“Have you ever had sex with Rick Perry?”  —  An Austin Ron Paul supporter has taken out a full-page ad in the local alt weekly newspaper seeking any “stripper ... escort ... or ‘young hottie’” who has slept with Rick Perry, part of his single-minded jihad against the presidential candidate.

New DHS rules cancel deportations  —  The Homeland Security Department said Thursday it will halt deportation proceedings on a case-by-case basis against illegal immigrants who meet certain criteria such as attending school, having family in the military or are primarily responsible for other family members' care.

Christine O'Donnell Says CNN's Piers Morgan Would Not Stop Trying to Talk About Sex  —  WASHINGTON - In her first television appearance since walking out of an interview with Piers Morgan Wednesday, Christine O'Donnell told FOX 5 that the CNN host would not stop talking about sex!

Fight ends Georgetown basketball exhibition in China  —  BEIJING — What began as a goodwill trip to China for the Georgetown men's basketball team turned violent Thursday night, when its exhibition game against the Bayi Rockets deteriorated into a melee during which players exchanged blows …

Obama's unhelpful advice  —  Obama's advice to the farmer was simple: ‘Contact USDA.’  —  At Wednesday's town hall in Atkinson, Ill., a local farmer who said he grows corn and soybeans expressed his concerns to President Obama about “more rules and regulations” - including those concerning dust …

HP to Spin Off PCs, Eyes Software Purchase  —  Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ), the world's largest computer maker, said it is in talks to buy Autonomy Corp. and is exploring strategic options for its personal- computer business.  —  Hewlett-Packard will discontinue its line of products running …

Jon Huntsman: The Outsider  —  Kate Moss:  —  Kiss Me, Kate  —  Photographed by Annie Leibovtiz  —  If you're looking for the most conservative region in America, upcountry South Carolina would be a strong contender.  Greenville, the area's biggest city, is home base to Senator Jim DeMint …

Michele Bachmann Is Not a Doctor  —  ...But she played one on TV.  The story behind the Minnesota congresswoman's bogus “Dr.” claim.  —  Post Comment  —  On the campaign trail in Iowa, Rep. Michele Bachmann's response to the argument that she lacks the experience to run for president has been to turn the argument on its head.

A ‘policy-induced slowdown’  —  The markets are tanking.  Again.  And it's in part because they expect us to screw up.  Again.  —  That, at least, is what JP Morgan is saying.  Part of what's driving the market down is that the company announced that it was cutting its global growth forecasts …

Coburn Suggests Taking Care of The ‘Frail Elderly’ Is Unconstitutional Because 'That's A Family Responsibility'  —  Sen. Coburn Suggests This Woman's Medicare Is Unconstitutional  —  Last week, ThinkProgress reported that Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional.

Coburn: Good thing I can't pack a gun  —  Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) ripped his colleagues during a tour of northeast Oklahoma, calling them “career elitists,” “cowards” and said, “It's just a good thing I can't pack a gun on the Senate floor.”  —  Coburn's gun-on-the- floor comment comes less …

Another Bachmann History Flub: The American People Are Worried About ‘The Rise Of The Soviet Union’  —  Of all the candidates vying for the GOP presidential nomination, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) perhaps has the most colorful record of flubbing historical facts.

Wrong Answers in Britain  —  Nothing can justify or excuse the terrifying wave of violent lawlessness that swept through London and other British cities earlier this month.  Hardworking people in struggling neighborhoods were its principal victims.  Public support for racial and ethnic coexistence …

When the United States says “jump,” Syria says....  So the big Middle East news this AM is that the Obama administration has explicitly called for Syrian leader Bashir Assad to leave power.  The White House blog has the full text of Obama's statement.  On Assad:

West: I'll lead you off ‘plantation’  —  Rep. Allen West says he is a “modern-day Harriet Tubman” who wants to lead black voters away from the “plantation” of the Democratic Party.  —  There is a “21st century plantation” of African-American voters unwaveringly supporting Democrats …

Obama orders federal agencies to focus on diversity  —  President Obama issued an executive order Thursday intended to coordinate a “government-wide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce.”  —  The order creates a council of deputy agency chiefs …

Rick Perry's made-up ‘facts’ about climate change  —  “I do believe that the issue of global warming has been politicized.  I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects.

Rain or shine, see the weather in Google Maps  —  Whether you're organizing a trip overseas or a picnic at a local park, knowing the weather forecast is a crucial part of the planning process.  Today, we're adding a weather layer on Google Maps that displays current temps and conditions around the globe …

Close Senate race in Wisconsin  —  The Wisconsin Senate seat being vacated by Herb Kohl is looking like a genuine Republican pick up opportunity, with both Tommy Thompson and Mark Neumann leading all the potential Democratic candidates we tested besides Russ Feingold.