Rush Limbaugh Scandal Proves Contagious for Talk-Radio Advertisers  —  Ninety-eight major advertisers—including Ford and Geico—will no longer air spots on Premiere Networks' ‘offensive’ programs.  Insiders say the loss will rock right-wing talk radio.  —  Rush Limbaugh made the right …

True Grits: Gingrich Makes Appeal to Mississippi Republicans  —  MOBILE, Ala. -Newt Gingrich made a pitch to Alabama Republicans Saturday morning with a simple message: He's one presidential candidate who's familiar with their cuisine. … The former House speaker was riffing on comments …

Back Stab  —  Sarah Palin as portrayed by her disloyal staff.  —  Nicolle Wallace was the onetime consultant to CBS News and media aide to George W. Bush who was assigned to work with Sarah Palin after the Alaska governor was chosen as John McCain's running mate.

Bill Maher Defends Limbaugh's Free Speech Rights, Responds To ‘False Equivalency’ From Right  —  After over a week of pundits piling on Bill Maher for his remarks about conservative women in an attempt to equivocate him with Rush Limbaugh and suggest a media double standard on such controversies …

Rep. Inslee to resign House seat  —  (CNN) - Democratic Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington will resign his House seat in order to focus on his 2012 run for governor of the state, a Democratic official confirmed to CNN on Saturday.  —  Inslee, now in his eighth term, represents Washington's 1st …

An Erotic Novel, ‘50 Shades of Grey,’ Goes Viral With Women  —  “Fifty Shades of Grey,” an erotic novel by an obscure author that has been described as “Mommy porn” and “Twilight” for grown-ups, has electrified women across the country, who have spread the word like gospel on Facebook pages, at school functions and in spin classes.

Report: Some papers won't be running next week's ‘Doonesbury’ strips  —  I asked around and was told that the Oregonian and Dallas Morning News are among the papers that have discussed pulling the strips.  (I've left messages with editors at both newspapers to see what they've decided.)

Dozens of Iraqi teenagers stoned to death for ‘emo’ haircuts: activists  —  Iraqi activists sounded the bell over the killing of dozens of teenagers by religious police for having “emo” haircuts.  —  Activists told the Cairo-based al-Akhbar daily that at least 90 Iraqi teenagers with “emo” …

Monckton's Schenectady showdown  —  Monckton vanquishes Union College “Greens too yellow to admit they're really Reds”  —  Guest post by Justin Pulliam  —  THE NEWS that Lord Monckton was to give his “Climate of Freedom” lecture at Union College in Schenectady, New York, had thrown the university's environmentalists into a turmoil.

Obama Is Right to Prosecute Leakers Who Are Not the Same as Whistle-Blowers  —  The Obama administration has taken harsh criticism for its record-setting prosecutions of individuals leaking classified information.  But don't equate that with hostility to whistle-blowers, says a former Justice Department official.

A Card-Counting Mix of Bibles, Blackjack and Cash  —  Colin Jones has toiled in the cacophonous, windowless, artificially lighted corridors of casinos across the country in an effort to beat the house with math.  He has worked to master the art of card counting, long scorned by casino operators …

Healthcare issue will be a heavy lift for Romney against Obama  —  As Mitt Romney moves closer to locking up the Republican presidential nomination, the questions about his ability to attack President Obama on healthcare are only getting louder.  —  Conservatives have long been uneasy with Romney's record on healthcare.