For Romney, a Message Lost in the Empty Seats  —  DETROIT — In a major policy speech here, just days before the Michigan primary, Mitt Romney set out on Friday to deliver a sweeping and sober vision for how to revive the American economy.  In the end, he delivered something else as well …

Court filing: Bevilacqua ordered shredding of memo identifying suspected abusers  —  Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua ordered aides to shred a 1994 memo that identified 35 Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests suspected of sexually abusing children, according to a new court filing.

David Albo, Virginia Lawmaker, Says Wife Wouldn't Have Sex Because Of Transvaginal Ultrasound Bill  —  Virginia's controversial transvaginal ultrasound bill hit one Republican lawmaker close to home.  In the bedroom, to be precise.  He said a fellow lawmaker's television discussion of the bill cost him sex with his wife.

Is this why Mitt Romney's stadium is empty?  —  (Photo: Byron York ) The Internet is having fun with photographs of Mitt Romney giving his big speech on the economy to an empty arena today.  But put that aside.  The real news is in the speech itself, which is the clearest articulation of Romney's fiscal plan that he's yet offered.

Newt OK with gay marriage referenda  —  With same-sex marriage laws passing in Maryland and Washington state and New Jersey headed for a fall referendum on the issue, Newt Gingrich said at the Washington state capitol this morning that he's basically comfortable with states enacting gay marriage laws by popular vote.

2 American officers killed in Afghan ministry  —  Kabul (CNN) — The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack Saturday inside the Afghan interior ministry that killed at least two American officers.  —  NATO and Afghan officials reported the deaths of two American officers inside the ministry in Kabul …

Sen. Hutchison hits Obama on job growth, high gas prices  —  Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) tried to further the Republican narrative that the president and the Democrat-controlled Senate are impeding job growth and causing a spike in the cost of gasoline.

Poll: Gingrich holds commanding lead in Georgia  —  ATLANTA —  A new poll conducted for Channel 2 Action News shows Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich with a double-digit lead in Georgia.  —  The Landmark/Rosetta Stone poll of 1,300 voters was conducted on Feb. 23 …

Exclusive: State Department quietly warning region on Syrian WMDs  —  The State Department has begun coordinating with Syria's neighbors to prepare for the handling of President Bashar al-Assad's extensive weapons of mass destruction if and when his regime collapses, The Cable has learned.

Jeb Bush: The GOP Debates Are ‘A Little Troubling’  —  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush expressed anguish over the rhetoric he's heard in the various 2012 GOP debates.  “I used to be a conservative and I watch these debates and I'm wondering, I don't think I've changed …

‘Right Wing Lice’  —  Bigoted and hateful rhetoric from a New York Times columnist.  —  A month ago, Charles Blow of the New York Times blocked this columnist on Twitter in reaction to our pointing out that one of his tweets was fallacious.  The Blow tweet in that incident was racially charged but offensive only to logic.

Geithner: ‘Privilege of Being an American’ Is Why Rich Need Higher Taxes  —  Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, speaking this morning on CNBC:  —  “That's the kind of balance you need,” said Geithner.  “Why is that the case?  Because if you don't try to generate more revenues through tax reform …

Rick Santorum speaks at super PAC fundraiser  —  Rick Santorum on Thursday afternoon slipped away from the campaign trail to speak to a fundraiser for a supportive super PAC, despite denying previous reports that he planned to do so.  —  The fundraiser drew between 20 and 25 donors …

Los Angeles Times launches new membership program  —  Starting March 5, online readers will be asked to buy a digital subscription at an initial rate of 99 cents for four weeks.  Readers who do not subscribe will be able to read 15 stories in a 30-day period for free.

The Sharia Court of Pennsylvania — the Transcript  —  I have made a transcript of the Pennsylvania case in which state judge Mark Martin, a Muslim convert and U.S. Army reservist who served in Iraq, relied on a sharia law defense (as well as some evidentiary contortions) …