Rand Paul for President  —  Because what the GOP needs is a humbling landslide defeat.  —  Republicans, let's get it over with.  Fast forward to the finish line.  Avoid the long and winding primary road.  It can only weaken the nominee.  And we know who he—yes, he—has to be.

Census Survey Revisions Mask Health Law Effects  —  WASHINGTON — The Census Bureau, the authoritative source of health insurance data for more than three decades, is changing its annual survey so thoroughly that it will be difficult to measure the effects of President Obama's health care law …

Why You Should Be Sympathetic Toward Cliven Bundy  —  On Saturday, I wrote about the standoff at Bundy Ranch.  That post drew a remarkable amount of traffic, even though, as I wrote then, I had not quite decided what to make of the story.  Since then, I have continued to study the facts and have drawn some conclusions.

WATCH: Congressman Tells Black Constituent He's Not Sure The Civil Rights Act Is Constitutional  —  Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) addresses a town hall meeting in Gainesville, Florida.  —  CREDIT: Scott Keyes  —  GAINESVILLE, Florida — Last week, former presidents and dignitaries celebrated …

As Taxes Rise, Half in U.S. Say Middle-Income Pay Too Much  —  A near-record high of 23% say lower-income Americans pay too little  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly half of Americans, 49%, believe middle-income people — a group many Americans consider themselves part of — pay too much in taxes …

Prominent Republican: Women Need To Be Paid Less So They Can Find Husbands  —  On Sunday, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sought to advance the GOP's rebranding effort among female voters by suggesting that Republicans have long “led the fight for women's equality.”

Landrieu Reenacts Committee Hearing for Campaign Ad  —  Democratic senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is in a tough reelection battle because of her support for Obamacare.  So its not surprising her latest TV ad focuses on the one high-profile fight she's had with the Obama administration, over oil and gas exploration.

Eric Holder ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Marijuana Legalization In Washington And Colorado  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — Attorney General Eric Holder is “cautiously optimistic” about how things are going in Washington state and Colorado following the legalization and state regulation of marijuana.

Moscow officials blast UN report claiming ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine falsely claimed assault  —  Russian Foreign Ministry officials Tuesday blasted a U.N. human rights report that said ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine have falsely claimed to be under assault to justify Russian intervention, Reuters reported.

Governor Bans Minimum Wage Increases And Paid Sick Leave Laws  —  At a time when many states and cities are working passing minimum wage increases, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) has gone in the opposite direction and signed a law banning cities from passing higher wages.

Ben Carson: White House wanted apology for ‘offending’ Obama  —  Neurosurgeon Ben Carson says the White House wanted him to apologize for “offending” President Obama after he famously delivered a conservative message at the National Prayer Breakfast last year.

U.S. Deficit Cut by Almost One-Third to $492 Billion: CBO  —  The U.S. government's deficit will fall to $492 billion this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, a steeper drop than originally predicted from $680 billion in fiscal year 2013.  —  The 2014 deficit will be 2.8 percent …

Social Security stops trying to collect on old debts by seizing tax refunds  —  The Social Security Administration announced Monday that it will immediately cease efforts to collect on taxpayers' debts to the government that are more than 10 years old.  —  The action comes after The Washington …

Sebelius steps down, and ObamaCare supporters pretend to rejoice.  —  Six months ago, in the midst of what the New York Times then termed ObamaCare's “troubled rollout,” Kathleen Sebelius defied calls for her to resign as secretary of health and human services.

I'm OK With Calling LBJ a “Liberal Hero” (and No, I'm Not Ignoring Vietnam)  —  When I wrote my mixed assessment of “All the Way,” the engaging but often-cartoonish Broadway play about Lyndon Johnson, I criticized “Baby Boomers who insisted that the blunders of Vietnam should negate the triumphs of the Great Society.”

Hawaii governor apologizes for questioning Inouye death-bed drama  —  Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie apologized for questioning the drama surrounding a death-bed letter at the center of a heated U.S. Senate contest without backing off his assertion that the choice of a candidate was his alone to make.

As MLB honors Jackie Robinson, can it reverse a trend?  —  Just when we want to believe that times are changing, and prejudice is waning, along comes a ferocious reminder like a Manny Pacquiao punch to the jaw.  —  Sheer racism, exposed in vile letters directed to Hall of Fame great Hank Aaron …

Bolton PACs Raise Big Money  —  John Bolton's political-action committees are pulling in big bucks.  Together, the former United Nations ambassador's groups, a PAC and a super PAC that will back candidates who share Bolton's belief in a muscular foreign policy, raised nearly $2 million since their launch in November, sources say.

Can You Lie in Politics?  Supreme Court Will Decide  —  The Supreme Court has made pretty clear that putting your money where your mouth is deserves broad protection as a form of free political speech.  The justices are about to consider whether outright lying in a campaign deserves a similar First Amendment shield.

I Was Racially Profiled in My Own Driveway  —  A retired Major League Baseball player explains how he's trying to turn an upsetting encounter with the police into an opportunity for dialogue.  —  It was an otherwise ordinary snow day in Hartford, Connecticut, and I was laughing as I headed outside to shovel my driveway.