Assault weapons ban loses steam  —  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said on Monday that a controversial assault weapons ban will not be part of a Democratic gun bill that was expected to reach the Senate floor next month.  —  After a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …

Assassination ‘Joke’ Sheriff Doubles Down, Compares Critics To Nazis  —  Plymouth County, MA Sheriff Joe McDonald (R)  —  A day after ThinkProgress and others reported that Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. (R), Sheriff of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, told a “joke” at a Republican St. Patrick's …

Erica Werner of the Associated Press Reads More Into Rand Paul's Speech Than is There  —  Erica Werner of the Associated Press gives us a textbook example of why talking about immigration in the United States is so hard.  She reads into statements things that are not there.

The GOP Faces 2 Stark Choices: Change or Go Over the Cliff  —  As they head into the future, Republicans need to decide whether they will follow the path of hope or the road to ruin.  —  The past 96 hours should provide thinking Republicans both hope and despair about their party's future.

The Last Letter  —  A Letter to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran  —  I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans.  I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq.

GOP catfight: Michael Steele calls Reince Priebus ‘numb nuts’ … The catfight between former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and his replacement, Reince Priebus, has reached screech level, with Steele belittling the party's new focus on minorities as old news.

Our Commitment to Compliance  —  Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft  —  Today, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. government is reviewing allegations that Microsoft business partners in three countries may have engaged in illegal activity, and if they did …

Cyprus Rejects Bank Deposit Tax, Scuttling Bailout Deal  —  NICOSIA — The Cypriot Parliament rejected an international bailout package on Tuesday that had sought to tax bank depositors to pay a big part of the bill, despite a revision that would have exempted small bank accounts from the levies.

Senate measure would begin to clear way for legalizing gay marriage in Nevada  —  Legislators took the first step toward legalizing same-sex marriage in Nevada today.  —  Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, introduced a Senate Joint Resolution that would repeal the section of Nevada's constitution that says …

Scott trails Crist by 12 points  —  Rick Scott's approval numbers have seen no improvement over the last two months, even after his decision to allow Medicaid expansion in Florida.  33% of voters continue to approve of the job he's doing to 57% who disapprove.

The Progressive Shift  —  There is a statue outside the Department of Labor of a powerful, rambunctious horse being reined in by an extremely muscular man.  This used to be a metaphor for liberalism.  The horse was capitalism.  The man was government, which was needed sometimes to restrain capitalism's excesses.

Angry man takes microphone from KC mayor at speech  —  Mayor Sly James of Kansas City was delivering an upbeat State of the City speech Tuesday when an irate man commandeered the microphone at the Gem Theater.  —  The man was quickly tackled on the stage by bodyguard Marlon Buie and taken to a back area …

Staffers Told Washington Examiner Will Cease Daily Publication  —  Today's layoffs at the Washington Examiner extend beyond the Local section.  Staffers are being told that the paper will cease daily publication in June to become a weekly political magazine and website, according to two sources who attended a meeting about the change.

Houston-Area Tea Party Leader Had Ties to Fascist Party … As recently as 2003, the president of the Greater Fort Bend County Tea Party had a very different title: director of propaganda for the American Fascist Party.  —  James Ives, a prominent Tea Party activist who has hosted statewide rallies …

What ‘Lean In’ Misunderstands About Gender Differences  —  There is much to admire in Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.  It is full of funny stories about her brilliant career and helpful advice for workplace success.  As former chief of staff …

Top Democrat endorses Syria no-fly zone  —  Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) endorsed Tuesday the idea of establishing a no-fly zone inside Syria and attacking the air defenses and air power of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  —  Levin chaired a hearing …

Westboro Equality House: Aaron Jackson Paints Rainbow Home Across From Anti-Gay Church  —  The Westboro Baptist Church is about to get a big surprise in the form of a new neighbor who plans to give the notoriously anti-gay group a taste of its own medicine.  —  Aaron Jackson …

Is the House in Play?  A District-by-District Assessment  —  Three weeks ago, I discussed whether the House is likely to flip control next year by looking at historical trends and “big picture” questions.  Those trends show that the Democrats' task is a challenging one.

Clinton, Dems court an alternative to Ashley Judd  —  Democratic heavy-hitters — including Bill Clinton — are quietly trying to woo a new candidate to jump into the race to unseat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, even as actress Ashley Judd is taking steps toward launching a star-studded campaign of her own.

Samsung Preparing Wristwatch as It Races Apple for Sales  —  Turf War: Samsung Races Apple for First Smartwatch  —  Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) is developing a wristwatch as Asia's biggest technology company races against Apple Inc. (AAPL) to create a new industry of wearable devices that perform similar tasks as smartphones.

Cops: U.S. law should require logs of your text messages  —  Silicon Valley firms and privacy groups want Congress to update a 1986-era electronic privacy law.  But if a law enforcement idea set to be presented today gets attached, support for the popular proposal would erode.

Goldman mortgage appeal rejected by Supreme Court  —  (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc suffered a defeat on Monday as the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a decision forcing it to defend against claims it misled investors about mortgage securities that lost value during the 2008 financial crisis.

Rush Limbaugh: RNC Report Wrong, GOP Didn't Get ‘Landslided’ In 2012, Must Be More Conservative  —  Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on Monday dismissed a recently released Republican National Committee report that encouraged the party to modernize.  Limbaugh argued instead that the party is not conservative enough.

Housing has been booming!  Construction jobs haven't.  Here's why.  —  Here are two numbers that anybody who wants to understand the job market should look at: Builders started work on 27.7 percent more homes in February than they did a year earlier.  Yet the number of construction jobs …

Israelis to push Obama for release of spy  —  JERUSALEM—When President Barack Obama arrives in Israel on Wednesday, it'll be tough for him to miss the campaign pressing him to release an American-born man convicted of spying for Israel: Jonathan Pollard.  —  As buses carrying …