Consent of the governed - and the lack thereof  —  Our Declaration of Independence observes:  —  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Explosions Hit Baghdad as Iraqis Vote in Pivotal Election  —  BAGHDAD — A concerted wave of attacks struck Baghdad and other cities across the country on Sunday as Iraqis voted to elect a new parliament and possibly a new prime minister.  Explosions reverberated across the capital moments …

Dems keep pressure on Stupak over healthcare bill and abortion  —  Abortion continued to loom Sunday as the thorny issue that could paralyze the momentum of healthcare reform efforts in the home stretch.  —  Across the Sunday morning shows, lawmakers took sides over whether …

The Up-or-Down Vote on Obama's Presidency  —  WEDNESDAY'S health care rally was one of President Obama's finest hours.  It was so fine it couldn't be blighted even by his preposterous backdrop, a cohort of white-jacketed medical workers large enough to staff a hospital in one of the daytime soaps …

Channel 7 ABC flashes angry message, then goes black for Cablevision customers at midnight  —  ABC has gone dark.  —  Seconds after midnight, Channel 7 disappeared from the screens of Cablevision customers right in the middle of a repeat episode of “Lost.”

Nothing Funny About This Monkey Mail  —  Walt Baker, the prominent CEO of the powerful Tennessee Hospitality Association who was a key figure in gaining approval of the controversial $585 million convention center, sent the kind of “joke” email last night — comparing First Lady Michelle Obama …

Sources: U.S.-born al-Qaida spokesman caught  —  Gadahn, 31, reportedly held in Pakistan; $1 million reward on his head  —  KARACHI, Pakistan - Adam Yahiye Gadahn, a U.S.-born spokesman for al-Qaida, has been captured in Pakistan, government sources said Sunday.

Torture memos resemble Clarence Thomas' way of thinking  —  The Supreme Court justice has a history of dismissing prisoner brutality.  And it's his former law clerk who was investigated for authorizing harsh interrogation tactics as a Justice Department lawyer.

Secret Israeli report: U.S. cozying up to Palestinians  —  The U.S. administration will not put a lot of effort into the upcoming indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, opting instead to focus on the November Congressional elections, according to an internal Foreign Ministry report …

McConnell: RNC Fundraising Presentation ‘Not Helpful’  —  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the recently exposed Republican National Committee presentation that discussed cynical fundraising strategies based on fear was “not helpful”.  The presentation, first reported by Politico …

Revealed: How hundreds of military personnel, millions of pounds and an experimental ‘lung’ saved the life of a British soldier... shot by accident in his own camp  —  Last updated at 2:29 AM on 07th March 2010  —  It was one of the most complex military logistical and medical operations ever undertaken …

Graham: Reconciliation would be “catastrophic”  —  Using the reconciliation process to pass health care would be “catastrophic,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned on Sunday.  —  “It is taking a partisan product and making it law,” Graham said on CBS's “Face The Nation.”  “It will be catastrophic.”

Al-Qaeda commander Abu Yahya arrested in Karachi  —  KARACHI: Pakistani security forces along with help of US intelligence arrested Abu Yahya Mujahdeen Al- Adam, who is a close associate of Osama Bin Laden.  Abu Yahya was arrested on Sunday from an area surrounding the super highway, on the outskirts of Karachi.

Bishops and Abortion  —  Scott Lemieux wrote yesterday: … In fairness, the Bishops seem to me to put quite a lot of political emphasis on institutionalized discrimination against gays and lesbians.  —  On the abortion point, the “life begins at conception and ends at birth” …

Mitt Romney Claims That President Obama's Words ‘Support’ 911 Truthers Abroad  —  Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's foreign policy mythology book tour continued on Fox News Sunday this morning.  Romney started his interview saying that President Obama had engaged in an “apology tour.”