It's a Trap!  —  Republicans are walking into a trap and they don't even realize it.  —  They are about to consider, in the House of Representatives, legislation by Congressman Upton that would allow people to keep their insurance plans.  —  There's a problem though.

LOCKED IN THE CABINET  —  The worst job in Barack Obama's Washington.  —  Steven Chu is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a brilliant innovator whose research fills several all-but-incomprehensible paragraphs of a Wikipedia entry that spans his achievements in single-molecule physics …

Two Secret Service agents cut from Obama's detail after alleged misconduct  —  A call from the Hay-Adams Hotel this past spring reporting that a Secret Service agent was trying to force his way into a woman's room set in motion an internal investigation that has sent tremors through …

Ted Cruz: When You Attack Me, You're Attacking the ‘American People’  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) believes that when his critics attack, they're not just going after him, but also taking on “the American people.”  Following his lively conversation with Jay Leno last Friday, the senator attended an …

Obamacare Schadenfreudarama  —  To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh at the unraveling of Obamacare.  —  First, the obligatory caveats.  It is no laughing matter that millions of Americans' lives have been thrown into anxious chaos as they lose their health insurance …

Americans' Approval of Healthcare Law Declines  —  Currently 40% approve and 55% disapprove  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' views of the 2010 healthcare law have worsened in recent weeks, with 40% approving and 55% disapproving of it.  For most of the past year, Americans have been divided on the law …

Testimony  —  Vice Chair Janet L. Yellen  —  Confirmation hearing  —  Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.  —  Chairman Johnson, Senator Crapo, and members of the Committee, thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today.

Immigrant teens ambush Boehner at diner  —  A pair of immigrant teenagers confronted Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) at a Capitol Hill diner on Wednesday morning, telling him their parents were in danger of deportation because of the House's inaction on immigration reform.

Reid calls special ObamaCare meeting  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday will convene a special meeting of the Senate Democratic caucus and senior White Officials to discuss the troubled rollout of ObamaCare.  —  Reid on Wednesday told reporters he would not answer questions …

Pope Francis corruption fury: Tie them to a rock and throw them in the sea  —  Impassioned sermon condemned corruption from those who donated to the church but stole from the state  —  Pope Francis delivered an impassioned sermon yesterday, during which he quoted a passage from the bible …

A ‘Duck Dynasty’ endorsement in Louisiana  —  Louisiana Republican Vance McAllister is hoping “Duck Dynasty” star Willie Robertson can pull him over the finish line in Saturday's special congressional election.  —  Robertson is coming out in support of the candidate in a TV ad, telling voters to …

Mr. Burgundy goes to Washington  —  Washington (CNN) - News team, assemble!  —  Ron Burgundy and the rest of the Channel 4 Evening News gang descend on Washington on Thursday when a new interactive exhibit opens at the Newseum.  —  Follow @politicalticker

Socialist candidate leading in Seattle City Council race  —  A Seattle City Council election that was thought to be a foregone conclusion is suddenly on the cusp of seeing a Socialist candidate either win or force a recount, the Seattle Times reported on Tuesday.

Commissioned poll: Mike Enzi up 53 on Liz Cheney  —  Liz Cheney's support has faded in Wyoming since the summer, according to internal polling conducted for a super PAC that's been running ads against her and shared exclusively with POLITICO.  —  Sen. Mike Enzi (R) has expanded his lead …

Obama Campaign Manager In Talks To Head Hillary Clinton Project  —  Jim Messina and Clinton advisor John Podesta would lead the next iteration of the super PAC, Priorities USA.  “The missing piece” in a Hillary machine under rapid construction.  —  Former Clinton advisor John Podesta …

Why President Obama's sinking job approval numbers matter.  A lot.  —  Who cares?  —  That's a common reaction — particularly in the Democratic wing of the Twitter-sphere — anytime, like this morning, we post a piece detailing President Obama's sinking poll numbers.