Book: Treasury Secretary ignored Obama directive  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A new book offering an insider's account of the White House's response to the financial crisis says that U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner ignored an order from President Barack Obama calling for reconstruction of major banks.

Clinton Popularity Prompts Buyer's Remorse  —  The most popular national political figure in America today is one who was rejected by her own party three years ago: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  —  Nearly two-thirds of Americans hold a favorable view of her and one-third are suffering …

Free to Die  —  Back in 1980, just as America was making its political turn to the right, Milton Friedman lent his voice to the change with the famous TV series “Free to Choose.”  In episode after episode, the genial economist identified laissez-faire economics with personal choice and empowerment …

Resurgent Republic poll shows soft Hispanic support for Obama—Supreme Court stays execution—Bachmann won't answer for HPV claims—Perry pounces on study that says Romneycare cost 18K jobs  —  SNEAK PEEK - HISPANIC SUPPORT FOR OBAMA SOFTENS: President Obama is underperforming with Hispanics …

Perry “Ponzi Scheme” Remark Doesn't Faze Most Republicans  —  Solid majority believe Social Security should be preserved  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Texas Gov. and presidential candidate Rick Perry's comments on Social Security, which include calling it a “Ponzi scheme,” appear to be a non-issue for most Republicans.

Boehner gives the government too much credit  —  If you listened to Speaker John Boehner's speech before the D.C. Economic Club today, you heard a very specific story explaining why unemployment is stuck at 9 percent: “it's not because the American people have lost their way,” he said.

Cantor rejects ‘all-or-nothing’ approach by Obama on jobs bill  —  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) strongly rejected the prospect of passing the entirety President Obama's recently unveiled jobs creation legislation.  —  “I reject the all-or-nothing approach that the president has laid out,” Cantor said Friday on CNBC.

White House works to quell Dem dissent  —  Senior administration officials met with Senate Democrats for an hour and a half on Thursday to answer their complaints about President Obama's jobs bill.  —  Democratic lawmakers voiced objections to several of the president's proposals to pay …

Senate passes FAA, highway funding  —  The Senate on Thursday approved legislation that extends taxes funding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through January, and extends taxes funding federal highway spending through March.  —  The bill passed the House with ease on Tuesday and won Senate approval in a 92-6 vote.

High court blocks Houston killer's execution  —  Duane Buck was sentenced to die for the July 1995 shooting deaths of his former girlfriend, Debra Gardner, and her friend, Kenneth Butler.  / Texas Department of Criminal Jus  —  HUNTSVILLE — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday issued a stay …

Weiner gets 'brush'off  —  By S.A. MILLER in Washington and CARL CAMPANILE in NY  —  Scrub out the stench of Weiner!  —  Newly sworn-in Republican Rep. Bob Turner's family ordered a thorough cleaning of the House office space he inherited from his disgraced predecessor, Anthony Weiner …

Republicans rewriting state election laws in ways that could hurt Democrats  —  Looking to capitalize on their historic gains last year, Republican lawmakers in several states are rewriting their election laws in ways that could make it more difficult for Democrats to win.

Obama: Election Odds Better in 2012 Than 2008  —  At a campaign fundraiser Thursday night in Washington, D.C., President Obama said he believes his chances of being reelected in 2012 are “much higher” than they were in 2008.  —  “Over the last couple of months there have been Democrats …

Dakota Meyer Is Awarded Medal of Honor  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor on Thursday to a young former Marine who ignored orders to stay put and fought his way five times into an ambush in an Afghan ravine, helping to rescue three dozen comrades and to recover the remains of four dead American servicemen.

Approval of Congress Matches Record Low  —  Congress faces historically low approval ratings as it wades into the debate over the $447 billion jobs package proposed by President Obama, with just 12 percent of Americans now approving of the way Congress is handling its job, matching its all-time low …

Dallas + Austin + Houston + San Antonio = ‘Texas Miracle’  —  The entry of Rick Perry, swashbuckling Texas governor, into the contest for the Republican presidential nomination focused the country's attention on his state's strikingly anomalous labor market.