Attacks fly in Republican debate  —  Newt Gingrich was put on the defensive with the first question of Monday night's GOP presidential debate when he was asked about his recent attacks on Mitt Romney.  —  The former speaker repeatedly avoided making the same strident attacks on Romney's private-sector record he's made in recent weeks.

Obama administration warns the left: You will not like our budget  —  Top White House officials are warning liberal and labor leaders to brace themselves for President Obama's budget proposal.  —  Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, sought in meetings last week to lift …

GOP debate: Crowd gets rowdy when candidates talk foreign policy  —  The crowd at the GOP debate in military-heavy South Carolina got rowdy during a discussion of foreign policy, booing Ron Paul heartily and whooping and cheering when the other candidates took a hard line on foreign involvement.

Santorum Staffer Says Women Shouldn't Be President Because It's Against God's Will  —  In an article about the reasons Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign fizzled, the Des Moines Register points to “sexism among conservatives,” singling out an offensive email written by a staffer to Rick Santorum:

GOP debate audience boos Romney's Mexican heritage  —  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney may be in the lead in the Palmetto state, but that doesn't mean South Carolinians necessarily like him.  —  During a Fox News debate at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Monday …

TRANSCRIPT: Fox News Channel & Wall Street Journal Debate in South Carolina  —  Here's a full transcript from tonight's GOP debate in South Carolina:  —  BAIER: Thanks, Bill, and welcome to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the Republican presidential debate.

Obama adviser Jarrett defends church pulpit criticism of GOP  —  Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett is defending critical comments she made of the GOP made from a church pulpit.  —  Jarrett ripped congressional Republcians for blocking President Obama's jobs bill …

Arianna Huffington Critical Of Michelle Obama Over Seeming Indifference To Poverty  —  HUFF: THAT'S NOT ENOUGH  —  Arianna To MO: Watch The Bel Air Trips  —  How will they pin this one on conservatives?  —  From our establishment media friends, nearly every criticism of Michelle Obama …

Who will get the ‘Recovery Presidency’?  —  Julie Schmit reports that the housing market is at, or very near, its bottom.  After falling by 9 percent last year, single-family housing starts are expected to jump by 37 percent in 2012.  Prices could still fall a bit, but by 2013, we should be in a real housing recovery.

Obama to speak at Bank of America stadium  —  On the final night of this fall's Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech at Bank of America stadium, party sources told the Observer on Monday night.  —  Convention officials are expected …

Measuring futility  —  The Times' analysis looked at six specific yardsticks for legislative activity: the amount of time each chamber spent officially in session; the total number of bills that passed; the number of floor votes each chamber took; the number of pages amassed in the Congressional Record …