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.

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.”

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 …

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 …

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.

The Twitter Trap  —  Last week my wife and I told our 13-year-old daughter she could join Facebook.  Within a few hours she had accumulated 171 friends, and I felt a little as if I had passed my child a pipe of crystal meth.  —  I don't mean to be a spoilsport, and I don't think I'm a Luddite.

U.S. slaps sanctions on Syrian president, top aides  —  (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and six other top aides for human rights abuses on Wednesday in a dramatic escalation of pressure on Syria to cease its brutal crackdown on protesters.

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.

IMF accuser in apt. for HIV vics  —  Dominique Strauss-Kahn may have more to worry about than a possible prison sentence.  —  The IMF chief's alleged sex-assault victim lives in a Bronx apartment rented exclusively for adults with HIV or AIDS, The Post has learned.

AIPAC: Don't boo Obama  —  A reader forwards over an email from AIPAC President Lee Rosenberg to delegates to the organization's annual policy conference, which will feature President Obama's and Prime Minister Netanyahu's coming speeches to the organization.

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 …