Bill Clinton's $80 Million Payday, or Why Politicians Don't Care That Much About Reelection … On December 21, 2000, as President, Bill Clinton signed a bill known as the Commodities Futures Modernization Act.  This law ensured that derivatives could not be regulated, setting the stage for the financial crisis.

EXCLUSIVE: THE VETTING - DID OBAMA HAVE LOWER SAT SCORES THAN GEORGE W. BUSH?  —  President Barack Obama is hailed by his supporters and the mainstream media as one of the most brilliant men ever to hold the office.  However, his refusal to release his academic records …

‘Uncommitted’ Gives Obama a Run in Kentucky  —  ‘Uncommitted’ is keeping it closer than expected in the Kentucky Democratic presidential primary.  With 104 of 120 counties counted, President Barack Obama leads ‘Uncommitted’ by only 20 percentage points.  The tally so far: Obama with 105,487 votes …

NBC/WSJ poll: Obama, Romney locked in tight contest  —  Larry Downing / Reuters  —  President Barack Obama speaks at a news conference after the 2012 NATO Summit at McCormick Place in Chicago, May 21, 2012.  —  By Mark Murray, Senior Political Editor, NBC News

Obama spending binge never happened  —  Commentary: Government outlays rising at slowest pace since 1950s … WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Of all the falsehoods told about President Barack Obama, the biggest whopper is the one about his reckless spending spree.

THIS JUST IN  —  A video posted online that shows a former union leader in South Carolina smashing a piñata effigy of Gov. Nikki Haley has riled the national office of the AFL-CIO, which wants it taken down.  —  “Do you think we can get this video pulled,” asked a national AFL-CIO official …

The Misplaced Loyalties and Dubious Code of Chris Matthews  —  The MSNBC host attacked Cory Booker for breaking with the Democratic Party line.  As a journalist, he ought to celebrate truth-telling.  —  When the average television viewer sees someone on a public-affairs show making arguments …

Friday, May 25th Is “Everybody Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day”  —  Brett Kimberlin is a convicted bomber, perjurer and left-wing attack dog.  He's attacked — in no particular order — conservative bloggers like Andrew Breibart, Patterico, Liberty Chick, Aaron Worthing, Stacy McCain and others.

TPMMuckraker  —  Bennett Backs Off Birther Threat, Apologizes To Arizona  —  After days of ridicule for launching a conspiracy theory-fueled investigation into Barack Obama's birth certificate, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett on Tuesday backed off his threat to keep the president off …

Coming soon: Bristol Palin's reality show  —  Bristol Palin's reality show premieres next month, Lifetime announced in a press release on Tuesday:

Democrats Violate Budget Control Act  —  The Budget Control Act is the compromise on federal spending that the Republicans and Democrats entered into last summer, as part of the deal whereby the Republicans agreed to increase the federal debt limit.  That increase was conditioned …

Rep. Steve King: Immigrants are like dogs  —  Updated: On Monday, the Iowa GOP rep used a degrading metaphor to describe how America should select immigrants  —  [Updated below]  —  Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, compared immigrants to dogs at a town hall meeting yesterday …

Ann Romney and dressage: A pricey private world  —  Testimony in a lawsuit — from which she was eventually dropped — reveals the would-be first lady's passionate engagement in dressage, a sport she believes helps her deal with multiple sclerosis.  —  Ann Romney is a partner in the Acres …

Internal Democratic polling shows dead heat in Wisconsin recall  —  Gov. Scott Walker (R) is not safe in next month's recall election, Wisconsin Democrats say.  —  Walker has been pulling ahead of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) in polls on the June 5 recall election sparked by the governor's collective bargaining reforms.

Ode to My Best Friend — Mary Richardson Kennedy  —  I met Mary on her first day at Putney, we were 15.  The next weekend we hitch hiked to Boston to see my siblings Michael, Bobby, David, Courtney and Kathleen, and for the rest of her life, she spent nearly every weekend and vacation with our family.

New Republican Ad Takes a Soft Shot at Obama  —  WASHINGTON — The ad is the work of two of the most fearsome players in Republican politics: Larry McCarthy, the producer behind the infamous Willie Horton commercial in 1988, and Crossroads GPS, the political battle squad founded by Karl Rove.

Poll: Shumlin would win gubernatorial race  —  Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin would be re-elected to a second term if the election were held today.  That's according to a new poll by WDEV, WCAX and Vermont Business Magazine.  —  The poll was conducted by Castleton State College with more than 600 registered voters surveyed.

Black Leaders Decry NAACP Endorsement of Homosexual Agenda  —  Alveda C. King is among the growing number of African-American leaders speaking out about President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage.  —  Specifically, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. is joining black spiritual leaders …

Kleiner Perkins Sued By Partner Ellen Pao, Alleging Sexual Harassment, Gender Discrimination  —  Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, one of the most storied and well-respected venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, has been sued by Ellen Pao, an investment partner with the firm.

40% Now Say Trayvon Martin Shot in Self-Defense; 24% Say It Was Murder  —  As evidence continues to emerge from the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, Americans are becoming more convinced that his killer acted in self-defense and that the legal system will come to that conclusion.

General Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush, talks to TODAY's Matt Lauer about politics, war and his new book, “It Worked for Me.”  —  Though he believes President Obama has had several significant achievements during his first term …

Members Of New GOP Women's Caucus Voted Against Equality For Women  —  YouTube video introducing the Women's Policy Committee  —  The 24 Republican Congresswomen in the U.S. House announced yesterday that they have joined to form the Women's Policy Committee, a caucus aimed at …