Trump: 'I don't get Rick Santorum;' talks Romney cabinet position  —  Donald Trump sits down with CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield to discuss GOP candidates for president as well as what position he would want in Mitt Romney's cabinet.  —  Trump says, “Rick Santorum was a sitting senator …

Why White House sees political opportunity in the contraception battle  —  (Public Religion Research Institute) The controversy over the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation's decision to eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood—and subsequent reversal— continues.

CNN's Roland Martin suspended for homophobic tweets  —  On Super Bowl Sunday, Roland Martin of CNN issued some homophobic tweets that got him in trouble with gay organizations and this blog.  CNN stayed silent on the matter, until just moments ago, when it issued this statement:

The 2012 Index of Dependence on Government  —  Abstract: The great and calamitous fiscal trends of our time—dependence on government by an increasing portion of the American population, and soaring debt that threatens the financial integrity of the economy—worsened yet again in 2010 and 2011.

Thoughts on the Ninth Circuit's Same-Sex Marriage Decision  —  1. This is going up to the Supreme Court.  I suspect that the backers of Prop. 8 won't even ask for en banc review by the Ninth Circuit, since they're unlikely to win there.  Depending on how quickly they file their petition for certiorari …

Congress' Job Approval at New Low of 10%  —  Republicans and Democrats equally negative  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A record-low 10% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, down from 13% in January and the previous low of 11%, recorded in December 2011.

Hoyer: 'The Fact Is You Don't Need a Budget'  —  (CNSNews.com) - House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that Congress does not need an official federal budget because it can just adopt appropriations bills and authorization policies as needed to keep operating.

Republican Enthusiasm Issue is Real  —  The paltry turnout in the Republican Presidential contests over the last week reflects what we've seen in our recent national polling: Democrats are now more excited about voting this fall than Republicans are, reversing the enthusiasm gap that plagued the party in 2010.

Liberals, Dems approve of drone strikes on American citizens abroad  —  The Post has just released some new polling that demonstrates very strong support for Obama's counterterrorism policies, including 83 percent of Americans approving of his use of drone strikes against terror suspects overseas.

The Gasoline “Bubble”?  —  Since we are all trying to get to know Ricky Santorum a bit better, at least until such time as a barrage of attack ads reduce him to a whimpering wreck huddling under a stack of fetus posters, it's worth noting he has some pretty exotic ideas outside the cultural arena.

Study: ‘Conservative’ Movies Make More Money Than ‘Liberal’ Movies (Exclusive)  —  Patriotism and traditional values, like those displayed in “Thor,” “The Artist,” “Soul Surfer” and “Hugo,” are what moviegoers want, says a group that will honor such films at an awards gala Friday.

CPAC Set to Host White Nationalist Leader  —  Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, along with several Republican senators and congressmen, are set to appear at the American Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference, but the GOP brass aren't the only ones set to be at CPAC.