Prop.  8: Gay-marriage ban unconstitutional, court rules  —  A federal appeals court Tuesday struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage, clearing the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage as early as next year.  —  The 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court …

Big Day for Santorum?  —  Rick Santorum could be headed for a big day in today's contests in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri.  Missouri looks like a probable win for Santorum.  He's at 45% there to 32% for Mitt Romney and 19% for Paul.  Minnesota provides an opportunity for a win as well.

Karen Handel resigns from Komen for the Cure  —  Karen Handel, the former GOP candidate for governor, just announced her resignation as a senior vice president for public of Susan G. Komen for the Cure - one week after the breast cancer charity reversed itself on a decision to sever financial ties with Planned Parenthood.

We Will Not Play by Two Sets of Rules  —  In 2010, the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case opened the door to a new wave of so-called Super PACs—non-candidate political committees that can receive and spend unlimited money from special interests.

Santorum: Romney contraceptive decision ‘trumped employees’ religious consciences'  —  Rick Santorum has written an op-ed that firmly tethers Mitt Romney to President Obama on the issue of contraception, using a quote he attributes to the former governor from December 2005 about a requirement …

This Friday and Saturday, Occupy CPAC: Liberate Discourse  —  On February 9th through February 11th, a who's who of dastardly politicians will be holding the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel at 2660 Woodley Road, NW.

Rep. Myrick announces she'll retire this year  —  Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) will not run for reelection in November, the nine-term congresswoman announced Tuesday.  —  First elected in 1994, Myrick was one of the first Republicans to join the Tea Party Caucus in the House …

February PRRI Religion and Politics Tracking Poll  —  ▶ Read the news release here.  —  ▶ Read the Topline Questionnaire including the survey methodology here.  —  Majority Support Requirement that Employer Health Care Plans Include Contraception Coverage

Photo of the Day: Shock and Awe at the White House  —  President Obama gets a thrill after inviting young scientists and inventors to his home.  —  Playing with your food?  Shooting things at the White House?  It seems like a recipe for disaster and/or arrest, but somehow Joey Hudy managed …

U.S. Planning to Slash Iraq Embassy Staff by Up to Half  —  BAGHDAD — Less than two months after American troops left, the State Department is preparing to slash by as much as half the enormous diplomatic presence it had planned for Iraq, a sharp sign of declining American influence in the country.

BREAKING VIDEO: Tim Tebow and Tom Brady Register to Vote in Minnesota  —  On the day of the Minnesota caucus, shocking video from James O'Keefe's Project Veritas - broken here first at PJ Media - shows how easy it is to register NFL stars Tim Tebow, Tom Brady and practically anybody else to vote in that state.

Lawmakers say US should consider arming the Syrian opposition  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and several other lawmakers say the U.S. should consider arming the opposition forces in Syria as President Bashar al-Assad continues to kill civilians in a government crackdown.

This Is So Classy: ‘Yellow Girl’  —  Thanks to TPM for a tip to what you see if you examine the HTML code* of the Pete Hoekstra / Fred Davis “we take your jobs” video.  —  The image of the “Chinese” girl in the video, who speaks American-accented English, is labelled as ... well, see for yourself:

Banks Paying Cash to Homeowners to Avoid Foreclosures  —  Banks, accelerating efforts to move troubled mortgages off their books, are offering as much as $35,000 or more in cash to delinquent homeowners to sell their properties for less than they owe.  —  Lenders have routinely delayed …

TPMDC  —  Are Republicans About To Commit Medicare Suicide?  —  It's shaping up to be spring 2011 redux.  Just under a year ago, Republicans — euphoric after a midterm election landslide, and overzealous in their interpretation of their mandate — passed a budget that called for phasing …