Why was Michelle Obama at the Oscars?  —  It was the average too-long, unfunny, over-produced Academy Awards TV show and then, after suffering through the 10-hour (well, it seemed like it) show, there was the first lady.  In a ball gown.  With military service personnel in dress uniform behind her.

White House releases state-by-state breakdown of sequester's effects  —  The White House on Sunday detailed how deep spending cuts set to begin this week would affect programs in every state and the District, as President Obama launched a last-ditch effort to pressure congressional Republicans …

Democrats and Republicans Miscalculate on Automatic Cuts  —  WASHINGTON — With Congress unlikely to stop deep automatic spending cuts that will strike hard at the military, the fiscal stalemate is highlighting a significant shift in the Republican Party: lawmakers most keenly dedicated …

John Kerry invents country of Kyrzakhstan  —  John Kerry has suffered his first gaffe as the new US secretary of state, inventing the nation of ‘Kyrzakhstan’  —  In an embarrassing slip of the tongue, Mr Kerry last week praised US diplomats working to secure “democratic institutions” in the Central Asian country, which does not exist.

Dems 2016: Will Hillary Clinton clear the field?  —  The ranks of Democratic governors are filled with ambitious politicians boasting records that would probably play well with primary voters in 2016.  —  But even as they eye a move from the statehouse to the White House …

THE HOUSE OF PAIN … - DOUBLE TAKE - PHOTO BOOTH - DAILY SHOUTS - PAGE-TURNER - DAILY COMMENT - AMY DAVIDSON - JOHN CASSIDY - BOROWITZ - RICHARD BRODY

Long-time escort confirms Senator Bob Menendez paid her for sex  —  A professional escort who travels the East Coast seeing clients in cities from Miami to Boston has identified a photo of Senator Bob Menendez as a man who paid her for sex.  The woman, in her late 30s, told The Daily Caller prior …

Sotomayor slams controversial remarks by prosecutor  —  Washington (CNN) - Two members of the Supreme Court took the unusual step of speaking out over racially insensitive remarks by a federal prosecutor in a drug case, when rejecting review of the defendant's appeal.

Barnes & Noble Weighs Its E-Reader Investment  —  Even for a company with a lot of bad news lately, the bulletin from Barnes & Noble this month had an ominous feel.  —  Barnes & Noble, the nation's largest book chain, warned that when it reports fiscal 2013 third-quarter results on Thursday …

Cardinal Keith O'Brien resigns as Archbishop  —  Cardinal Keith O'Brien was to be Britain's only representative at the papal vote  —  Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, is stepping down as the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

Cruz Defends Government Overthrow Lie  —  On Friday we noted that The New Yorker had dug up a three year old speech in which freshman Sen. Ted Cruz had charged that there were at least a dozen professors at Harvard Law School during his time there in the mid-90s who “would say they were Marxists …

Austerity, Italian Style  —  Two months ago, when Mario Monti stepped down as Italy's prime minister, The Economist opined that “The coming election campaign will be, above all, a test of the maturity and realism of Italian voters.”  The mature, realistic action, presumably …

Judd Makes Steps Toward Senate Bid  —  The beautiful movie star tries to take on Washington by defeating a powerful Republican leader.  It's not a plot line, it's reality: The actress Ashley Judd is making moves to take on GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.