Question that revealed IRS scandal was planted, chief admits  —  Steven Miller, the acting IRS commissioner, said Friday that last week's revelation that the IRS gave special scrutiny to Tea Party groups came from a planted question.  —  Lois Lerner, an IRS official with oversight of tax-exempt groups …

Harry Reid eyeing July for the ‘nuclear option’  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is increasingly focused on the month of July as the time to exercise the so-called “nuclear option” and revisit filibuster reform, and he has privately told top advisers that he's all but certain to take action …

Sarah Palin  · 3,548,133 like this  —  Mr. President, when it rains it pours, but most Americans hold their own umbrellas.  Today in the Rose Garden you dismissed the idea of a Special Counsel to investigate the IRS scandal.  With that, your galling political hubris shined bright in the midst of today's dark clouds.

Kinsley loves austerity because it is “spinach”  —  The liberal pundit supports a worthless international initiative  —  So the other day Paul Krugman had a long, very good piece in the New York Review of Books on the arguments and flawed research used to justify austerity measures …

Officials on Benghazi: “We made mistakes, but without malice”  —  Obama administration officials who were in key positions on Sept. 11, 2012 acknowledge that a range of mistakes were made the night of the attacks on the U.S. missions in Benghazi, and in messaging to Congress and the public in the aftermath.

(Update) We Are Raising $200,000 to Buy and Publish the Rob Ford Crack Tape  —  As you may have heard, Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto, smokes crack cocaine.  We've seen a video of him smoking crack cocaine, and the people who have the video would like to sell it.  Through the miracle of crowdfunding, you can help.

Even Obama's umbrellas are a scandal now  —  Even President Obama's use of umbrellas has become a scandal in the eyes of some Republicans.  —  On Thursday, during a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, Obama signaled to two Marines and asked them to protect him and his guest from the rain.

Radio Host Frequented By Gun Activists Calls For Shooting of Bush Family & Obama, Sexual Violence Against Hillary Clinton  —  Pete Santilli is the kind of person we normally wouldn't cover here - an unhinged Internet ranter who exists somewhere to the crazier side of Alex Jones.

LGBT: Portuguese parliament approves right to adoption - Portugal  —  Portuguese parliament has approved Friday a bill that will allow same-sex married couples to adopt their partner's bilological or adopted children.  The bill was approved with 99 votes in favor, 94 votes against, and 9 abstentions.

Rep. Issa subpoenas Benghazi auditor Thomas Pickering  —  The lawmaker leading the charge to investigate the Benghazi terror attack on Friday subpoenaed the co-author of a report that slammed the State Department but didn't interview Hillary Clinton.  —  House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa …

Reporter Turned White House Spokesman Enjoys the Hot Seat  —  WASHINGTON — For the better part of a decade, Jay Carney sat slumped in his tiny chair in the White House briefing room, parsing, challenging and at times pillorying the words of an array of press secretaries.

BREAKING: The Scandals are Falling Apart!  —  So says Ezra Klein, who may turn out to be one of the stupidest people ever to be given column inches in a printed medium of any variety.  —  After reading Klein's desperate attempt to map onto reality his own desires, written in the form …

Under-Rehearsed Flash Mob  —  So a day after reports that it was stalemated, the House “Gang of Eight” working on immigration reform legislation announced an agreement today—or rather announced an agreement had been reached, since no details were released.  It seems, according to various sources …

Tsarnaev's lawyer loses photo bid  —  A federal magistrate on Friday denied a bid by the defense attorneys for Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to take pictures of him in jail as he awaits trial.  —  Attorneys had filed a motion requesting permission to override the no-photography rule …

FEC fines John Ensign's family $54,000  —  The Federal Election Commission has fined former Sen. John Ensign and his parents $54,000 for improper severance payments to Cindy Hampton, a former campaign aide who had an extramarital affair with the Nevada Republican.

Why the underwear-bomber leak infuriated the Obama administration  —  Journalists gasp and growl whenever prosecutors issue lawful subpoenas ordering them to divulge their confidential sources or to turn over potential evidence, such as notes, video outtakes or other records.

Simpson's lawyer testifies in appeal case  —  LAS VEGAS (AP) - The lawyer who unsuccessfully defended O.J. Simpson against armed robbery charges testified Friday his client knew two companions had guns in a 2007 confrontation with memorabilia dealers.  —  Miami attorney Yale Galanter contradicted …