In Arizona, GOP debates end on low point  —  MESA, Ariz. — Rick Santorum suspects something is up between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.  Santorum had a tough night at the 20th, and likely last, Republican debate, held here at the Mesa Arts Center.  He took a lot of attacks from Romney and a few from Paul …

GOP fears rise over 2012 tone, message  —  MESA, Ariz. — In 2008, after Republicans were routed in the presidential and congressional elections, there was widespread consensus within elite GOP circles about the party's structural problems: The Republican voter base was too old, too white …

Newt: Media never asked Obama about ‘infanticide’ - except it did (UPDATE: Or did it?)  —  Surprise!  Newt Gingrich is attacking the press.  —  Coming out of the debate's first break, CNN moderator John King read off a question: What are the candidates' views on contraception?

‘Super PAC’ leaders profit from lack of oversight  —  Leaders of some of the new groups are taking advantage of the mammoth donations and the lack of oversight to write themselves big paychecks or hire their own companies.  —  Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his family have given millions …

Chris Christie: Obama Is Showing ‘Cowardice’ For Trying To Have It ‘Both Ways’ On Marriage Equality  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) accused President Obama of “cowardice” and trying to have it “both ways” on marriage equality during a contentious appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Thursday.

President Obama as an alien  —  They say that President Obama is a Muslim, but if he isn't, he's a secularist who is waging war on religion.  On some days he's a Nazi, but on most others he's merely a socialist.  His especially creative opponents see him as having a “Kenyan anti-colonial worldview …

SACHA BARON COHEN BANNED FROM OSCARS: EXCLUSIVE  —  BREAKING... EXCLUSIVE: The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has pulled actor Sacha Baron Cohen's tickets from the 84th Academy Awards.  This means he is banned from attending the Oscars even though he is an Academy member …

If Israel strikes Iran, it'll be because Obama didn't stop it  —  While our prime minister won't say so out loud, he is deeply scornful of his predecessors for spending so much time on the Palestinian issue while neglecting the Iranian issue.  —  Get Haaretz on iPhone  —  Get Haaretz on Android

BREAKING: Bush Appointee Finds DOMA Unconstitutional  —  Moments ago, Judge Jeffery White of the District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the Constitution's equal protection clause in a case brought by Karen Golinski.

Recalling Her Determined Daughter, a Journalist Killed in Syria  —  Marie Colvin got into Yale University the way she would later get into foreign countries, with grit and determination.  —  After spending a year in Brazil on a student exchange program, from January of her junior year …

No shovel for Obama  —  It was a rather odd sight: as an array of museum officials, including former first lady Laura Bush, took up shovels at the groundbreaking for the first national museum dedicated exclusively to African-American history and culture, the nation's first black president sat watching, no shovel in hand.

A Time to Act  —  The United States needs to help the Syrian people.  —  Thousands of people have already died in Syria, and it appears likely that thousands more will die in the weeks and months to come.  Bashar Al Assad's forces show no sign of relenting, and the international community shows …

CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT: #NOH8OnTheHill  —  Last week, we announced NOH8 Co-Founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley would be hosting a special photo shoot in Washington, D.C. for any and all Members of Congress in the US Senate and House of Representatives who were willing to show their support …

Price Shock: Watch Cost of Gas Jump 10 Cents During ABC's ‘World News’ Broadcast  —  The headlines of major newspapers and TV networks this week have been dominated by rising gas prices.  —  Drivers across the country have shared their stories on the cost - with many already paying more than $4 a gallon at the pump.

GM's Profits Don't Mean Taxpayers Will Be Off the Hook  —  The company's cash cushion might go to unions, not investors.  —  Three years after being rescued by a taxpayer bailout, General Motors recently announced some rather ambitious profit targets for 2012.

Newt Gingrich back on his game  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Newt Gingrich didn't have a game-changing moment in Wednesday night's Arizona debate.  —  But the former House speaker's newest approach to the Republican presidential race — staying above the fray, avoiding attacks and focusing on the issues …

White House, Consumers in Mind, Offers Online Privacy Guidelines  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday outlined a set of online privacy principles that officials said would help consumers control the use of their personal data gleaned from Internet searches.

Scott Ritter's Other War  —  On a February afternoon in 2009, Ryan Venneman, one of only five full-time police officers in tiny Barrett Township, Pa., decided to spend some time hunting for sexual predators online.  Venneman entered a Yahoo chat room, where the minimum legal age is supposed be 18 …

High-value Guantanamo Bay detainee Majid Khan, in first, reaches plea deal  —  A former Baltimore area resident held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has reached a plea agreement with military prosecutors that calls for him to testify at the trials of other detainees in exchange for a much-reduced sentence …