The Blame for the Charlie Hebdo Murders  —  The murders today in Paris are not a result of France's failure to assimilate two generations of Muslim immigrants from its former colonies.  They're not about French military action against the Islamic State in the Middle East, or the American invasion of Iraq before that.

People know the consequences: Opposing view  —  Why did France allow the tabloid to provoke Muslims?  —  Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace but rather means submission to the commands of Allah alone.  Therefore, Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression …

Boehner Says It Hurts to Be Called ???  Spineless or a Squish??? … House Speaker John Boehner said today that he found it painful to be described as “spineless or a squish,” but said the worst comments about him was that he was “the establishment.”  —  Boehner's comments came during …

California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer to Retire  —  Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, one of the chamber's most tenacious liberals, announced Thursday she will not seek re-election in 2016 to a fifth term.  —  A staunch supporter of abortion rights, gun control and environmental protections …

Dems' Big Conundrum In GOP Senate: How To Deploy The Filibuster?  —  When Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) took to his chamber's floor on Wednesday he warned that the now minority Senate Democrats “had no intention of just rolling over” but added that the “gratuitous obstruction …

Extended Tamir Rice shooting video shows officers restrained sister  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland police officers forced Tamir Rice's 14-year-old sister to the ground, handcuffed her and placed in the back of a Cleveland police car steps away from her wounded 12-year-old brother.

It's All Right with Sam  —  Samuel A. Alito Jr. may be the least recognizable of Supreme Court justices.  I doubt if one American in a thousand could pick him out of a lineup.  Those who do know the name, if not the face, of the 64-year-old justice most likely lump him with the other conservatives …

The Dumbest 57 Seconds Ever On TV?  —  Adam Baldwin linked to this MSNBC clip with a succinct tweet “Spot the morons/cowards.”  —  All due respect to Adam, but his understatement is almost a scandal.  We've posted a lot of incredibly stupid sound bites from MSNBC and other places around here …

Manchin: Keystone veto threat ‘not the way a democracy works’  —  Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Thursday he was disappointed that the White House threatened to veto his legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, arguing the president's move was “not the way a democracy works.”

Story Highlights  —  PRINCETON, N.J. — An average 43% of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014, establishing a new high in Gallup telephone poll trends back to 1988.  In terms of national identification with the two major parties, Democrats continued to hold a modest edge over Republicans, 30% to 26%.

Suburbs and the New American Poverty  —  NORCROSS, Ga.—Every weekday around 3:15 p.m., a big, yellow school bus stops on Pelican Drive outside Norcross Extended Stay, near the intersection with Best Friend Drive.  —  Dozens of children file out, carrying their heavy backpacks away …

How Buying Your First Home Just Got More Affordable … PHOENIX - The president continued his State of the Union preview tour today in the American southwest, this time focusing on the housing market with a mortgage announcement the administration hopes will add a needed boost to new home sales.

Shumlin defeats Milne in Legislature governor vote  —  Peter Shumlin has been re-elected Vermont governor by state Legislature, 110-69, over Republican challenger Scott Milne.  —  That's 61.5 percent for Shumlin, 38.5 for Milne.  —  Libertarian Dan Feliciano, the third-place finisher …