Newt Gingrich: I crossed the line  —  SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Newt Gingrich signaled Wednesday that he believes his criticism of Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital is a mistake — and that he's created an impression that he was echoing Democratic rhetoric.  —  Gingrich conceded the problem …

Voting in Plain Sight  —  Of all the domestic policy differences between the Bush and Obama administrations, just about the sharpest and most telling may be their opposite responses to the drive by Republican-dominated states to require voters to present photo identification at the polls.

James O'Keefe's Group Appears To Commit Voter Fraud In Order To Gin Up Hysteria Over Non-Existent Fraud Problem  —  James O'Keefe's latest video features surrogates appearing to commit voter fraud in yesterday's New Hampshire primary election, all in an attempt to highlight voter fraud …

Bolton to Back Romney  —  Former U.N Ambassador John Bolton is set to endorse Mitt Romney and will join his top team of foreign-policy advisers, according to people close to the campaign.  —  The move is a blow to Newt Gingrich, who is close to Mr. Bolton and said recently that he would nominate …

Warren Buffett Ready to Take Republicans' Tax Challenge  —  Updated, 6:10 p.m. E.T.  —  Warren Buffett is ready to call Republicans' tax bluff.  Last fall, Senator Mitch McConnell said that if Buffett were feeling “guilty” about paying too little in taxes, he should “send in a check.”

Homeland Security watches Twitter, social media  —  (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's command center routinely monitors dozens of popular websites, including Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, WikiLeaks and news and gossip sites including the Huffington Post and Drudge Report, according to a government document.

Justices Recognize ‘Ministerial Exception’ to Job Bias Laws  —  WASHINGTON — In what may be its most significant religious liberty decision in two decades, the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the first time recognized a “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination laws …

The Fantastical Crackpot Cult of Ron Paul  —  During Tuesday night's New Hampshire Primary election coverage, Lawrence O'Donnell hilariously and saliently described Ron Paul as “not a candidate,” therefore Jon Huntsman was the realistic second place winner, though not technically since he placed third on paper.

Correction on the Mankiw Model  —  I have to apologize.  I made a mistake in a post from last week in calculating the interest rate based on Professor Greg Mankiw's interest rate model.  —  His model for where the Fed funds rate ought to be is: … In my original post …

U.S. peace talks with Taliban to resume  —  Musadeq Sadeq/AP - Afghan President Hamid Karzai gives a speech in December.  The senior U.S. diplomat who shepherded a series of secret U.S. meetings with the insurgents last year will meet with him late next week to ensure he's on board, officials said.

Rising Share of Americans See Conflict Between Rich and Poor  —  The Occupy Wall Street movement no longer occupies Wall Street, but the issue of class conflict has captured a growing share of the national consciousness.  A new Pew Research Center survey of 2,048 adults finds that about two-thirds …

El Che: The Crass Marketing of a Sadistic Racist … There's something about Che Guevara that convinces older European men that they will become cooler through association with his “brand.”  We saw that again yesterday when Mercedes-Benz Chairman Dieter Zetsche launched a new car under a banner picture of Guevara.

Hollywood or Silicon Valley?  — President Obama must choose  —  A controversial online piracy bill could force President Obama to choose between two of his most important allies: Hollywood and Silicon Valley.  —  Obama hasn't taken a position yet on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) …

W.H. guests bail, Biden gets a seat  —  Dozens of journalists packed into the East Room at the White House today for the president's remarks on “in-sourcing,” at least 60 of them lining the press risers and walls.  —  But what many couldn't see in press coverage of the event …