Marco Rubio's drinking problem  —  Twitter exploded during Sen. Marco Rubio's Republican response to the State of the Union, as the Florida senator appeared a little sweaty and dry-mouthed at mid-speech, taking an awkward swig from a bottle of water that had been placed off-camera.

Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address  —  The following is the text as prepared for delivery of President Obama's State of the Union Address, as provided by the White House:  —  PRESIDENT OBAMA: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:

Roy Blunt says Republicans have votes to delay Chuck Hagel nomination  —  Sen. Roy Blunt signaled Wednesday that there may be enough votes in the Senate to delay debate on the nomination of Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon.  —  Blunt (R-Mo.) said he believed there were 40 votes in the Senate that indicated …

Top Republicans Oppose Obama's Call To Raise The Minimum Wage … During his State of the Union address last night, President Obama called for raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour, up from its current $7.25, and indexing it to inflation so that it rises as the economy grows.

The President's Dream State  —  President Obama at last night's State of the Union address  —  By any measure, President Obama's first term was consequential.  In four years, he signed an $800 billion stimulus program into law, laid the foundation for universal health insurance …

The Rap on Rubio  —  Not long ago, scrolling for a movie, I saw that “Notorious” was on.  —  How can you resist Cary Grant as an American spy in Rio recruiting Ingrid Bergman to seduce and betray a Nazi played by Claude Rains?  —  But it turned out to be a very different “Notorious,” …

Rep. Jackson Lee warns against more spending cuts: 'We're at the bone almost'  —  Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) urged her colleagues to reach a compromise to prevent spending cuts through sequestration, arguing that government programs are already as lean as they can be.

Ron Paul Makes National Radio Debut With Courtside  —  Courtside Entertainment Group announced today that former Congressman and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul will make his national radio and podcast debut March 18, 2013.  Ron Paul 's America will feature one of America's …

Iraq to hire D.C. lobbyist  —  The government of Iraq is in the final stages of inking a contract with the Podesta Group as its first Washington lobbying firm, POLITICO has learned.  —  A source says the Podesta Group significantly underbid D.C. rivals Patton Boggs and the Livingston Group.

Challenged for His Seat at 89, a Senator Does Not Go Gentle  —  WASHINGTON — As he approached his 89th birthday this year, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey was finally considering retirement, an option he had tried a decade earlier and hated so much that he jumped at the chance to return to political life.

Buckley Rule — According to Bill, not Karl  —  The Buckley Rule has been much invoked in recent weeks, in this space and elsewhere, and on almost every occasion it has been both misquoted and misapplied.  As one who was present at the formulation, I feel obliged to record the “originalist” intention.

Obama Appoints a Controversial GOP Lawyer to His Voting Commission  —  President Obama embraced the cause of voting rights in his State of the Union speech, which he called “our most fundamental right as citizens,” and spotlighted 102-year-old Desiline Victor, a naturalized Haitian immigrant …