First Thoughts: A truce - for now  —  Both sides declare a budget truce — for now... How a Grand Bargain could still take place... And why achieving a Grand Bargain has been so difficult... NYT on a GOP that's united on just one issue right now: taxes and spending... Obama …

Back on the Trail  —  When disgraced South Carolina governor Mark Sanford decided to run for office again, he asked his ex-wife, Jenny, for her blessing.  Whether he has her vote is another matter.  —  Late last year, a few days before Christmas, former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford embarked on a delicate political mission.

Hill Poll: President's support for Israel found wanting by many voters  —  Three times as many voters believe the Obama administration is not supportive enough of Israel as believe it is too supportive, according to a new poll for the Hill.  —  The proportion of voters who now say the president does …

Exclusive: Mitt and Ann Romney on campaign mistakes, life after presidential election loss and political future  —  Special Guests: Mitt Romney, Ann Romney  —  The following is a rush transcript of the March 3, 2013, edition of “Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace.”  This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Recovery in U.S. Lifting Profits, Not Adding Jobs  —  With the Dow Jones industrial average flirting with a record high, the split between American workers and the companies that employ them is widening and could worsen in the next few months as federal budget cuts take hold.

Apple's Planned ‘IWatch’ Could Be More Profitable Than TV  —  While Tim Cook has dropped hints that Apple Inc. (AAPL) is hard at work on a television to drive the next era of growth, the company's wristwatch-style device, still in development, may prove more profitable.

Priest burns picture of pope in CHURCH in protest at resignation as ‘rock star’ cardinals gather to choose successor  —  It ought to have been the most serene of days for the former Pope.  —  But Benedict XVI's first Sunday in retirement has been sullied by a village priest who burnt a photograph of him during Sunday mass.

Ernest Moniz, MIT physicist, nominated as energy secretary  —  It's tempting to think that President Obama picked Ernest Moniz to be his next energy secretary because Moniz's long wavy mop of mostly-white hair might distract people who have been obsessed with Michelle Obama's bangs.

Obama pushing to diversify federal judiciary amid GOP delays  —  In Florida, President Obama has nominated the first openly gay black man to sit on a federal district court.  In New York, he has nominated the first Asian American lesbian.  And his pick for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit?

Republicans and Their Faulty Moral Arithmetic  —  Conservative values and money issues are worth less than concern for the poor.  —  In the waning days of the 1992 presidential campaign, President George H.W. Bush trailed Bill Clinton in the polls.  The conventional wisdom was that Mr. Bush seemed …

Obama's Fault  —  Our feckless leaders may be incapable of passing a budget, but, boy, can they pass the buck.  The White House spent last week in full campaign hysteria, blitzing online followers with the message that heartless Republicans are prepared to transform America into …

Opinion: Big drama guaranteed if Ashley Judd challenges McConnell in Kentucky  —  “Argo” and “Lincoln” won big at the Oscars.  Here's a pitch for the next Washington political story that is sure to be a Hollywood hit.  —  The plot goes like this: A young, liberal Democratic actress returns home to run for the U.S. Senate.

As Automatic Budget Cuts Go Into Effect, Poor May Be Hit Particularly Hard  —  WASHINGTON — The $85 billion in automatic cuts working their way through the federal budget spare many programs that aid the poorest and most vulnerable Americans, including the Children's Health Insurance Program and food stamps.

Mooching Off Medicaid  —  Conservatives like to say that their position is all about economic freedom, and hence making government's role in general, and government spending in particular, as small as possible.  And no doubt there are individual conservatives who really have such idealistic motives.

One study explains why it's tough to pass liberal laws  —  Last year, a group of political scientists took a random sample of state legislators and asked them a slew of questions, most of which boiled down to: “What do your constituents think about policy?”  Do they support gay marriage?