King may switch sides and join the Republicans after midterms  —  Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with the Democrats, will decide after the midterm elections whether to switch sides and join the Republicans.  —  He is leaving open the possibility of aligning himself with the GOP if control of the upper chamber changes hands.

Eric Holder strays from planned remarks  —  Attorney General Eric Holder strayed from prepared remarks to slam the way he was “treated” by a House committee the day before, calling it evidence of “ugly and divisive” civil rights challenges facing him and President Barack Obama

House Conservatives Plot to Oust Boehner, Put Scare Into Cantor  —  One plan: Force the speaker to step aside before the new year.  —  Several dozen frustrated House conservatives are scheming to infiltrate the GOP leadership next year—possibly by forcing Speaker John Boehner …

The Truth About the Pay Gap  —  Women are the primary or co-breadwinner in 6 out of 10 American families.  That makes the economic imperative of addressing the wage gap between women and men important, as is every step President Obama can take in that direction.

BREAKING: Emails Show Lois Lerner Fed True the Vote Tax Information to Democrat Elijah Cummings … New IRS emails released by the House Oversight Committee show staff working for Democratic Ranking Member Elijah Cummings communicated with the IRS multiple times between 2012 and 2013 about voter fraud prevention group True the Vote.

Budget vote goes down to the wire  —  House Republican leaders expressed confidence on the eve of Thursday's vote on Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget, even as they made last-minute moves to prevent an embarrassing defeat.  —  “I feel comfortable about where the budget is,” GOP Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (Ill.) said.

ObamaCare's Missing 3.2 Million  —  A mixed verdict from the Rand Corp.  —  The Rand Corp. is out with a new study titled “Changes in Health Insurance Enrollment Since 2013,” and ObamaCare cheerleaders like Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times are dancing for joy.

Russia Didn't Share All Details on Boston Bombing Suspect, Report Says  —  WASHINGTON — The Russian government declined to provide the F.B.I. with information about one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects that would most likely have led to more extensive scrutiny of him at least two years …

Why GOP Wins In 2014 Could Mean A Democratic President In 2016  —  This fall, in a strange aligning of the electoral stars, Republicans will defend governorships in several key presidential swing states: Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Ohio.  Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could also be added to that list …

Black Culture and Progressivism  —  What started as a discussion of Paul Ryan's comments by has turned into a revealing debate on the nature of liberal politics in the United States.  —  Some pieces of news precipitate a kind of journalistic pile-on.  This can be unfortunate …

Could America Become Mississippi?  —  The country's demographic trends could lead to racially polarized electorates akin to the Deep South.  —  Does a dramatic change in your social environment make you more conservative, and if so, what kind of change would it take?  —  JAMELLE BOUIE

Eleven Democrats Push Obama to Approve Keystone  —  Nearly a dozen Senate Democrats, including five up for re-election this year, are pressing President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, and they say they want a decision by the end of next month.

Watchdog finds IRS employees promoted Obama in 2012  —  Internal Revenue Service employees encouraged taxpayers to vote for President Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and disparaged Republicans, a federal ethics watchdog said Wednesday.  —  One IRS customer representative urged people calling …

Illinois Democrat reveals ethics review  —  Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said the Office of Congressional Ethics is reviewing him after reports in December about a $1 million grant his non-profit organization received more than a decade ago.  —  Rush told the Chicago Sun-Times he has been cooperating fully …

IRS at the Crossroads  —  New evidence that Lois Lerner targeted conservative groups.  —  Congress's investigation into IRS political targeting accelerated Wednesday, with a referral for the criminal prosecution of a former Treasury official and new evidence to back it up.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Speaks  —  Ayaan Hirsi Ali has just released this statement in response to Brandeis University's decision to rescind her invitation to receive an honorary degree:  —  “Yesterday Brandeis University decided to withdraw an honorary degree they were to confer upon me next month during their Commencement exercises.

Vance McAllister's new problem: His own party  —  Republicans are beginning to nudge GOP Rep. Vance McAllister out of Congress.  —  Just two days after video footage of him in a romantic encounter with a staffer became public, the state Republican chairman has tried unsuccessfully …

Iowa Senate Candidate Will Use His Glock ‘To Blow Your Balls Off’ (VIDEO)  —  Iowa Independent Senate candidate Bob Quast has a new ad out in which he waves around a Glock gun and threatens to “blow your balls off.”  —  The ad, tuned to cheery music, is called “#GotBalls Vote for Bob Quast” …