Sarah Palin's Unlikely Supporter  —  ABC News' Sheila Marikar (@SheilaYM) reports from Pella, Iowa:  —  There's the stereotype of the Sarah Palin supporter, and then there's Sonnie Johnson.  —  The 30-year-old African-American mother and wife is featured in “The Undefeated” …

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL  —  Mainstream media covers up horrifying Obama mistake  —  No one in mainstream media seems inclined to mention Barack Obama's horrifying mistake last Thursday when, speaking at Fort Drum, he said that SFC Jared Monti was “the first person who I was able to award …

N.Y. town clerk: I won't sign gay wedding license  —  New York's gay weddings victory lap has not extended to all parts of the Empire State, with a rural town clerk determined to not sign any same-sex marriage licenses.  —  Barbara MacEwen, the town clerk in upstate Volney who is responsible …

Bombers attack luxury hotel in Kabul  —  Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — A group of people using bombs and small arms attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul Tuesday, and fighting was ongoing with Afghan security forces, Chief of Criminal Investigation Mohammed Zahir told CNN.

Bachmann is so not ready for presidency, but Pawlenty has the judgment and skills  —  In early 2012, Iowans in all 99 counties will bundle up, brave the cold night air, and join neighbors and fellow Republicans in casting their vote for the next president of the United States.

Kucinich has language problem in Syria  —  Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) gave a press conference in Syria this week and appeared to heap praise upon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is being widely criticized for the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in that country.

Ethics watchdog calls for FBI to investigate Rep. Richardson  —  Allegations of ethics violations within the office of Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) are worthy of a criminal investigation, a leading ethics watchdog group charged Tuesday.  —  Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics …

More Details Emerge in Wisconsin's ‘Chokegate’  —  With the Wisconsin Supreme Court devolving into a storyline only Vince McMahon could love, rumors are still swirling about what actually happened when two justices engaged in a physical confrontation behind closed doors on June 13.

Tearful Glenn Beck Describes How He And His Family Were Attacked In New York Park  —  “These people were some of the most hateful people I have ever seen,” said a distraught Glenn Beck this morning as he described an altercation he and his family had last night while watching a screening …

Bachmann plays Petty tune again  —  MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—Maybe Tom Petty's cease-and-desist letter hasn't arrived yet.  —  The singer was reportedly nonplussed that Michele Bachmann played his “American Girl” classic when she officially kicked off her presidential campaign in Iowa Monday.

Two thousand years in one chart  —  An alternative timeline for the past two millennia  —  SOME people recite history from above, recording the grand deeds of great men.  Others tell history from below, arguing that one person's life is just as much a part of mankind's story as another's.

White House dumps ‘secret shopper’ survey of doctors  —  The Obama administration will not move forward on a controversial proposal to have “secret shoppers” pose as patients to investigate how difficult it is for Americans to obtain primary care.  —  “On April 28th, the U.S. Department …

Johann Hari denies accusations of plagiarism  —  Independent columnist admits incorporation of written quotes into interviews was an error - but denies it was churnalism  —  A high-profile interviewer and columnist was at the centre of a plagiarism row and a Twitter storm on Tuesday …

Dire Straights  —  The decline of marriage isn't the fault of gays.  —  If you're a single man in New York state, we have some good news.  Soon there will be a way for you to get married and never have to worry about your wife complaining about the toilet seat or taking half your stuff in a divorce.

Tea Party Finds Power Leads to Policy Splits  —  HARRISBURG, Pa. — When Tea Party groups celebrated their victories here in November — they had helped take the governor's office and the legislature — it seemed that one of their priorities, school choice legislation, would have an easy time passing.

BofA Nears Huge Settlement  —  $8.5 Billion Payment to Investors in Mortgage Securities Would Be Biggest Yet  —  Bank of America Corp. is close to an agreement to pay $8.5 billion to settle claims by a group of high-profile investors who lost money on mortgage-backed securities purchased …

Report: Treasury must cut spending 44 percent in default  —  New analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) which has been shared extensively with members of Congress estimates that the Treasury Department would not be able to pay all its bills and would need to implement an immediate 44 percent cut …

The Failure of Al Gore: Part Deux  —  That Al Gore's definitive statement on the crisis of the climate change movement appeared in the back pages of Rolling Stone magazine rather than in a more prominent and prestigious location is one sign of the decline in his reputation.

Special Report: A little house of secrets on the Great Plains  —  (Reuters) - The secretive business havens of Cyprus and the Cayman Islands face a potent rival: Cheyenne, Wyoming.  —  At a single address in this sleepy city of 60,000 people, more than 2,000 companies are registered.

Kenner Councilman Joe Stagni apologizes for underwear picture, ‘inappropriate relation’  —  Kenner City Councilman Joe Stagni admitted today that he sent a picture of himself in his underwear to a city employee 18 months ago and that the image ended up on a city computer server.

“Go the F*** to Sleep” not funny  —  Editor's note: Karen Spears Zacharias is the author of the forthcoming memoir, “The Shelter of Mockingbirds: The Murder of 3-Year-Old Karly Sheehan.”  Follow her on Twitter.  —  (CNN) — “Go the F*** to Sleep” is being hailed as a cathartic children's book for parents.

Exclusive: Myspace Sale Nearing End Today With Low $30M Price and Buyer You Never Heard Of  —  It was just supposed to be a three-hour tour, um, quick sale process!  —  But, like a storm-tossed ship looking for any safe harbor, the Myspace sale is still chugging along …

Harry Reid, Dick Durbin split over key issues  —  The top two Senate Democratic leaders have split on a series of high-profile fights in Congress, a sign of the lingering divide within their party as they struggle to project a coherent voice on issues ranging from national security to the budget.