Transcript: President Obama's Exclusive Interview With George Stephanopoulos  —  GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:  —  Mr. President, thank you for doing this.  —  PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:  —  It's great to be here.  —  GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS:  —  So, you've done all meetings on Capitol Hill …

Paul Ryan's Tax Math Just Became More Magical  —  Paul Ryan's latest budget relies on even bigger unnamed savings  —  There's something breathtaking about any Paul Ryan budget.  There are the savage cuts to healthcare and safety-net spending for the young and poor.  The deep cuts to education, research, and infrastructure.

CPAC muddle mirrors GOP mess  —  It's not hard to make fun of CPAC.  From the presence of Donald Trump to a meaningless straw poll to a cavalcade of fringe-dwelling book merchants, the event has become more carnival than conservative salon.  —  What is more notable about this year's rendition …

Missed chance: Obama's tax problem  —  President Obama faces huge, and probably insurmountable, obstacles to reviving a grand bargain — none higher and more difficult to overcome than his decision to increase taxes by $600 billion in December.  —  At the time, Obama claimed victory …

2016 Hillary-Michelle ‘Dream Ticket’ floated … Hillary Clinton hasn't stepped into the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries yet and there's already buzz growing for the ultimate grrl power ticket: Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama.  —  “All due respect for President Obama and Vice President Biden …

How Bill Clinton Inspired The 47 Percent Filmmaker  —  WASHINGTON — Bill Clinton won the presidential election for Barack Obama.  But it wasn't his masterful Democratic National Convention speech or the advice he offered the president's reelection campaign.

AP Exclusive: Applying for health care not easy  —  Associated Press/J. David Ake - A draft copy of the 21-page of a Health and Human Services Department form proposed for use to apply for low-cost insurance from Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program ...more

Mitt Romney's niece latest to study run for Levin's seat after Scott Romney bows out  —  Washington — A Romney could be on the ticket for the 2014 Senate race, but it won't be Mitt's brother.  —  Ronna Romney McDaniel, granddaughter of former Michigan Gov. George Romney, said she's …

Where the Sun Don't Shine  —  President Obama promised transparency and open government.  He failed miserably.  So why do Washington watchdog groups look the other way?  —  President Obama has failed to deliver on few promises as miserably as his vow to create a more transparent and open government.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigns  —  Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has resigned.  —  The resignation comes two days after Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers interviewed Carroll about her involvement with Allied Veterans of the World, a non-profit that operates internet cafes in Florida.

Corbett in dire shape for reelection  —  Tom Corbett- already among the country's most unpopular Governors- has seen his position worsen considerably over the last two months.  Only 33% of voters now approve of his job performance, compared to 58% who disapprove.

chris huhne ridiculed on his first day in wandsworth jail  —  Shamed MP Huhne mocked by warder in jail Tannoy prank  —  DISGRACED MP Chris Huhne was ridiculed on his first day in Wandsworth jail yesterday — when a warder called him to breakfast by yelling: “Order!  Order!”

Obama's approval drops as Americans take a dimmer view of his economic policies  —  The afterglow of President Obama's reelection and inauguration appears to have vanished as increasingly negative views among Americans about his stewardship of the economy have forced his public approval rating …

Sources: NRA won't oppose background check deal - if Democrats cede tough records fight  —  Senators negotiating a bill mandating background checks for all gun buyers are privately expecting the National Rifle Association not to fight the measure — provided the legislation does …

Obama looking for way to resume White House tours for school groups  —  President Obama said his administration was looking at ways to resume White House tours for school groups.  —  “This was not a decision that went up to the White House,” noted Obama in an ABC News interview aired on Wednesday …

Sadness Abounds: CPAC To Be Less Sexxxxxy This Year  —  Remember how last year's CPAC was teh hotttnesss?  You had boys getting drunk and hooking up and passing out.  You had ladies showing cleavage.  CLEAVAGE!  Does all this seem a bit deja vu to you, longtime Wonkians?

Politics by Intimidation  —  Three days before the December massacre in Newtown, Conn., a 22-year-old gunman named Jacob Tyler Roberts opened fire at the Clackamas Town Center, a suburban shopping mall in Portland, Ore. He killed two people before killing himself, though it could have been much worse.