Is Obama overplaying sequester hand?  —  President Barack Obama's greatest adversary in the latest budget battle isn't the Republican leadership in Congress — it's his confidence in his own ability to force a win.  —  He has been so certain of his campaign skills that he didn't open a line …

Marriage Equality Is a Conservative Cause  —  The party of Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan has now lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections.  The marketplace of ideas will render us irrelevant, and soon, if we are not honest about our time and place in history.

Crowd Cheers After McCain Tells Aurora Victim's Mother She Needs ‘Straight Talk’ (VIDEO)  —  Constituents at a town hall hosted by Sen. John McCain Wednesday in Phoenix cheered after the Arizona Republican told the mother of an Aurora, Colo. shooting victim that an assault weapons ban could not get through Congress.

A BAD IDEA GETS WORSE  —  Ed Kilgore is a good man.  He's been very kind to the blog since its toddlerhood.  Which makes it something of a surprise that he's trying so very hard to kill me.  He calls attention to this horror in the New York Times and then steps back, as if to distance himself …

Biden says lawmakers need to ‘show some courage’ on gun control  —  Vice President Biden urged lawmakers to “show some courage” and back the Obama administration's favored measures for reducing gun violence.  —  Biden, on Thursday, called on lawmakers to support proposals like reinstitution …

Rush Limbaugh Is “Ashamed” Of His Country For The First Time In His Life  —  The conservative radio star blames insults to his intelligence and a “fear and panic” strategy rolled out by Democrats, Republicans and the media in response to proposed spending cuts.  —  View Video ›

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tells Cuyahoga County GOP it's time for new generation of leaders  —  INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a rising star in national politics, presented himself here Thursday as a fresh face for Republicans “demoralized” after last year's elections.

Obama thanked Carter's grandson, who found ‘47%’ tape  —  (CNN) - President Barack Obama expressed gratitude last week to former President Jimmy Carter's grandson, who had a role in leaking secretly-recorded video of Mitt Romney's infamous “47%” comments, James Carter said Thursday on CNN.

In Gun Debate, a Bigger Role Seen for Insurers  —  In a society sharply divided over efforts to curb violence and the right to bear arms, both sides of the gun debate seem to agree on at least one thing: a bigger role for the insurance industry to play in a heavily armed society.

Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us  —  1. Routine Care, Unforgettable Bills  —  When Sean Recchi, a 42-year-old from Lancaster, Ohio, was told last March that he had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, his wife Stephanie knew she had to get him to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Soledad O'Brien to Take on New Role at CNN  —  Soledad O'Brien will leave CNN's morning show in the spring, but she won't be leaving the cable news channel altogether.  —  Ms. O'Brien, who is well-known for CNN documentaries like “Black in America,” said Thursday that she would form …

DSCC Raised Millions More Than NRSC in January  —  Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.  (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)  —  The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised just $1.5 million in January, according to its most recent fundraising report.

Military service chiefs warn budget cuts will undermine readiness  —  After staying largely on the sidelines of the debate over deficit reduction, the U.S. military's service leaders have begun painting a stark picture of the toll a congressionally mandated budget cut could take on the readiness of the world's largest armed forces.

Papal resignation linked to inquiry into ‘Vatican gay officials’, says paper  —  Pope's staff decline to confirm or deny La Repubblica claims linking ‘Vatileaks’ affair and discovery of ‘blackmailed gay clergy’  —  A potentially explosive report has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI …

Double Ultrasound Bill In Indiana Passes Out Of Senate Committee  —  Video, Double Ultrasound, Double Ultrasound Bill, Double Ultrasound Indiana, Indiana Abortion Bill, Indiana Double Ultrasound, Indiana Double Ultrasound Bill, Indiana Mandatory Ultrasound Bill, Indiana Ultrasound …

Republicans Make ‘Benghazi’ A Frequent Refrain … The White House hopes the Senate will confirm Chuck Hagel next week as defense secretary.  —  Republicans delayed the vote for the same reason they scuttled Susan Rice's bid to be secretary of state: Benghazi.

Obama: Helping rich only thing that ‘binds’ GOP together  —  President Obama, speaking to a very friendly Al Sharpton as part of a round with black broadcasters Thursday, offered a harsh assessment of the GOP — arguing that their opposition to taxing the wealthy was the only thing keeping …

Congressman Says Americans Need Guns To Protect The Nation From Sharia Law  —  Tea Party Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told a conservative radio show on Thursday that the GOP must oppose gun regulations to protect the country from the threat of “Sharia Law.”