Ads Attacking Health Law Stagger Outspent Democrats  —  WASHINGTON — Democrats are increasingly anxious about an onslaught of television ads hitting vulnerable Senate and House candidates for their support of the new health law, since many lack the resources to fight back in the early stages of the midterm campaign.

Armed Services Chairman McKeon retiring  —  House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) will announced his retirement on Wednesday, according to two sources close to McKeon.  —  “Mr. McKeon will be making his announcement tomorrow morning that he'll be retiring,” a source close to McKeon tells The Hill.

WH delays another ObamaCare deadline  —  The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it was again extending the ObamaCare enrollment deadline for people with pre-existing conditions.  —  The administration said it would extend the Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP), slated to end Jan. 31, until March 15.

Poll: Christie cruising through bridge scandal (so far)  —  Nearly 70 percent of Americans say the bridge-closure scandal engulfing Chris Christie has not changed their opinion about the New Jersey governor, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll.  In addition, 44 percent …

This Democrat thinks he can win in 2016 as the anti-Obama  —  Brian Schweitzer, the former two-term Democratic governor of Montana, is rarely speechless.  Once he gets going on a topic, he's almost impossible to stop.  As he builds up steam, he'll slap his knee to emphasize his points.

Wendy Davis's Campaign Mocks Greg Abbott for Being Paralyzed  —  Wendy Davis's campaign spin on her fundraising numbers is impressive.  She wants you to know that she raised $12 million to Republican Greg Abbot's $11.5 million.  What she is hoping you will ignore, and which much of the press will ignore …

Special counsel named in New Jersey bridge probe  —  (CNN) - The New Jersey General Assembly, which is investigating the George Washington Bridge controversy, on Wednesday named the same prosecutor that went after former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich as its own special counsel for a committee that will lead the bridge probe.

Marijuana politics  —  So the POLITICO homepage has gone to pot: Darren Samuelsohn and Byron Tau report on how states are taking the lead on the legalization campaign; Reid Cherlin investigates the legal nightmare this creates between state and federal law — the consequences are far-ranging …

What Happens When the President Sits Down Next to You at a Cafe  —  Before  —  Thursday into Friday, my head cold got worse, so on Friday morning I walked down to a bar-cafe-restaurant in my neighborhood.  I had been there for a few hours when youthful, vigorous men and women wearing …

Senate report: Attack on U.S. compound in Benghazi could have been prevented  —  A long-delayed Senate intelligence committee report released on Wednesday spreads blame among the State Department and intelligence agencies for not preventing attacks on two outposts in Libya that killed four Americans …

Gabriel Sherman's biography of Roger Ailes.  —  Gabriel Sherman is part of a group of young media reporters—many starting out at the New York Observer under the tutelage of then-Editor Peter Kaplan, an avowed media nostalgist—who have seen their subject, the power of the media, pulled out from under them.

Gates: Syria Red Line Was ‘Serious Mistake’  —  Video: Gates on why it was a mistake to declare a red line in Syria.  —  Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it was a “serious mistake” for the Obama administration to declare a red line on chemical weapons use in Syria …

GOP Congressional Candidate: Spousal Rape Shouldn't Be a Crime  —  Virginia state Sen. Dick Black fought to block a statue of Lincoln and invited a video crew to film him watching violent rape porn on a library computer.  Now he's looking for a promotion.  —  Republican attorney general …

NH House effort to legalize pot faces long odds  —  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legalizing up to 1 ounce of marijuana for recreational use for anyone age 21 and older, but the measure faces long odds of becoming law.

Government Itself Still Cited as Top U.S. Problem  —  Narrowly leads the economy, unemployment, healthcare  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans start the new year with a variety of national concerns on their minds.  Although none is dominant, the government, at 21%, leads the list …

Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) - Environment Chapter  —  WikiLeaks released the secret draft text for the entire TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Environment Chapter and the corresponding Chairs' Report.  The TPP transnational legal regime would cover 12 countries initially …

MSNBC Chief Defends Anchor Apologies: ‘We Took Responsibility’  —  Phil Griffin on meltdowns by Alec Baldwin, Martin Bashir and Melissa Harris-Perry as the public squabbling with Fox News and CNN intensifies.  —  MSNBC Chief Phil Griffin is accepting responsibility for a spate of recent gaffes …