Spinning Benghazi  —  It's a cliché, of course, but it really is true: in Washington, every scandal has a crime and a coverup.  The ongoing debate about the attack on the United States facility in Benghazi where four Americans were killed, and the Obama Administration's response to it, is no exception.

Moby Ben, or, The Washington Super-Whale: Hedge Fundies, the Federal Reserve, and Bernanke-Hatred  —  In February 2012, a number of hedge fund traders noted one particular index—CDX IG 9—that seemed to be underpriced.  It seemed to be cheaper to buy credit default protection on the 125 companies …

Michele Bachmann: 9/11, Benghazi Were God's ‘Judgment,’ So We Must Hold Day Of Prayer On Sept. 11  —  Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continued to promote a right-wing Sept. 11 “National Day of Prayer and Fasting” on Thursday, telling an audience gathered at a Capitol Hill event that such actions …

The IRS was wrong to target the tea party.  They should've gone after all 501(c)4s.  —  Let's be very clear: because the Internal Revenue Service holds so much private data, and because it can make people's lives absolutely miserable, it is of paramount importance in our political system that it both is …

Budget request denied, Sebelius turns to health executives to finance Obamacare  —  HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is asking private industry executives to help fund Obamacare's implementation.  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has gone, hat in hand …

Maher, Joy Reid Clash With Glenn Greenwald Over Benghazi: 'Obama's Supposed To Micromanage' The World?  —  On his Friday night show, Bill Maher invited his panel to discuss this week's developments about Benghazi — debating whether the story is as scandalous as Republicans are making it out to be.

West Wing briefly evacuated due to smoke, Secret Service says  —  (CNN) — The West Wing of the White House, including the press area, was evacuated Saturday out of an abundance of caution as authorities investigate the source of smoke coming out of what is believed to be a mechanical closet, a Secret Service spokesman told CNN.

Rand Paul challenges Hillary Clinton in key Iowa speech  —  CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Presidential elections start in Iowa.  —  On Friday, Sen. Rand Paul put his stake in the ground for a possible run in 2016 by mocking the Obama administration and delivering a blistering critique of former Secretary …

Elon Musk and David Sacks Depart Fwd.us, Mark Zuckerberg's Political Action Group  —  Elon Musk and David Sacks, two of the Silicon Valley stars behind Fwd.us, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's political action committee, have left the group, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Movie theater publicity stunt triggers officers to respond to active shooter situation  —  Movie theater publicity stunt triggers police response  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -  —  Management at the Goodrich Capital 8 Theaters is defending what it calls a publicity stunt at the movie theaters this past weekend.

Jason Richwine Resigns from the Heritage Foundation  —  The Heritage Foundation tells without much more detail.  The full explanation: … Some background: I'd been asking whether Heritage read Richwine's dissertation, or talked about any of the potentially explosive IQ research, before hiring him.

Guatemala court jails ex-leader  —  A court in Guatemala has found former military leader Efrain Rios Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.  —  A three-judge tribunal sentenced the 86-year-old to 80 years in prison.  —  Rios Montt was convicted of ordering the deaths …

Fast Food Strike Wave Spreads to Detroit  —  Two updates appear below.  —  Hundreds of Detroit fast food workers plan to walk off the job beginning at 6 AM today, making the motor city the fourth in five weeks to see such strikes.  Organizers expect participants from at least 60 stores …

'I'm not good at math': The IRS's public relations disaster  —  About a half-hour into a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon, senior Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner said something she will regret.  —  “I'm not good at math,” she confessed as she tried to summon a statistic.