The Grand Strategy Behind Obama's Recess Appointment  —  Large American flags for all, Daily Show correspondent soundalikes for others!  —  President Obama's decision to use a recess appointment to seat Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was a no-brainer …

A Big Win for Romney in Iowa  —  The former governor of Massachusetts is now a heavy favorite for the nomination.  —  Not long ago few thought Mitt Romney could win both the very conservative Iowa caucuses and then the quirky, slightly contrarian New Hampshire primary.

Oklahoma mom calling 911 asks if shooting an intruder is allowed  —  (CNN) — Home alone with her 3-month-old son, Sarah Dawn McKinley of Blanchard, Oklahoma, said she decided to make a stand when two men tried to break into her home on New Year's Eve.  —  McKinley, who had been widowed less …

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.

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 …

Gingrich off base on judiciary  —  GOP PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Newt Gingrich recently made disturbing comments regarding the judiciary.  He proposed that Congress should be able to impeach judges whose decisions he believes to be wrong.  If elected, he would abolish courts that displease him …

Obama at Pentagon to Outline Cuts and Strategic Shifts  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama outlined a broad new military strategy for the United States on Thursday, one that refocuses the armed forces on threats in Asia and the Pacific region, continues a strong presence in the Middle East …

Newt Gingrich suffers from super PAC buyer's remorse  —  Not long ago Newt Gingrich seemed to be a big fan of super PACs.  —  The former House Speaker two years ago called the new legal framework that gave rise to unlimited fundraising by outside groups a “great victory for free speech” …

Santorum commits Republican sacrilege: Attacks Ronald Reagan  —  BRENTWOOD, N.H. — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum committed one of the gravest sins in Republican politics on Wednesday evening by knocking the revered former President Ronald Reagan at a packed town hall meeting.

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.

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.

Rift Between Olbermann and Current TV Deepens: ‘Everybody Is Replaceable’  —  Keith Olbermann returned to the airwaves Wednesday night, but the rift between the bad boy anchor and his superiors at Current TV has not dissipated a day after he refused to lead the network's coverage of the Iowa caucus, TheWrap has learned.

In Montana, Corporations Aren't People  —  Can Montana get away with defying the Supreme Court on Citizens United?  —  On the rare occasions when the world talks to you in stereo, it's a good idea to set aside your knitting and listen.  This week, Americans got their first good look at what super PACs …

Santorum Denies Making Racially-Charged Claim After Apparently Acknowledging Saying It  —  The NAACP and the Urban League have condemned GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum for reportedly saying in a rant against welfare this week, “I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money.”

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.

Kodak Teeters on the Brink  —  Eastman Kodak Co. is preparing to seek bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would cap a stunning comedown for a company that once ranked among America's corporate titans.  —  The 131-year-old company …