Paul Ryan: Why I'm backing Mitt Romney  —  Rep. Paul Ryan threw his support behind Mitt Romney on Friday, hailing him as the “best person to beat the president” and warning that the Republican primary needs to come to an end soon.  —  “Who will make the best president?

Broccoli and Bad Faith  —  Nobody knows what the Supreme Court will decide with regard to the Affordable Care Act.  But, after this week's hearings, it seems quite possible that the court will strike down the “mandate” — the requirement that individuals purchase health insurance — and maybe the whole law.

Roseanne Barr Joins Twitter Vigilante Crew  —  Star tweeted home address of George Zimmerman's parents  —  The comedian Roseanne Barr last night tweeted the home address of George Zimmerman's parents to her 110,000-plus Twitter followers, only to delete the posting after “not fully understanding that it was private not public.”

White Supremacist Hacks Trayvon Martin's Email Account, Leaks Messages Online  —  The racist smear campaign against Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen shot to death last month in Florida, has reached a new level of ghoulishness.  A white supremacist hacker says he's broken into Martin's email …

Not-So-Smooth Operator  —  Obama increasingly comes across as devious and dishonest.  —  Something's happening to President Obama's relationship with those who are inclined not to like his policies.  They are now inclined not to like him.  His supporters would say, “Nothing new there,” but actually I think there is.

Justice Department dropped case charging threats to Barack Obama  —  The Justice Department has quietly given up on a criminal case involving alleged death threats against Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign, leaving in place a legal precedent that the department's own lawyers predicted …

A Moderate Conservative Dilemma  —  Nathan Fletcher was raised in Arkansas, played college baseball in California and enlisted in the Marines as a reserve in 1997.  He saw combat in 2004, based in the Sunni Triangle in Iraq.  —  One day Fletcher's unit went to relieve a convoy and was …

Republicans retreat on gay marriage  —  Just a few years ago, House Republicans were trying to etch their opposition of gay marriage into the Constitution.  —  Now?  They're almost silent.  —  It's been one of the swiftest shifts in ideology and strategy for Republicans, as they've come nearly full circle on same-sex politics.

Biden: I don't want ‘real job...you have to produce’  —  Vice President Joe Biden offered a frank assessment of his career in remarks at a Democratic fundraiser in Chicago Thursday night.  According to a White House pool report, Biden, surrounded by the city's movers and shakers …

SC governor denies she is tied to tax probe  —  Gov. Nikki Haley vehemently denied Thursday that she is in any way connected to a 2011 tax audit of the Sikh temple in Chapin where her parents are leaders.  —  “It is flat out not true,” Haley said of speculation that has swirled around …

Brown defends tax plan, says money goes to schools  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday defended his characterization that his tax initiative primarily helps schools, rejecting criticism from the backer of a rival tax proposal who says he is distorting the benefits.

Israelis Suspect Obama Media Leaks to Prevent Strike on Iran  —  JERUSALEM - Two reports today about Iran's nuclear program and the possibility of an Israeli military strike have analysts in Israel accusing the Obama administration leaking information to pressure Israel not to bomb Iran …

Activities of former Cain operative scrutinized  —  Federal authorities have opened an investigation into two Wisconsin-based corporations founded and run by Mark Block, a veteran political operative who ran Herman Cain's unsuccessful presidential campaign.  —  “They are very interested …

Conservatives versus Science: A New Scientific Validation of the Republican War on Science (and Republican Brain) Thesis  —  UPDATE: The paper discussed below is downloadable here.  —  For a while now, I've been aware of a powerful new paper that directly tests the central argument …