag like that in Florida will inevitably bring comparisons (first!) to Rudy Giuliani's late strategy …