U.S. troops posed with body parts of Afghan bombers  —  An American soldier says he released the photos to the Los Angeles Times to draw attention to the safety risk of a breakdown in leadership and discipline.  The Army has started a criminal investigation.

Ted Nugent Stands By Obama Remarks, Compares Himself To ‘Black Jew At A Nazi-Klan Rally’ (AUDIO) … FOLLOW:  —  Video, Ted Nugent, Ted Nugent Obama, Dana Loesch, Dana Loesch Ted Nugent, Nugent, Nugent Obama, Obama Nugent, Ted Nugent Dana Loesch, Ted Nugent Nancy Pelosi, Ted Nugent Obama Comments …

Romney and Obama Are in a Tight Contest, Poll Finds  —  Mitt Romney has solidified support within his party for the presidential nomination after Rick Santorum's exit from the race, but is locked in a tight race with President Obama as attention turns to the general election phase of the campaign …

One for the Country  —  I had to catch a train in Washington last week.  The paved street in the traffic circle around Union Station was in such poor condition that I felt as though I was on a roller coaster.  I traveled on the Amtrak Acela, our sorry excuse for a fast train …

Hey, if we're going to talk about how presidential candidates treated dogs decades ago, let's talk about how presidential candidates treated dogs decades ago.  —  Can you name the author of this quote? … Give up?  That's Barack Obama, writing about his childhood with his stepfather Lolo Soetoro …

Democrats punt on Senate budget bill for 3rd year  —  Committee chairman to revisit Bowles-Simpson plan of 2010  —  In a stunning backtrack that virtually guarantees Congress for the third year will be unable to produce a budget, Senate Democrats' top budget writer Tuesday canceled …

Romney says ‘vast left-wing conspiracy’ in media is attacking him  —  Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said a “vast left-wing conspiracy” in the media was working with the Obama campaign to coordinate attacks against him.  —  “There will be an effort …

Catholic Priest Receives Standing Ovation For Shunning Anti-Marriage Equality Petition Drive  —  At least six Catholic parishes in Washington state have ignored the Seattle Archbishop's call to gather signatures for a referendum repealing the state's recently-enacted marriage equality law …

Kelly wins GOP primary in contest for former Rep. Giffords's seat  —  Jesse Kelly won a special primary election in Arizona on Tuesday, securing the Republican nomination to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).  —  Kelly, an Iraq War veteran and project manager …

Police: Man strips naked at Oregon airport in TSA protest  —  (CNN) — A 50-year-old man who said he felt that airport screeners were “harassing” him stripped naked at Portland International Airport, police in Oregon said.  —  Police charged John E. Brennan with disorderly conduct …

IRS Might Have Stalinist Powers Under New Law  —  Liberty: The Republican House of Representatives may soon follow the Democratic Senate and give the IRS the power to confiscate your passport on mere suspicion of owing taxes.  There's no place like home, comrade.

Michelle Obama: ‘This president has brought us out of the dark and into the light’  —  First lady Michelle Obama hit the campaign trail in Nashville on Tuesday and told a packed crowd in a downtown office building that the campaign has an “amazing story to tell.”

Revealed; Official fears from U.S. and UK over President Obama's ‘anti-American’ and ‘anti-white’ father  —  In his three years as U.S. president, Barack Obama has been dogged by claims he is not patriotic enough.  —  Last year he even had to publish his birth certificate to silence doubters who suggested he was not born an American.

North Korea Says It Will Abandon Deal With U.S.  —  SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Tuesday that it was abandoning an agreement it made in February with the United States, in which it promised to suspend uranium enrichment, nuclear tests and long-range missile tests.

'Don't Say Gay' bill advances in the House  —  Tennessee's elementary and middle school teachers could face more pressure not to talk about homosexuality with their students next year after the so-called Don't Say Gay bill cleared a House education committee Tuesday.

Memeorandum Colors 2012: Visualizing Bias on Political Blogs  —  I don't watch sports, but every four years, I lose myself in the horse race of the U.S. presidential elections.  That competition kicked off in earnest Monday, as Gallup started its daily tracking polls for the general election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

The List of Top Republican VP Candidates  —  Mitt Romney's search for a vice presidential running mate has only just begun, but speculation among top Republicans and Romney's close allies is well under way.  Here is how the list of potential running mates looks today.  —  Top Tier

A Deal in the Works With Iran?  —  WASHINGTON — The nuclear talks with Iran have just begun, but already the smart money in Tehran is betting on a deal.  That piece of intelligence comes from the Tehran stock index, which on the day after the talks opened posted its largest daily rise in months and closed at a record high.