Richard Cordray & the Use and Abuse of Executive Power  —  Some think me a zealous advocate of executive power, and often I am when it comes to national security issues.  But I think President Obama has exceeded his powers by making a recess appointment for Richard Cordray …

Could Typo Rewrite Caucus History?  —  Caucus Vote Counter Says Romney Mistakenly Given 20 Votes  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Caucus night was chaotic in many places, with hundreds of voters, candidates showing up and the throngs of media who followed.  The world's eyes were on Iowa.

For vision and national unity, Huntsman for GOP nominee  —  DISSATISFACTION WITH the economy, expressed in spasms of anger toward Wall Street and Washington; the dashed hopes of many who believed that Barack Obama's election would create a new spirit of unity; and genuine uncertainty …

Rick Santorum Rakes In $2 Million In Two Days, Plans ‘Major’ South Carolina Ad Buy  —  ABC News' Shushannah Walshe, Michael Falcone and Jake Tapper and report:  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Enjoying a wave of momentum from his near-win in the Iowa caucuses, Rick Santorum's campaign is raising money faster than ever before.

Santorum denies making racially-charged statement on welfare  —  Iowa runner-up Rick Santorum said Thursday that he would be “a much bigger player” than expected in the New Hampshire primary and denied saying that he wanted “to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money” …

Partisan Politics and Vicious Assaults  —  First it was Alan Colmes; now it is Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, who went on MSNBC to mock Rick Santorum for how he and his wife Karen dealt with the death of their son Gabriel.  (A severe prenatal development led to his very early delivery …

Santorum Insists On Comparing Marriage Equality To Polygamy In Heated Exchange With Students  —  Addressing a college student convention in Concord, New Hampshire moments ago, Rick Santorum was put on the defensive by numerous members of the audience who pressed him about his opposition to marriage equality.

How to fight liberals: Imitate them  —  Impressed by the effectiveness of the liberal Center for American Progress, a group of conservative journalists and operatives is preparing to engage in their own sincerest form of flattery - launching their own advocacy group with a similar name and mission but very different target.

House GOP weakened, divided  —  House Republicans aren't looking for another bloody battle on the payroll tax.  They don't think it's worth stepping into the ring with President Barack Obama during his 2012 crusade against Congress.  —  But they are willing to fight each other — over policy, strategy and leadership.

Lawyers, courts see weaknesses in defense of Obama's healthcare law  —  The Obama administration is headed into a Supreme Court case over healthcare reform without a clear answer to significant questions about Congress's power.  —  The Justice Department will file its first brief on the merits …

What If Obama Loses?  —  Imagining the consequences of a GOP victory.  —  Facebook Twitter Digg Reddit StumbleUpon Delicious  —  It's a common complaint—we've certainly made it over the years—that too much political campaign coverage focuses on the horse race.

Jobs Picture: Claims Fall, Job Creation Surges; Layoffs Ease  —  The news is all good for the jobs market so far in 2012: Separate reports Thursday showed a surge in private-sector job creation, a sharp drop in weekly unemployment claims and planned layoffs at their lowest level in six months.

Restaurant Sign Reads, ‘No Politicians, No Exceptions’  —  PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — It's common for presidential candidates to make the rounds at New Hampshire restaurants, but one has had enough of the visits.  —  The sign at the entrance of Colby's Breakfast & Lunch in Portsmouth reads “No Politicians, No Exceptions.”

Three charged in John Doe investigation of Walker aides  —  By Daniel Bice of the Journal Sentinel  —  Three individuals - including a former top aide to Gov. Scott Walker - were charged Thursday with felonies as part of the ongoing John Doe investigation into Walker staffers.

Mitt Romney out of control  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — If this is Mitt Romney's idea of a victory rally, one shudders to think what would have happened if he had lost the Iowa caucuses.  —  The day after his impossibly thin eight-vote victory, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination flew …

Teenager Mistakenly Deported To Colombia  —  How can it be that a runaway teenager is deported to Colombia without even a cross-check of her identity?  Here's how it happened, via WFAA.com: … There's really no excuse for this.  I don't care how much of a priority it is to enforce immigration laws.

Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs  —  WASHINGTON — Benjamin Franklin did it.  Henry Ford did it.  And American life is built on the faith that others can do it, too: rise from humble origins to economic heights.  “Movin' on up,” George Jefferson-style, is not only a sitcom song but a civil religion.