Weiner Told Porn Star to Lie, Offered PR Help  —  Congressman Anthony Weiner instructed one of his Internet women how to lie about their relationship ... and even offered PR help from his team, which could create major legal issues for him ... TMZ has learned.

Margaret Thatcher to Sarah Palin: don't bother dropping by  —  Allies of former prime minister regard darling of Tea Party movement as a frivolous figure unworthy of an audience  —  Sarah Palin wants to show to the Republican right that she is the true keeper of the Ronald Reagan flame …

Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders  —  The public opinion boost President Obama received after the killing of Osama bin Laden has dissipated, and Americans' disapproval of how he is handling the nation's economy and the deficit has reached new highs, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

President Obama's phony accounting on the auto industry bailout  —  “Chrysler has repaid every dime and more of what it owes American taxpayers for their support during my presidency.”  —  With some of the economic indicators looking a bit dicey, President Obama traveled to Ohio last week …

Tim Pawlenty's fantasy economic plan  —  Economic plans are often disappointing and underpowered.  They're occasionally radical and even inspiring.  They're frequently dull.  They're rarely hilarious.  But Tim Pawlenty's proposal is the exception.  I'm going to quote from it extensively …

Where Wisdom Lives  —  Sometimes life presents you with a basic philosophical choice.  Americans are going to have to confront a giant one over the next several years.  —  It starts in the wonky world of Medicare.  As presently constructed, Medicare is based on an open-ended fee-for-service system.

Evan “Revolving Door” Bayh Signs On With US Chamber  —  Not long after announcing his plans to retire in 2010, then-Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) offered this bit of commentary on why he'd opted to leave Congress after two terms in office: “I want to be engaged in an honorable line of work.”

RedState sells ‘endorsement’ [UPDATED]  —  The endorsement of Erick Erickson, the founder of the conservative blog RedState and a CNN contributor is for sale as part of an advertising package, according to an email circulated by an account executive for The Human Events Group -Eagle Publishing, which recently purchased the site.

GOP attacks Dems from the left, accuses them of shredding ‘social safety net’  —  So it's come to this: Now Republicans are accusing Democrats of wanting to “shred the social safety net.”  —  As I've noted here before, Republicans have again taken to attacking Dems from the left on Medicare …

Bachmann strategist blasts Palin: ‘Not serious’  —  Michele Bachmann's new top consultant, Ed Rollins, began his tenure with scathing criticism of potential Bachmann rival Sarah Palin.  —  “Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years,” Rollins told Brian Kilmeade on his radio show, Kilmeade and Friends.

What Your Taxes Do (and Don't) Buy for You  —  Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served  —  on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul.  —  Last week I showed that total taxes at the federal level …

The Fatal Pivot  —  Christy Romer talks about the economic debate (pdf) in the fall of 2009: … This matches what I was hearing.  And it tells you that it wasn't just the Republicans: a substantial faction within the administration was eager to “pivot” away from the jobs issue.

Comic Chris Titus hints at assassinating Palin ‘if she gets elected president’  —  Sometimes there is a line that is crossed between what appropriate for comedy and what's likely off limits.  But did comic Christopher Titus cross that line?  —  In an appearance on Monday's “The Adam Carolla Show” …

Brown continues to do well  —  There's good news and bad news for Democratic hopes of taking down Scott Brown in our newest Massachusetts poll.  The good news is that Brown's approval numbers are starting to decline.  What was a +24 approval spread in December at 53/29 has now been cut in half to +12 at 48/36.

The Confessions of Keith Olbermann … Keith Olbermann hobbles into the cavernous Highline Studios in Manhattan's Meatpacking district.  A black collapsible cane in his left hand, he carefully picks through jumbles of wires and gingerly sidesteps an equipment cart.

EXCLUSIVE: Herman Cain Pledges Not To Sign Any Bill Longer Than Three Pages  —  ThinkProgress filed this report from the Family Leader Presidential Lecture Series in Pella, Iowa.  —  GOP presidential contender and former pizza executive Herman Cain roused conservative audience members yesterday at his appearance in Pella, Iowa.

BTB Original Investigation: The True Story of George Rekers And “Kraig”  —  In the summer of 1970, just before Kirk's fifth birthday, his parents learned about a new federally funded research program at UCLA for young boys who were showing early signs of being effeminate.