Fierce White House Debate Over Contraception Mandate  —  “What are we doing here?” asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, stepping outside his wheelhouse to ask about a rising storm involving the Obama administration and the Catholic Church.  “What's the point?”

Pa. GOP voters quit Gingrich for Santorum  —  It never pays to count Rick Santorum out.  —  A Tribune-Review/WPXI-TV poll conducted Feb. 2-6 shows the former senator was gaining strength among Pennsylvania Republicans even before this week's victories in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota …

Mortgage deal could bring billions in relief  —  WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) — In the largest deal to date aimed at addressing the housing meltdown, federal and state officials on Thursday announced a $26 billion foreclosure settlement with five of the largest home lenders.

Fox Pundit Tells CPAC Crowd That Rachel Maddow Is ‘The Best Argument In Favor Of Her Parents Using Contraception’  —  In the “closed circuit world on the right,” MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is often the subject of ugly denigrations.  Whether it's being mocked for her sexual orientation, her name …

Marco Rubio's Plan Could Cut Off Birth Control Coverage for Millions  —  How the Florida senator—and potential VP pick—aims to use religion to undermine Obama's health care policy.  —  A new bill introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a rising conservative star and leading contender …

The Third Party Illusion  —  If you've been following the political commentary in the national media recently, you've probably heard that the 2012 presidential election is likely to result in the largest vote for a third party candidate in many years, perhaps exceeding the 19% of the national popular vote won by Ross Perot in 1992.

UPDATED: Mississippi Rep. Wants ‘Gulf Of Mexico’ Changed To ‘Gulf Of America’  —  Mississippi State Rep. Steve Holland, a Democrat, introduced a bill in the state's lower chamber calling for the part of the Gulf of Mexico that borders his state to be renamed the “Gulf of America.”

Santorum: Obama Has Put America On ‘The Path’ Of Executing Religious People By Decapitation  —  Rick Santorum continued to rail against President Obama's so-called war against religion during a town hall in Plano, Texas Wednesday night.  The former Pennsylvania senator …

About my ‘spilled semen’ amendment to Oklahoma's Personhood bill |  Constance Johnson  —  I took this stand because I'm sick of the hypocrisy of Republican lawmakers who want to police women's reproductive health  —  As a woman and a 31-year veteran of the legislative process in Oklahoma …

A Strange Form of Social Collapse  —  Reading Charles Murray and all the commentary about the sources of moral collapse among working-class whites, I've had a nagging question: is it really all that bad?  —  I mean, yes, marriage rates are way down, and labor force participation is down among prime-age men …

Pelosi: ‘Colbert used to be my friend’  —  Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) mocked comedian Stephen Colbert as part of her campaign against super-PACs.  —  The House minority leader released a web video on Thursday that jokingly attacks Colbert for launching a super-PAC.

Apple vs. Google: The Stakes Are Rising  —  Google Inc. is developing a home-entertainment system that streams music wirelessly throughout the home and would be marketed under the company's own brand, according to people briefed on the company's plans.  —  The effort marks a sharp shift …

The Best Testimony From Washington State's Gay Marriage Hearing  —  Try not to cry.  Watch Representative Maureen Walsh's moving testimony from yesterday's gay marriage vote in Washington.  Rep. Walsh was one of two Republicans to vote for the bill.

TPM2012  —  CPAC Wants To Help You Get A Hot Conservative Date  —  “'I was thinking about how sexy it would be to kiss you,'” world renowned pickup artist Wayne Elise told a group of young Rick Santorum fans.  “You can say that [to a girl], it's cool.”  —  Elise, better known by his handle …

Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News  —  A car that was bombed by two assailants on a motorcycle in Tehran on Jan. 11, killing Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahamdi Roshan, is removed by a mobile crane.