THE VETTING: BEN SMITH RELEASES SELECTIVELY EDITED OBAMA RACE VIDEO  —  Earlier today, Buzzfeed's Ben Smith announced on Twitter that video researcher Andrew Kaczynski had released “the mysterious Harvard/Obama/race video that the Breitbart folks have been talking about.”

Rush Limbaugh: Over 40 Advertisers Flee, Host Says 'Everything's Cool'  —  Talk show host Rush Limbaugh sought to reassure listeners Wednesday after the tally of local and national companies that have pulled their advertisements from his time slot topped 40, insisting that the show …

$1B of TSA Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless By Blog — How Anyone Can Get Anything Past The Scanners  —  This video is here to demonstrate that the TSA's insistence that the nude body scanner program is effective and necessary is nothing but a fraud, just like their claims that the program is safe …

TPM2012  —  Bachmann: ‘Health Care Dictator’ Could Decide How Many Babies You Can Have  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is warning that the Obama administration's contraception insurance mandate could put America on a slippery slope — to a totalitarian one-child policy.

Gingrich spokesman: Alabama and Mississippi are must-wins  —  Newt Gingrich is canceling planned events in Kansas and instead pivoting his campaign to focus on racking up delegates in the Deep South, with campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond acknowledging Wednesday that the former Speaker needs wins …

Mitt Romney's Zombie Problem  —  The GOP front-runner's grabbing more of the delegates—but he's being pursued by living-dead competitors he can't vanquish.  —  Mitt Romney faces the fundamental problem confronted by all zombie hunters: How do you kill that which is dead already?

Channel 4 booting anchorwoman Sue Simmons after 32 years  —  After more than three decades, WNBC/Channel 4 is tossing anchorwoman Sue Simmons overboard.  —  Last week, the station gave her the bad news that her contract would not be renewed — and come June, she's history.

Clay clerk accuses U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns of trying to buy him out of race  —  GREEN COVE SPRINGS — Clay Clerk of Courts James Jett told a group of Republicans today the FBI is looking into Rep. Cliff Stearns for what Jett said is a plot to buy him out of this fall's congressional primary.

Conspiracy, Again  —  As Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio beclowns himself and his wayward admirers, it is worth bearing in mind that the manufactured controversy surrounding President Barack Obama's birth certificate has its origins in anonymous e-mails sent by Hillary Clinton partisans during the 2008 Democratic primary.

Maine Miscellany  —It looks like Maine voters will reverse their 2009 decision and legalize gay marriage in the state this fall.  54% think that gay marriage should be legal to only 41% who think it should be illegal.  And when we asked about the issue using the exact language voters …

First on CNN: Levin says Limbaugh should be dropped from Armed Forces Network  —  (CNN) - Sen. Carl Levin, the powerful chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday he would like the Armed Forces Network to drop the controversial Rush Limbaugh program from its service that provides radio …

Obama loses Dem primary in 15 Oklahoma counties  —  OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Barack Obama collected the most votes in the Oklahoma Democratic primary, but lost in 15 counties.  —  With 98 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday, Obama won 57 percent of the vote.

Subject for Debate: Are Women People?  —  I've always assumed that women are fully autonomous human citizens—who vote, even!—but now I'm not so certain  —  From left: Catholic Bishop William Lori, the Rev. Matthew Harrison, Dr. Ben Mitchell, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik and Craig Mitchell …

Liz Cheney: Desist!  —  Oh, Barack.  —  You want to analyze the cost and consequences of war before you go to war?  —  Such a snob.  Such a green eyeshade rejection of the red-hot Bush doctrine.  —  What's wrong with bomb first and think later?  That worked fine in Iraq.  Or not.

A Remarkable Man Has Stepped Into the Clearing; Captain Carroll LeFon USN (Ret.) 1960-2012  —  As the sun's rays broke over the top of the eastern hills this morning, the military blogging community was coming to grips with the loss of a truly remarkable man.

Romney's Not to Blame for the GOP's Primary Slog  —  In 2008, 80% of the Republican delegates were chosen before March.  This year, only 13% were.  —  The Republican presidential nomination contest is dragging on because Mitt Romney is a weak front-runner—right?

Missing Kucinich  —  America has reached the point where its politics are conformist and polarized at the same time.  That's maybe not such a paradox: when there's little substantive disagreement between the party of Obamacare and the party of Romneycare, the party of foreign intervention …

‘Joe the Plumber’ wins Ohio Republican congressional primary bid  —  Yes, Marcy Kaptur blew out Dennis Kucinich, and Jean Schmidt unexpectedly lost her House seat to a challenger.  —  But one of the biggest — and most overlooked — surprises of Tuesday night was in a northeast Ohio Republican congressional primary.