Why the Tea Party Is Folding on the Debt Limit  —  They were never irrational, just delusional  —  “You've got to know when to hold them and when to fold them”—thus spake Michele Bachmann in an interview with The Washington Post last week.  Bachmann is, of course, the high priestess of not knowing when to fold them.

Why I'm Getting Sick of Defending Obamacare  —  Incompetence, politics, and delays frustrate advocates of health care reform.  —  It's getting difficult and slinking toward impossible to defend the Affordable Care Act.  The latest blow to Democratic candidates, liberal activists …

‘Anti-Clinton website:’ NBC affiliates across country refuse to say ‘Washington Free Beacon’  —  MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, and local NBC affiliates across the country are uniformly referring to the Washington Free Beacon as an “anti-Clinton website,” without even mentioning the site's name.

Shirley Temple Black, Screen Darling, Dies at 85  —  Shirley Temple Black, who as a dimpled, precocious and determined little girl in the 1930s sang and tap-danced her way to a height of Hollywood stardom and worldwide fame that no other child has reached, died on Monday night at her home in Woodside, Calif. She was 85.

The Left Fights Back  —  This weekend's massive protest in North Carolina shows that the GOP doesn't own morality.  —  I spent most of this past weekend answering two questions: “Why are you so interested in what happens in North Carolina?”  (Posed mainly by people not from North Carolina.)

American Lugers Annoyed by Group's Gay Rights Video  —  KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — There was a ripple of discontent over a gay rights issue at the Sochi Games on Tuesday, but it had nothing to do with Russia.  —  Several American doubles lugers said they were irritated …

Bevin, McConnell and TARP  —  Matt Bevin, who is challenging Sen. Mitch McConnell in a Republican primary, calls the 2008 federal bailout of banks and Wall Street giants “irresponsible” and says he would have opposed it as a senator.  —  Yet back in 2008, as an investment fund president …

Holder Urges States to Repeal Bans on Felons' Voting  —  WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday urged states to repeal laws that prohibit felons from voting, a move that would restore the right to vote to millions of people.  —  The call was mostly symbolic …

Karl Rove hits Rand Paul for Bill Clinton bashing  —  Karl Rove took a shot at Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday for attacking Bill Clinton over his “predatory” behavior toward Monica Lewinsky, saying that it's not good strategy for running for president.  —  “Frankly, Rand Paul spending …

What AOL's Tim Armstrong Got Right  —  Wonder why it's so hard to “bend the cost curve” in health care?  Look no further than the universal freakout over AOL Inc. chief executive officer Tim Armstrong's recent remarks.  —  For those who haven't been following along at home, a recap …

Inslee halts executions in state while he is governor  —  Gov. Jay Inslee this morning announced a moratorium on executions while he is in office: “During my term we will not be executing people.”  —  Gov. Jay Inslee is calling a moratorium on executions while he is governor.

A balanced look at college sex offenses.  —  The headline in the New York Times's Education Life section reads “Stepping Up to Stop Sexual Assault.”  The story, by reporter Michael Winerip, is more balanced than that.  —  Unlike many journalists writing about this subject, Winerip acknowledges the problem of wrongful accusation.

Christie in Chicago: Full-speed ahead  —  CHICAGO — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivered a full-speed ahead message to business leaders here Tuesday, attempting to swing the spotlight away from the traffic scandal dogging his administration and threatening his 2016 presidential prospects.

The American Precariat  —  When foreign visitors used to describe American culture, they generally settled on different versions of one trait: energy.  Whether driven by crass motivations or spiritual ones, Americans, visitors agreed, worked more frantically, moved more and switched jobs more than just about anybody else on earth.

BREAKING: Pipe Break At Coal Facility Contaminates West Virginia Waterway  —  A West Virginia coal slurry impoundment that collapsed in 2012.  —  CREDIT: AP Photo/W.Va. Department of Environmental Protection  —  A coal preparation facility spilled an unknown quantity of coal slurry …

Cellphones on planes?  Tap, don't talk  —  Modern technology has helped to make Americans more accessible and productive than ever.  In particular, the advent of the smartphone has virtually ensured that no matter where we go, no matter the time, we can make a business call or talk to our friends and family.