Mistakes, Excuses and Painful Lessons From the Iraq War  —  I supported the Iraq War, and I'm sorry.  —  I have my excuses, of course.  I was a college student, young and dumb.  I thought that if U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell and former President Bill Clinton …

Religious Right Could Be Left Behind By New Republican Plan  —  Abandoned by the Establishment, beset by libertarians, the base is playing defense.  —  Image by John Gara/Buzzfeed  —  When the great Republican resurrection comes to pass, will conservative Christians be left behind?

Colorado prison chief shot dead on eve of gun laws signing  —  (Reuters) - The head of Colorado's prison system was shot dead at his home in what police said may have been a targeted killing, just hours before the governor on Wednesday signed new gun control laws spurred by a rash of deadly mass shootings in Colorado and elsewhere.

Special Travel Benefit for Saudis a “Slap in the Face”  —  Saudi Arabia, the nation which produced 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 attacks, is about to become one of a handful of countries whose travelers can bypass normal passport controls at major U.S. airports.

Obama takes Indiana over Louisville for title  —  President Barack Obama is favoring the Big Ten in this year's NCAA tournament, ultimately selecting Indiana to win it all.  —  The president predicted that Louisville, Indiana, Ohio State and Florida will reach the Final Four …

Spineless pols spit on the graves of Newtown victims by not pushing for assault weapons ban  —  The words of a teary-eyed President and other politicians meant nothing, because they didn't turn into action, as a ban on assault weapons won't be included in gun legislation that's shaping up in the U.S. Senate.

Family's Home Raided over Facebook Photo of Child's Rifle  —  New Jersey police and Dept. of Children and Families officials raided the home of a firearms instructor and demanded to see his guns after he posted a Facebook photo of his 11-year-old son holding a rifle.  —  FOLLOW TODD ON FACEBOOK FOR CULTURE WAR NEWS.

Exclusive: No More Drones for CIA  —  Three senior officials tell Daniel Klaidman that the Obama administration is poised to shift the CIA's drone program to the Pentagon.  —  At a time when controversy over the Obama administration's drone program seems to be cresting …

Washington Post seeks blogger to post ‘at least’ 12 times per day  —  The Washington Post's arts and living section, Style, is looking for a blogger, an internal announcement reads.  Whoever lands this position may want to invest in a serious coffee machine:

Sugary Drinks Linked To 180,000 Annual Deaths Around The World  —  New research finds that the consumption of sugary drinks and sodas contributes to about 180,000 obesity-related deaths around the world — including the deaths of about 25,000 adult Americans — each year.

Americans Widely Back Government Job Creation Proposals  —  Seven in 10 favor business tax breaks and infrastructure repair programs  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans widely support each of three job creation proposals, including offering tax breaks to businesses that create jobs in the U.S …

Roger Ailes Couldn't Care Less What You Think About His Obama Comments  —  The Fox News chief tells Howard Kurtz he stands by the laziness charge and says Sarah Palin made ‘mistakes’ and that Dick Morris looked like a ‘jerk’ when he predicted a Romney landslide.  Plus, read the 16 juiciest bits from the new Ailes biography.

Sanford advances to GOP runoff in SC House race  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford advanced Tuesday to a runoff in the Republican contest for an open congressional seat, taking a step toward reviving a political career that was derailed by an extramarital affair while he was governor.

Republicans turn down trip with Obama  —  Top House Republicans were invited to Israel with President Barack Obama, but did not attend because of the congressional schedule, sources on Capitol Hill and at the White House say.  —  Most notably, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) …

Rep. Michele Bachmann ‘Goes Rogue,’ Literally Races Away From CNN Reporter  —  For Tuesday night's “Keeping Them Honest” segment, CNN host Anderson Cooper turned to Dana Bash's encounter with Rep. Michele Bachmann who, asked about comments she made about President Obama enjoying a lavish lifestyle …

Obama honeymoon may be over  —  The second-term honeymoon for President Obama is beginning to look like it is over.  —  Obama, who was riding high after his reelection win in November, has seen his poll numbers take a precipitous fall in recent weeks.  —  A CNN poll released Tuesday showed …

As Men Lose Economic Ground, Clues in the Family  —  WASHINGTON — The decline of two-parent households may be a significant reason for the divergent fortunes of male workers, whose earnings generally declined in recent decades, and female workers, whose earnings generally increased …

Middle School Principal Cancels ‘Honors Night’ Because It Might Upset Students Who Didn't Make The Grades … But, apparently, it's okay to devastate the kids who worked hard and achieved academic honors...  Contact Info, in case you want to let this Principal know how stupid and unfair …

Voting Early and in More Than One State  —  North Carolina's State Board of Elections is referring evidence to prosecutors that five people appear to have voted in both North Carolina and in Florida.  The information the board is passing on wasn't gathered by government officials …

Gay Man Allegedly Stoned To Death In Somalia  —  A GAY man was allegedly stoned to death as punishment for homosexuality, a gay Muslim group has said Saturday.  —  According to Somali Gay Community, the young man, Mohamed Ali Baashi ,18, was buried in a hole up to his chest and then pelted …

Yoko Ono tweets controversial image of John Lennon's bloody glasses as she protests against gun violence on 44th anniversary of her wedding to the Beatle  —  Peace activist Yoko Ono has entered the on-going debate over gun control laws in the U.S. by tweeting a provocative image …

Massachusetts Senate Candidate Stands By Sheriff Who Joked About Killing Obama … Throughout the early stages of his campaign for the Republican nomination for Secretary of State John Kerry's open U.S. Senate seat, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan has enjoyed the strong support of Plymouth County …

Obama's mysterious visit  —  Why is US President Barack Obama coming to Israel today?  In 2008, then president George W. Bush came to celebrate Israel's 60th Independence Day, and to reject Israeli requests for assistance in destroying Iran's nuclear installations.

Full text of Obama's speech on arrival in Israel  —  US president says it's no accident that his first foreign visit in his second term is to the Holy Land  —  Shalom.  —  President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and most of all, to the people of Israel, thank you for this incredibly warm welcome.

Fla. poll: Crist crushes Gov. Scott  —  Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist easily beats the Sunshine State's current Gov. Rick Scott in a gubernatorial matchup, according to a new poll Wednesday.  —  Crist — who switched to the Democratic Party after having served as a GOP governor …