STATEMENT OF GOV. BARBOUR  —  “I will not be a candidate for president next year.  This has been a difficult, personal decision, and I am very grateful to my family for their total support of my going forward, had that been what I decided.  —  “Hundreds of people have encouraged me to run …

Clement firm drops DOMA case  —  In a real victory for supporters of same-sex marriage — and marking what seems like real marginalization for its foes — a major law firm has reversed course and will refuse to represent the House of Representatives in defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

WH Fails to Release Easter Proclamation  —  President Obama failed to release a statement or a proclamation recognizing the national observance of Easter Sunday, Christianity's most sacred holiday.  —  By comparison, the White House has released statements recognizing the observance …

High court rejects quick review of health care law  —  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court rejected a call Monday from Virginia's attorney general to depart from its usual practice and put review of the health care law on a fast track.  Instead, judicial review of President Barack Obama's signature legislation …

Dems seek leverage by forcing GOP split on Ryan's budget plan  —  Senate Democratic aides expect Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to force Senate Republicans to vote on the Paul Ryan budget plan.  —  Reid hasn't made a formal decision yet, and won't until he returns from an overseas trip.

Boehner: Oil Companies Share Blame for Gas Prices, Open to Cutting Subsidies  —  At a time of skyrocketing gas prices and near-record profits for oil companies, House Speaker John Boehner made a major concession today: Congress should consider cutting multi-billion dollar subsidies to oil companies.

Gov. Haley's advice to GOP presidential hopefuls: Change your message  —  South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) said Monday she is not satisfied with the message that the crop of GOP presidential hopefuls has brought to her state.  —  Haley — a rising star in the party and governor …

DEFINE ‘PEACETIME’.... Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R), back on the presidential campaign trail, isn't sitting down for a lot of media interviews — but he loves writing op-eds.  Romney's latest ran in New Hampshire's largest paper this morning. … The nonsense-per-sentence ratio is awfully high here …

Union Official, Professor Teach How-to College Course in Violent Union Tactics  —  If you are wondering why some folks are starting to question whether a college education is worth the cost, the video below goes a long way towards explaining it.  Recently, the University of Missouri-St. Louis …

Norquist: Coburn ‘lied his way’ into office  —  Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform, just emailed a response to Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn's claim that his group is a narrow “special interest” that doesn't represent American conservatives.  And it's memorable.

A Case for Hell  —  Here's a revealing snapshot of religion in America.  On Easter Sunday, two of the top three books on Amazon.com's Religion and Spirituality best-seller list mapped the geography of the afterlife.  One was “Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back …

IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end  —  Commentary: China's economy will surpass the U.S. in 2016  — Front Page - News Viewer - Commentary - Markets - Investing - Personal Finance - Community - Games  —  BOSTON (MarketWatch) — The International Monetary Fund has just dropped a bombshell, and nobody noticed.

Donald Trump Responds to Robert De Niro's Criticisms: 'He's Not the Brightest Bulb'  —  Donald Trump slammed Robert De Niro Monday, following the Oscar-winner's criticisms of him this weekend, telling Fox News that the actor is “not the brightest bulb on the planet.”

WikiLeaks: Leaked files accuse BBC of being part of a ‘possible propaganda media network’  —  The BBC is accused of being part of a “possible propaganda media network” for Al Qaeda, according to the leaked US files on the Guantanamo detainees.  —  Analysis by The Daily Telegraph suggests …

Allen West: Liberal Women Are ‘Neutering American Men’  —  Last week, Tea Party favorite Rep. Allen West (R-FL) addressed his base at a Women Impacting Nation (WIN) meeting in Boca Raton, FL.  WIN's mission is to “educate and equip women with knowledge of God's truth” and …

Heaven can wait  —  Don't call him Father Jim just yet.  —  Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey — who shocked the nation in 2004 when he announced he was a “gay American” and stepped down from office — has been denied his bid to join the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, The Post has learned.