Obama and Boehner Close to Major Deal, Officials Say  —  WASHINGTON —The Obama administration has informed Democratic Congressional leaders that President Obama and Speaker John A. Boehner were starting to close in on a major budget deal that would enact substantial spending cuts …

Out from under the anti-tax pledge  —  WITH A HANDFUL of exceptions, every Republican member of Congress has signed a pledge against increasing taxes.  Would allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire as scheduled in 2012 violate this vow?  We posed this question to Grover Norquist …

Huntsman campaign manager Susie Wiles resigns  —  Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman's (R) presidential campaign manager, Susie Wiles, is resigning and will be replaced by communications director Matt David, according to the campaign.  —  Huntsman is announcing the changes to his staff at a meeting this afternoon.

Gay ‘Barbarians’ Demand Ex-Gay ‘Discipline’ From Bachmann Clinic  —  Today a group of gay “barbarians” descended upon Marcus Bachmann's Christian counseling center to protest the harmful ex-gay therapy offered there.  During a radio interview in 2010, Bachmann compared gay people to “barbarians” who need to be “disciplined.”

Euro in Crisis: Will the Latest Deal Restore Confidence?  —  Forget the bickering over the debt ceiling in the US; that's a side show to the main event right now, which is the attempt of the eurozone to fix its markets before the whole currency zone melts down.

Sharpton Appears to Win Anchor Spot on MSNBC  —  After giving a nearly six-month tryout for the Internet talk show host Cenk Uygur, the cable news channel MSNBC is preparing to instead hand its 6 p.m. time slot to the Rev. Al Sharpton.  —  Mr. Sharpton's imminent hiring …

Allen West Refuses To Apologize, Blames Military Background For His Insulting Remarks  —  Facing a barrage of criticism, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) remains defiant and says he won't apologize to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) for a disparaging email in which he called her “vile …

How to Turn Republicans and Democrats Into Americans  —  An insider's six-step plan to fix Congress  —  ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED, American voters went to the polls in November 2010 to “take back” their country.  Just as they had done in 2008.  And 2006.  And repeatedly for decades …

1937!  1937!  1937!  —  The Telegraph has a leaked draft of the eurozone rescue plan for Greece.  The financial engineering is Rube Goldbergish and unconvincing.  But here's what leaped out at me: … OK, so we're going to demand harsh austerity in the debt-crisis countries; and meanwhile …

U.S. loses $1.3 billion in exiting Chrysler  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — U.S. taxpayers likely lost $1.3 billion in the government bailout of Chrysler, the Treasury Department announced Thursday.  —  The government recently sold its remaining 6% stake in the company to Italian automaker Fiat …

Widower to Conservative Org: I Won't Be Needing Your Services  —  Ron Wallen, who testified at Wednesday's Senate DOMA hearing  —  During Wednesday's historic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act, Ron Wallen, a 77-year-old veteran and resident of Indio, Calif. …

Mitt Romney's Fundraising Pitch: What He Tells High Rollers Behind Closed Doors  —  ABC News' Shushannah Walshe reports (@shushwalshe) reports:  —  Mitt Romney was back in New York City Tuesday evening trying to reel in more cash for his campaign, holding top dollar events at The Pierre …

Edwards ordered to repay $2.3M  —  Washington (CNN) — Former Presidential candidate John Edwards will have to pay back over 2 million dollars in federal matching funds given to his 2008 campaign for president, the Federal Election Commission ruled on Thursday.

Home Depot Co-Founder: Obama Is Choking Recovery  —  Bernie Marcus co-founded Home Depot (HD) in 1978 and brought it public in 1981 as the U.S. was suffering from the worst recession and unemployment in 40 years.  The company thrived, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and redefining home improvement retailing.

Center for Military Readiness Criticized For Lax Oversight … WASHINGTON — The leading opponent of repealing the Pentagon's “don't ask, don't tell” policy and a decades-long critic of expanded opportunities for military women runs a nonprofit organization that watchdog groups say has filed inaccurate …

Having Plunged Previously, After The Affordable Care Act Passed Private Sector Employment Increased  —  I don't think this chart showing that private sector employment has grown after the passage of the Affordable Care Act really proves much one way or another, but it certainly proves …

When Rahm's Temper Made a Comeback  —  To view this video you must to have Flash Player 9.0 or later installed.  Click to download the most recent version of Flash.  —  In dealing with the press, Mayor Rahm Emanuel often tries to emulate his former boss, President Barack Obama.