Republicans worry they'll lose the House to Dems if they botch fiscal talks  —  There's growing angst among Republicans that the party's House majority could be at risk in 2014 if the deep GOP divisions that emerged during the recent “fiscal cliff” negotiations persist in looming negotiations over a slew of budgetary issues.

Ryan: House GOP discussing short-term hike to debt ceiling  —  WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - House Republicans are discussing a short-term debt ceiling increase to buy time for broader deficit reduction negotiations with Democrats, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters Thursday.

Franken undecided on assault weapons ban  —  On the day that President Obama proposed a sweeping package of gun-control measures, U.S. Sen. Al Franken signaled his support for several components of Obama's plan.  —  Franken, speaking during a press event in Rochester, said he supports limits …

President Barack Obama: Now is the time  —  As a society, our first task must be to care for our children — to shield them from harm and give them the tools they need not only to pursue their dreams, but to help build this country.  That is how we will be judged.

How Gun Culture Won Over Liberals  —  The new “gun nuts”: media elites, locavores, and hipster hunters.  —  On a Sunday morning a couple years ago, Brooklyn journalist Foster Kamer and a few of his “particularly liberal” blogger friends decided to skip brunch and hit the shooting range instead.

Six hostages, 8 kidnappers killed in Algeria siege; 7 still held  —  (Reuters) - Six foreign hostages and eight of their captors were killed when Algerian forces fired on a vehicle being used by besieged gunmen at a gas plant in the remote Algerian desert on Thursday, a local source told Reuters.

Glenn Beck And The Price Of Independence  —  It's kinda hard to knock Glenn Beck's hustle.  Since leaving Fox News in June of 2011, Beck has kept himself busy with projects like starting a jeans label and relaunching The Blaze as a libertarian online network.

White House Takes Down Petition Calling For Beyoncé To Be “Disinvited” From Inauguration Due To PepsiCo Deal  —  White House spokesman says removal of petition from ‘We the People’ site has nothing to do with controversy...But East Wing doesn't want to discuss the optics problem for Let's Move! campaign...

I Went After Guns.  Obama Can, Too.  —  IT is for Americans and their elected representatives to determine the right response to President Obama's proposals on gun control.  I wouldn't presume to lecture Americans on the subject.  I can, however, describe what I, as prime minister of Australia …

Idaho lawmaker compares abortion and prostitution  —  BOISE — A lawmaker from northern Idaho drew audible gasps Wednesday morning when he asked representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union-Idaho if their pro-abortion rights stance also means that they support prostitution.

Gun Sales and Background Checks: Obama's Bogus 40 Percent Stat  —  Of all the gun-control measures touted by President Obama on Wednesday, the one that got top billing was a dramatic tightening of background checks on gun purchasers.  Obama himself said the need was urgent because …

An Update on Political Polarization through the 112th Congress  —  The 112th Congress closed unceremoniously this month with a series of votes (by the House and Senate) to avert the “fiscal cliff”.  With this data, we can now analyze roll call voting in the 112th Congress in its entirety …

Obama in Strong Position at Start of Second Term  —  Support for Compromise Rises, Except Among Republicans  —  OVERVIEW  —  As he prepares for his second inauguration, Barack Obama is in a stronger position with the public than he was over much of his first term.

Other Tyrants Who Have Used Children As Props  —  Infowars.com  —  Obama's shameless exploitation of children as set pieces is hardly new or original.  In fact, tyrants and dictators have used kids as props down through the ages.  —  Here are a few more recent examples:  —  The Soviet Union's Joseph Stalin

Pakistan's envoy to US faces potentially deadly blasphemy accusation  —  Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., seen in November last year, is facing accusations of blasphemy.  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A petition accusing Pakistan's ambassador to the United States of committing blasphemy has been filed with the country's

What Is Driving Growth in Government Spending?  —  It's one of the most fundamental political questions of our time: What's driving the growth in government spending?  And it has a relatively straightforward answer: first and foremost, spending on health care through Medicare and Medicaid …

Why President Obama might choose to lose on guns  —  President Barack Obama — hardheaded architect of many grand but flawed compromises in his first term — has always preferred winning ugly to losing nobly.  —  Over the years, Democrats have jokingly referred to what they call the …

As manufacturing bounces back from recession, unions are left behind  —  Last July was a good month for factory workers in Anderson, Ind., where a Honda parts supplier announced plans to build a new plant and create up to 325 jobs.  But it was a grim month in the Cleveland suburbs …