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 …

Pentagon to Certify It is Ready to End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Top defense officials plan to certify Friday that the Pentagon is ready to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military, officials said, a landmark moment after almost two decades of controversy.

Pritzker turns heat lamps on striking Hyatt workers  —  It was already approaching 100° at 8 a.m. when I arrived at the Park Hyatt where, after 22 months of stalled negotiations, hotel workers were staging a one-day picket to protest the hotel chain's intolerable treatment of their housekeeping staff.

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 …

ABC Sports says Pawlenty violated copyright with ‘Miracle on Ice’ footage  —  ABC Sports may slap presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty with a cease-and-desist letter for improperly using its footage in a political advertisement, a company official told The Des Moines Register today.

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. …

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.”

G.O.P. Governors Swing Right, Leaving Voters Behind  —  If the states are laboratories of democracy, then the Republican Party's research pipeline has run dry.  Moderate Republican governors, a thriving species before last year's elections, are all but extinct.

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 …

Latest DHS Video: White Middle Class Americans Are Most Likely Terrorists (Video)  —  It's an Obama world.  —  A new promotional video released by the Department of Homeland Security characterizes white middle class Americans as the most likely terrorists.  —  Via Infowars:

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 …

Emmett Tyrrell Bachmann and the Pope  —  WASHINGTON — It seems Rep. Michele Bachmann is under increased scrutiny for her religious views, even as she climbs ever higher in the presidential polls.  With tea party support, she is now No. 2 in the Republican polls even though she has been in the race for only a short time.

Barack Obama is gutting the core principles of the Democratic party  —  The president's attacks on America's social safety net are destroying the soul of the Democratic party's platform  —  In 2005, American liberals achieved one of their most significant political victories of the last decade.

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.

Credit agencies warn GOP of ‘death spiral’  —  House Republicans were warned Thursday in a closed door meeting with credit rating agency officials that a “death spiral” in the bond market was possible in the event of default.  —  One official warned that a default on the nation's credit …

A top aide to Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin supplied an answer last year to a thorny question a friendly witness would face the next day at a pivotal hearing on for-profit colleges, raising questions of witness tampering, an email obtained by The Daily Caller shows.

It's Hotter Than It Used to Be; It's Not as Hot as It's Going to Be  —  Holy crap it's hot.  People, animals, and crops are dying.  —  But not only is it hot, it's hotter than it used to be.  And it's our fault.  Welcome to the future of climate change.

Rick Perry Accuses Obama Of Leaving Astronauts To ‘Hitchhike Into Space’  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone (@michaelpfalcone) reports:  —  As America bids farewell to the space shuttle era on Thursday, likely presidential candidate Rick Perry appears none too pleased with the Obama administration …

Williams on NPR: Elitist and white  —  No single person has had a greater impact on National Public Radio in the past year than Juan Williams.  —  The political wildfire started by his firing ultimately took down the media organization's CEO, top news executive and top fundraiser …

Gallup Pollster: Obama's Ratings Higher Than You'd Expect  —  If Ronald Reagan was the Teflon President, Barack Obama may be the Kevlar President — bad news can bruise him, but none can pierce his armor to cause any severe damage to his approval ratings.  —  That's according to Gallup Editor …