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?”

Foreclosure Deal to Spur U.S. Home Seizures  —  The $25 billion settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses may result in a wave of home seizures, inflicting short-term pain on delinquent U.S. borrowers while making a long-term housing recovery more likely.

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 …

Is 2012 Slipping Away From the GOP?  —  For a long time, I was confident that Republican voters would oust Barack Obama in 2012, hold the House and, in all likelihood, take the Senate.  Obama is a weak incumbent, who has been chronically unpopular since early in his term.

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.”

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 …

Marine scout snipers used Nazi SS logo  —  Marine Corps scout snipers used the logo of the notorious Nazi SS organization while in Afghanistan in 2010, the service acknowledged Thursday.  —  The logo appeared on a flag in a photograph of the platoon taken in September 2010 in Sangin district …

The Crowd Pleaser  —  At first glance, President Obama and Mitt Romney share some similar traits.  Both Harvard Law School grads are smart and analytical.  Both are emotionally reserved rather than touchy-feely.  Both are traditionalist in their family and personal lives.

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 …

Transformers  —  The Catholic church learns the true meaning of Obama's ‘transformative’ presidency.  —  Pope John Paul II, surveying from his seat in the eternal hereafter the battle between the American Catholic Church and the Obama administration over mandated contraception services, must be permitting himself a sad smile.

Santorum takes on ‘environmental terror’  —  Oklahoma City (CNN) - Speaking in one of the top energy-producing states in the country, Rick Santorum tailored his stump speech here on Thursday to appeal to a raucous crowd of domestic energy-loving Okies.  —  Reaffirming his support …

Wall Street's Third Party  —  This November, when Barack Obama faces off against his Republican opponent, there will be a third candidate in the race, too.  This candidate has already qualified for the ballot in 14 states, including California.  The campaign to ensure the candidate's ballot access …

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

Santorum Doubles Down: ‘ObamaCare’ Is The First Step To The ‘Guillotine’  —  In his escalating war on President Obama's fake war on religion, Rick Santorum warned yesterday that America is headed towards a French Revolution-style guillotining spree thanks to “President Obama and his overt hostility to faith in America.”

King: I'm continuing Muslim radicalization hearings  —  Undeterred by critics on the left, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said Thursday he's not backing down from his investigation into possible radicalization in the Muslim-American community.  —  The House Homeland Security Committee chairman defended …