Rand Paul Explains His Surprise Vote For Chuck Hagel  —  “The president gets to choose political appointees,” Paul says.  —  Image by Gary Cameron / Reuters  —  WASHINGTON — Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said his support for a filibuster against Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel never meant that he would vote against Hagel's confirmation.

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.

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.).

No CPAC Invite for Christie Because of ‘Limited Future’ in Republican Party  —  New Jersey governor Chris Christie was not invited to address the Conservative Political Action Conference because of his position on gun control, according to a source familiar with CPAC's internal deliberations who requested anonymity to speak freely.

NBC/WSJ poll: Public wary about sequester cuts, but Obama in stronger political position than GOP  —  With automatic, across-the-board spending cuts set to begin Friday, majorities of Americans believe they aren't a good idea and say the contentious budget negotiations make them less confident …

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.

The Republican Sequestration Plan  —  Whether or not you agree with it, and whether or not it will work, President Obama's strategy on sequestration is perfectly obvious.  His goal is to end the automatic budget cuts, which he regards as stupidly constructed and likely to harm the economy …

Ex-legislator Robin Kelly wins Democratic race for ex-US Rep. Jackson Jr.'s Chicago-area seat  —  CHICAGO — Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race to replace disgraced ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., after a truncated campaign season …

Apple Joins Morgan Stanley to Back Gay Marriage at Supreme Court  —  Dozens of companies, including Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Morgan Stanley (MS), are planning to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, saying bans in 41 states harm workplace morale and undermine recruiting.

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 …

Voting Act Challenge Hinges on a Formula  —  The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Wednesday in a major voting rights case.  Here is some of the history of the law and the issues that are likely to be raised before the court.  —  A. The Voting Rights of Act of 1965 addressed pervasive lawless conduct …

Caltech Physicist: If All Science Were Run Like Marijuana Research, Creationists Would Control Paleontology … In the face of obstacles to marijuana research from both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a theoretical physicist at the California Institute …

ABC defends editing Michelle Obama's ‘automatic weapon’ claim … ABC is defending its decision to edit out an apparently erroneous claim by Michelle Obama in its broadcast of the first lady's interview on Good Morning America today, saying it made the changes “solely” for the sake of time.