Boehner tells Senate to ‘get off their ass;’ Reid says GOP ‘sitting on their posterior’  —  A salty Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday told members of the Senate to “get off their ass” and pass a bill to replace $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts, setting off an exchange with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Republicans Sign Brief in Support of Gay Marriage  —  WASHINGTON — Dozens of prominent Republicans — including top advisers to former President George W. Bush, four former governors and two members of Congress — have signed a legal brief arguing that gay people have a constitutional right to marry …

Liberal Super PAC Goes After Mitch McConnell's ‘Chinese’ Wife  —  A Democratic group is under sharp criticism for controversial online messages about Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's wife.  —  For months, the liberal super PAC Progress Kentucky has attacked McConnell and held demonstrations at his offices and home.

Wave of Immigrants Released Ahead of Automatic Budget Cuts  —  In a highly unusual move, federal immigration officials have released a wave of detainees from immigration detention centers around the country in an effort to save money as automatic budget cuts loom in Washington, officials said.

Chuck Hagel clears Senate hurdle toward confirmation  —  The Senate voted 71-27 on Tuesday to end debate on Chuck Hagel's nomination to become secretary of Defense, ending a Republican campaign that forced Democrats to fight for every step toward confirmation, which is expected later in the day.

Nikki Haley slams Washington after meeting with Obama  —  During President Barack Obama's meeting with U.S. governors at the White House Monday, the president dismissed members of the press to hold a private, hourlong discussion with the visiting state executives.

GOP Seen as Principled, But Out of Touch and Too Extreme  —  Images of the Parties: A Closer Look  —  OVERVIEW  —  At a time when the Republican Party's image is at a historic low, 62% of the public says the GOP is out of touch with the American people, 56% think it is not open to change and 52% say the party is too extreme.

Kerry defends liberties, says Americans have “right to be stupid”  —  (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry offered a defense of freedom of speech, religion and thought in the United States on Tuesday telling German students that in America “you have a right to be stupid if you want to be.”

Chris Christie to take Obamacare Medicaid expansion  —  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is preparing to announce he's accepting Medicaid expansion under the president's health care law, becoming the eighth GOP governor to buck his party and align himself with President Barack Obama on the issue, according to POLITICO sources.

9th Circuit judges split over anti-Bush protest  —  Over an impassioned dissent signed by eight judges, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday rejected the Obama Administration's request that the court reconsider a ruling favoring demonstrators who sued the Secret Service …

There's A Conservative Parody Of Michelle Obama's Evolution Of Dance Video  —  It was made by popular conservative blogger Michelle Malkin and it's definitely something.  —  Ryan Broderick  —  a half hour ago  —  15 responses

Who should pay to defend Larry Craig's bathroom antics?  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge this week will confront the surprisingly important fallout from former Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig's 2007 bathroom arrest.  —  Craig's own money may be on the line Wednesday, but that's not all.

GAO Report: Obamacare Adds $6.2 Trillion to Long-Term Deficit  —  Obamacare will increase the long-term federal deficit by $6.2 trillion, according to a Government Accountability Office report that will be released today.  —  Senator Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.), who requested the report …

Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Surveillance Law  —  WASHINGTON — In a 5-to-4 decision that broke along ideological lines, the Supreme Court on Tuesday turned back a challenge to a federal law that authorized intercepting international communications involving Americans.

In Cannibal Case, Officer's Wife Testifies About a Chilling Discovery  —  One day last September, the wife of a New York City police officer opened her laptop computer and discovered that her husband had used it to visit a fetish Web site on the Internet.  She said she went to the site and saw a photograph of a dead girl.

Colorado orders Abound Solar to clean up hazardous waste at four sites  —  Colorado health and environment officials have ordered Loveland-based Abound Solar, the bankrupt solar-panel maker, to clean up hazardous waste at four Front Range locations.  —  The Abound facilities are storing thousands of …

Bachmann: 'I didn't get anything wrong'  —  The Congresswoman touts her flawless run for the presidency and love of Beyonce  —  Tea Party Rep. Michele Bachmann has been laying low since last November's election when she came dangerously close to losing her House seat, possibly in preparation …

Devoted to Weight Watchers, but Workers Rebel Against Low Wages  —  Tammy Williams became a Weight Watchers leader in Texas five years ago after losing 97 pounds in the program.  The supplies that she handles fill a bedroom in her home, and she holds four meetings a week advising more than a hundred customers about the diet regimen.

Mike Shields tapped as RNC chief of staff  —  Mike Shields, the political director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, has been tapped as the new chief of staff to the Republican National Committee as the official party conducts a review of what went wrong for the GOP during the 2012 election cycle, POLITICO has learned.