Chris Christie's Entire Career Reeks  —  It's not just the bridge  —  Has there ever been a political reversal of fortune as rapid and as absolute as the one just experienced by Chris Christie?  At warp speed, the governor of New Jersey has gone from the most popular politician in the country …

Before O-Care debacle, Sebelius made many trips to White House  —  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was in frequent contact with President Obama and senior White House aides before the disastrous launch of the federal ObamaCare exchange last year.

‘Vote No, Hope Yes’ Defines Dysfunction in Congress  —  WASHINGTON — After the shutdown, the filibusters and years of stalled bills, it was the actual passage of legislation this week that revealed the true depth of congressional dysfunction.  —  The House vote to raise the debt limit …

The Minority Maker  —  Ted Cruz hurts his party by forcing a meaningless debt-ceiling vote.

President Obama to raise money for House Democrats  —  CAMBRIDGE, Md. — President Barack Obama will headline at least six fundraisers for House Democrats this year, with “the potential for more,” according to Democratic sources.  —  Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic …

How Comcast Buying Time Warner Cable Could Impact You — And The Entire Entertainment Industry  —  Comcast Cable President and CEO Neil Smit.  —  CREDIT: AP Images/Evan Agostini  —  Today, Comcast, already the country's largest provider of cable television, announced that it would spend $45 billion …

Is opposing gay marriage the same as being a racist?  —  Conservative opposition to same sex marriage is deeply rooted in religious belief  —  W  —  riting at The New Republic, Isaac Chotiner doesn't much appreciate my argument about the growing cockiness of secular liberals.

Some snow is on the ground at the highest elevations of the Big Island of Hawaii.  —  Snow is on the ground in 49 out of the 50 states — only the Sunshine State of Florida is completely snow-free, according to a map produced Thursday morning by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Release Detail  —  February 13, 2014 - Cuomo Thumps Trump, Astorino In New York Gov Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Clinton Runs Better Against Christie In 2016 Race  —  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a 63 - 28 percent job approval rating, higher than the current scores for any governor …

Wednesday Was Full of Good News for Obamacare.  Here Are the Charts That Prove It.  —  More Americans enrolled in Obamacare plans in January than expected, according to data released Wednesday by the Obama administration.  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had expected to sign up 1,059,900 people last month.

Gay Republican Candidate's Ad Poses Test for Party  —  Carl DeMaio is one of three openly gay Republicans running for Congress this year, and he would be at least the third to serve in the House if he wins.  But Mr. DeMaio on Thursday will take a step that none of them has …

Kuttner, Galston, and the Debate Over the Social Safety Net  —  Robert Kuttner and William Galston round out our forum on the future of entitlement programs.  —  Kuttner  —  I take exception to most of the assumptions and conclusions in William Galston's piece.

Exclusive: Snowden Swiped Password From NSA Coworker - NBC News  —  A civilian NSA employee recently resigned after being stripped of his security clearance for allowing former agency contractor Edward Snowden to use his pers...

Maddow Defends Bridge Coverage Following ‘Morning Joe’ Criticism (VIDEO)  —  Rachel Maddow kicked off her show Wednesday evening with what seemed like a repudiation to what was said on her own network several hours earlier.  —  “It has been a big day today in the biggest political story …

Rand Paul and Ken Cuccinelli accused of stealing NSA lawsuit  —  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has been caught using purloined passages in several of his speeches.  Now the aspiring presidential candidate stands accused of filing a lawsuit stolen from its author.  —  Since December …

Ninth Circuit holds Second Amendment secures a right to carry a gun  —  So holds today's Peruta v. County of San Diego (9th Cir. Feb. 13, 2014) (2-1 vote).  The court concludes that California's broad limits on both open and concealed carry of loaded guns — with no “shall-issue” …

Thomas Speaks ... Blindly About Race  —  Associate Justice Clarence Thomas doesn't often speak during oral arguments before the Supreme Court.  —  But often what he says outside the chamber is eyebrow-raising.  Such was the case Tuesday when Thomas told an audience at Palm Beach Atlantic University:

Why The Senate STILL Isn't Able To Get Anything Done Even After The ‘Nuclear Option’  —  It wasn't supposed to be this way.  —  In 2013, the Senate adopted two of the most significant changes to its rules in nearly 40 years.  The first significantly reduced the amount of time senators …

When did faith start to fade?  —  In Tom Stoppard's 1970 play “Jumpers,” the philosopher hero broods unhappily on the inexorable rise of the atheist: “The tide is running his way, and it is a tide which has turned only once in human history. . . . There is presumably a calendar date—a moment …