The GOP's astonishingly bad message on sequester cuts … In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner describes the upcoming sequester as a policy “that threatens U.S. national security, thousands of jobs and more.”  —  Which leads to the question …

Ex-Sen. Domenici discloses son born in secrecy  —  Former New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici told the Journal on Tuesday he fathered a son outside of his marriage over 30 years ago, revealing a secret kept for decades.  —  Statements given to the Journal by Domenici and the son's mother …

‘Friends of Hamas’: My role in the birth of a rumor  —  A Daily News reporter explains how he inadvertently created the myth that Chuck Hagel spoke to a non-existent group.  —  Daily News reporter Dan Friedman recounts the origin of a rumor he unwittingly started about Chuck Hagel (pictured) …

WHY KARL ROVE AND STUART STEVENS ARE PLAIN WRONG  —  RESIZE:  —  I am writing this newsletter in a very direct, no baloney, effort to get across how much trouble we Republicans are in and how real the internal party fight is going to be.  —  I strongly support RNC Chairman Reince Priebus' effort …

Debate co-chair: ‘Mistake’ to have Candy Crowley moderate presidential debate  —  Frank Fahrenkopf, a co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, said tonight that the Commission made a “mistake” by selecting CNN anchor Candy Crowley to moderate one of the 2012 presidential debates.

Ted Cruz says attacks on Marco Rubio are because he's a Hispanic Republican  —  Sen. Ted Cruz says some of the attacks on fellow Republican Sen. Marco Rubio by Democrats are motivated by race.  Cruz said today the fact that Rubio is a Republican Latino poses a threat to political adversaries.

Romney to Speak at CPAC  —  Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference next month, according to two sources familiar with the event's itinerary.  Romney's speech, which will be delivered at the Gaylord National hotel …

The future of free-market healthcare  —  Over nearly a century, progressives have pressed for a national, single-payer healthcare system.  When it comes to health reform, what have conservatives stood for?  —  For far too long, conservatives have failed to coalesce around a long-term vision …

Woman claims she was fired for voting for Obama  —  DAYTON —  A Kettering woman alleges in a lawsuit that she was fired for voting for President Obama, a charge the company denies.  —  Patricia Kunkle is seeking in excess of $25,000 from Dayton-based defense contractor Q-Mark …

Release Detail  —  February 20, 2013 - New Jersey Gov Flies High, Buries Unknown Dem, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Christie Close To Clinton, Leads Cuomo In '16 Pres Race  —  New Jersey voters today continue Gov. Christopher Christie's record-breaking 74 - 22 percent approval rating …

Hagel Better Known, Viewed More Negatively  —  Rubio Overwhelmingly Popular among Tea Party Republicans  —  OVERVIEW  —  Unfavorable opinions of Chuck Hagel have increased over the past month as he has faced a bruising confirmation battle to become President Obama's secretary of defense.

RNC raises $6.9M in January  —  The Republican National Committee raised $6.9 million in January and has $7.1 million cash on hand, it announced Wednesday afternoon.  —  The RNC, which did not take on debt at the end of the election cycle, is in much better financial shape …

California Dept. of Transportation: ‘Be Sure to Black Out the ‘United States’ and [the] Motto’  —  For three years, a private citizen named Steve LeBard has led the effort to build a privately funded memorial in Orcutt, California—a tranquil small town located on the Golden State's gorgeous Central Coast—to honor military veterans.

An Economist Who Made the Science Less Dismal  —  Armen Alchian never won a Nobel Prize in economics.  But no less than Friedrich Hayek said he ‘deserved’ one.  —  In 1975, I attended a week-long conference in Connecticut at which the star attraction was Friedrich Hayek.

Gas prices are on a mysterious climb  —  The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline has jumped 45 cents in the past 31 days, according to AAA, the fastest run-up since 2005.  —  Retail gasoline prices have climbed for 33 days in a row.  A month ago, a gallon of regular gasoline cost $3.30 …

Senate Minority Leader Fooled by Report in Military Version of The Onion  —  The best parody contains elements of truth.  Which might explain how the military's answer to The Onion suckered the Senate's Republican leader.  —  Meet The Duffel Blog, if you haven't already.

GOP Minnesota legislator preparing to co-sponsor gay marriage bill  —  Before becoming a co-sponsor, Branden Petersen has concerns.  —  Republican state Sen. Branden Petersen is preparing to become a co-sponsor of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota.