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 …

The Tea Party Caucus is Dead and That's Okay  —  Two-odd months ago, I asked a Republican Hill staffer what had happened to the Tea Party Caucus.  Launched with great fanfare in 2011, it was often cited in Michele Bachmann's introductions on the presidential campaign trail — “she's the founder of the Tea Party Caucus!”

Senate reaches deal on continuing resolution  —  Breaking the Senate logjam, Majority Leader Harry Reid won agreement Wednesday on a series of votes which all but assure final passage by Congress this week of a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded through the last six months of this fiscal year.

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.

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?

Boehner on Obama quip: ‘So much for the charm offensive’  —  Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that President Obama was undercutting his recent outreach efforts when he told Israeli leaders “it's good to get away from Congress.”  —  “So much for the charm offensive,” Boehner said with a laugh to CNN.

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.

Dems force GOP to vote down RSC budget  —  Democrats voted present to force more Republicans to vote against the Republican Study Committee's (RSC) budget.  Democrats hoped that by getting their members to vote present instead of against the budget, it might be approved by the House.

Obama's armored limo had to be towed during trip to Israel  —  JERUSALEM - “The Beast” is becoming a burden.  —  President Obama's armored Cadillac limo, which was supposed to schlep him around the Holy Land, broke down.  —  According to Israeli's Channel 2, the cause of the mishap was a simple error all motorists try to avoid.

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 …

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 …

Victim bullied after rape allegations against Torrington football players  —  jglenza@registercitizen.com  —  @JessicaGlenza on Twitter  —  TORRINGTON >> Two Torrington High School football players stand accused of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.  Four others were suspended …

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:

Obama Berates Journalist After Being Asked About Middle East Failures  —  Tells MSNBC host to be more like Israel press.  —  President Obama went after MSNBC host Chuck Todd for asking too many questions at a press conference today in Jerusalem, Israel:  —  Obama told Todd …

A Bakery With 95 Employees Confronts the New Health Care Law  —  Baked in the Sun is a wholesale baker and distributor of freshly baked pastries near San Diego.  —  THE CHALLENGE The company is one of thousands of small businesses that employ more than 50 full-time employees and thus …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

‘Tonight’ Show Expected to Return to New York, With Fallon  —  A plan is in the works to bring NBC's “Tonight” show back to New York.  —  While the network has yet to complete a deal, it has made a commitment to Jimmy Fallon, the current host of its “Late Night” program …