Seized Phone Offers Clues to Bin Laden's Pakistani Links  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The cellphone of Osama bin Laden's trusted courier, which was recovered in the raid that killed both men in Pakistan last month, contained contacts to a militant group that is a longtime asset …

Obama Addresses New York Marriage Equality Bill At LGBT Fundraiser: Issue Best Left To States  —  President Obama spoke at an LGBT fundraiser this evening in New York City, just as the New York Senate prepares to take up marriage equality legislation.  Obama addressed the measure directly …

Hillary Clinton, to Libya War Critics: “Whose side are you on?”  —  Are you with us, or with the dictator and the terrorism he supports?  That's the White House formulation that infuriated liberals and Democrats from 2001-2008, and it's the formulation being used right now by the administration …

Airline to Jewish rumor: ‘Delta does not discriminate.’  —  Earlier today some Jewish and Christian readers in the blogosphere were fired up about stories that Delta Airlines, in its new alliance with Saudi Arabian Airlines, might wind up enforcing a Saudi policy of not admitting Iraelis …

New Jersey Lawmakers Approve Benefits Rollback for Work Force  —  TRENTON — New Jersey lawmakers on Thursday approved a broad rollback of benefits for 750,000 government workers and retirees, the deepest cut in state and local costs in memory, in a major victory for Gov. Chris Christie …

Commander In Chief Misspeaks About Soldier Killed in Afghanistan  —  During his remarks to troops at Fort Drum today, the President was reminiscing about the times he has spent with the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, when he got something wrong. … The problem is, Jared Monti was killed in action in Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006.

Politicians Who Fear the Public Light  —  As we wrote this editorial on Thursday evening, we were still waiting for the New York State Senate to do what it should have done long ago — end a basic inequality under the law by allowing same-sex couples the full right to marry.

Republicans pull out of debt talks, demand Obama meet directly with GOP over taxes  —  Congressional Republicans abruptly pulled out of debt-reduction talks with the White House on Thursday and demanded that President Obama meet directly with GOP leaders to resolve an impasse over taxes.

Thaddeus McCotter Creates Chaos At Straw Poll Auction  —  At today's Iowa Straw Poll land auction, participating campaigns were surprised by a mystery participant who would not state which campaign she was representing.  —  Kellie Paschke, a lobbyist whose clients include Iowans for Tax Relief …

Fighting Words: DeMint Warns Republicans They May Be ‘Gone’ if They Support Debt Ceiling Increase  —  Jonathan Karl interviews Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. (ABC News)  —  Conservative firebrand Sen. Jim DeMint has a message to fellow Republicans in Congress: If you support increasing …

Geithner: Taxes on ‘Small Business’ Must Rise So Government Doesn't ‘Shrink’  —  (CNSNews.com) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the House Small Business Committee on Wednesday that the Obama administration believes taxes on small business must increase so the administration does not have to …

Obama, as suspected, disregarded the Afghan troop drawdown recommendation of Gen. Petraeus  —  Testifying before a Senate committee today, the commander of allied forces in Afghanistan confirmed under oath what many had suspected:  —  In his speech Wednesday evening, President Obama disregarded …

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Remember the flap over foreign ships and the Deepwater Horizon cleanup?  —  Soon after the Deepwater Horizon disaster began, with raw crude pumping out of the seabed into the Gulf of Mexico in the worst oil spill in American history, foreign nations began offering help with the clean up.

Explaining ‘Penny Wise, Pound Foolish’ to Rand Paul  —  A Senate subcommittee held a hearing this week on funding the existing Older Americans Act, including a $2 billion investment to prevent senior hunger.  The panel, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), explored how the government can actually save money through these investments.

Sterilization victim “raped by the state of NC”  —  PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  RALEIGH - At 57, Elaine Riddick has a house full of god children, great nieces and nephews, but only one child of her own - a son.  When she was 14, Riddick was raped.  The day she gave birth …