For those who misunderstood my joke today, here's my quest for forgiveness...  Last week my joke at the Conservative Political Action Conference generated laughter and media attention.  Today on Andrea Mitchell's show, my aspirin joke bombed as many didn't recognize it as a joke but thought …

Top GOP Senator Says ‘If Romney Loses Michigan, We Need a New Candidate’  —  A prominent Republican senator just told me that if Romney can't win in Michigan, the Republican Party needs to go back to the drawing board and convince somebody new to get into the race.

Exclusive: Feds arrest man allegedly heading to U.S. Capitol for suicide mission after sting investigation  —  Authorities have arrested a man allegedly on his way to the U.S. Capitol for what he thought would be a suicide attack on one of the nation's most symbolic landmarks, Fox News has learned exclusively.

Santorum to Mainline Protestants: You Are Satan's Spawn  —  Kyle Mantyla of People for the American Way's indispensable Right Wing Watch has come up with an audiotape of a Rick Santorum address to the students of the conservative Catholic Ave Maria University in Florida, delivered in 2008.

TPMDC  —  Obama Administration Wouldn't Defend Blocking Military Benefits From Same-Sex Couples  —  The Obama Justice Department has concluded that legislation banning same-sex couples from receiving military and veterans benefits violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment …

Romney Camp Blindsided By DeWine's Betrayal  —  Nobody saw it coming.  Campaign sources point to felon voting, but it's a big moment for Santorum.  —  Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's decision to withdraw his support from Mitt Romney and throw it behind Rick Santorum didn't just come …

Gov. Christie vetoes N.J. gay marriage bill  —  TRENTON — Delivering on his promise of swift action, Gov. Chris Christie this afternoon conditionally vetoed the gay marriage bill and suggested appointing an ombudsman to address complaints of same-sex couples and strengthen New Jersey's civil union law.

Heartland Memo Looking Faker By the Minute  —  After yesterday's post on why I thought that one of the documents in the Heartland leak was a fake, I discovered that David Appell had been investigating along the same lines.  Appell, however, looked at one thing that hadn't occurred to me: where the PDF was created.

Maine GOP: Results went to spam  —  Maine Republican Party chairman Charlie Webster has admitted that the state party made numerous clerical errors in counting the state's caucus results — even omitting some votes because emails reporting tallies “went to spam” in an email account.

The Myth of Runaway Health Spending  —  The growth rate of national health expenditures has been declining for a decade, driven by better medical care and consumer choice.  —  New data show that health spending over the past several years has been normalizing toward the rate of general inflation …

Inside Newt Gingrich's Plan To Steal Back The GOP Race  —  Newt Gingrich has been laying low this month, slipping in the polls and public opinion but gearing up for yet another comeback in the rollercoaster Republican primary.  —  Gingrich was never expected to do well in February's nominating contests.

The Hounding Of Pat Buchanan  —  There is so much I disagree with Pat Buchanan on - from World War II to marriage equality to immigration to my love of a multi-racial and multi-cultural society - that I could write a book in it.  But let me say something in his defense: however repellent some of his views, he is intellectually honest.

Gingrich to get another $10 million from casino backer - sources  —  Sheldon Adelson, left, and Newt Gingrich, right  —  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's faltering campaign is about to get another shot in the arm, CBS News has learned.  —  Billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson plans …

Record 19 reporters, media execs join Team Obama  —  For some Washington reporters and media execs, cheering their team from the sidelines just isn't good enough: Tugging on a red, white and blue Team Obama jersey is the answer.  —  That's the case for a whopping 19 journalists and media executives …

Maryland lawmakers under national pressure on marriage bill  —  New York's mayor, cardinal-elect make phone calls  —  As a handful of undecided Maryland delegates wrestle over their position on same-sex marriage, they've received calls from national leaders trying to move them one way or another on the bill.

Google's iPhone Tracking  —  Web Giant, Others Bypassed Apple Browser Settings for Guarding Privacy  —  Google Inc. and other advertising companies have been bypassing the privacy settings of millions of people using Apple Inc.'s Web browser on their iPhones and computers …

Bruce Springsteen on Wrecking Ball  —  The Boss explains why there is a critical, questioning and angry patriotism at the heart of his new album Wrecking Ball  —  At a Paris press conference on Thursday night, Bruce Springsteen was asked whether he was advocating an armed uprising in America.

The Jeremy Lin Problem  —  Jeremy Lin is anomalous in all sorts of ways.  He's a Harvard grad in the N.B.A., an Asian-American man in professional sports.  But we shouldn't neglect the biggest anomaly.  He's a religious person in professional sports.  —  We've become accustomed …

BREAKING: Maryland House Of Delegates Passes Marriage Equality Bill  —  After two days of contentious debate and the consideration of several amendments, the Maryland House of Delegates has passed marriage equality legislation with a vote of 71-67.  One of the amendments passed delayed the date of enactment from October to January.