Trump claims Obama birth certificate ‘missing’  —  Washington (CNN) - Real estate mogul Donald Trump's latest claim about President Obama's birth certificate is that it's missing.  —  “Well I've been told very recently, Anderson, that the birth certificate is missing,” Trump told CNN's Anderson Cooper Monday.

Why Haley Barbour pulled the plug  —  Haley Barbour had his presidential announcement plan lined up: A May 2 launch, followed by a fly-around to Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida, before winding up in in Jackson on Saturday the 7th for a big home-state fundraising bash.

High gas prices cut into driving habits — and Obama's approval rating  —  Soaring gasoline prices are biting into household incomes and nibbling at Americans' fuel consumption — and support for President Obama, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The Left Politicizes the Practice of Law  —  One of the saddest stories in the news today is King & Spalding's withdrawal, after only a week, from its representation of the U.S. House of Representatives in connection with the Defense of Marriage Act.  —  In February, Barack Obama's Department …

Financiers Switch to GOP  —  Hedge-Fund Titans Who Backed Democrats Open Their Wallets for Republicans  —  Hedge-fund managers made a big bet on Barack Obama and other Democrats in 2008.  Now, with the 2012 contest gearing up, some prominent fund managers have turned their backs on the party and are actively supporting Republicans.

Ron Paul Launches Presidential Campaign  —  Rep. Ron Paul's long-held advocacy of smaller government and less taxes has made him a tea party hero.  —  Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, whose outspoken libertarian views and folksy style made him a cult hero during two previous presidential campaigns …

Obama revealed: A moderate Republican  —  America is mired in three wars.  The past decade was the hottest on record.  Unemployment remains stuck near 9 percent, and there's a small, albeit real, possibility that the U.S. government will default on its debt.  So what's dominating the news?

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 …

Messina: Obama 2012 will be run as ‘an insurgent campaign’ — Barbour feared race about race that GOP couldn't win - Boehner to Obama: ‘Grow up’ — Marc Short joins Team Koch - Rob Collins free agent  —  Good Tuesday morning.  Mississippi Gov. HALEY BARBOUR's decision not to seek …

White House to Franklin Graham: You're “Preposterous”  —  After the evangelist (and son of legendary Billy Graham) played the birther card on ABC, Jay Carney curtly notes that he abused Easter Sunday.  —  Post Comment  —  The day after Easter, the Obama White House took a shot …

What's Left of the Left  —  Paul Krugman's lonely crusade.  —  If you are looking not only for clues into Barack Obama's character but for a definition of what his presidency will mean to the country, then the speech on fiscal policy that he delivered at George Washington University …

Rachel Maddow: 'I'm definitely not an autocutie'  —  The top US news anchor on why she prefers jokes to anger and why she is proud to be gay  —  It's 10.05pm on a rainy Tuesday night in the MSNBC studio in the now famous New York address, 30 Rock, and Rachel Maddow - one of the highest profile news anchors …

Arizona governor: ‘Birther’ sentiment ‘leading our country down a path of destruction’  —  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R), who vetoed a bill last week that would have required presidential candidates to prove they were born in the U.S. to get on the state's ballot, implored members of her party Monday to move on.

Judge ends lockout; owners file appeal  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Seven weeks into the NFL lockout, players have an early triumph over the owners in court.  —  U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered an immediate end to the lockout Monday, siding with the players in their bitter fight …

Public Pensions, Once Off Limits, Face Budget Cuts  —  When an arbitrator ruled this month that Detroit could reduce the pensions being earned by its police sergeants and lieutenants, it put the struggling city at the forefront of a growing national debate over whether the pensions of current public workers can or should be reduced.

The end of the line: Last typewriter factory left in the world closes its doors  —  It's an invention that revolutionised the way we work, becoming an essential piece of office equipment for the best part of a century.  —  But after years of sterling service, that bane for secretaries has reached the end of the line.

Syrian tanks, soldiers lay siege to southern towns  —  View Photo Gallery — Funeral for Lt. Fadi Ismail in Jableh, coastal city on the Mediterranean, following days of unrest.  Demonstrations are part of recent shows of political strength throughout North Africa and the Middle East.  (Getty Images).

Joint Chiefs Staffers Issue Paper Saying America Has Overreacted To Islamic Extremism  —  Hmm.  As I was just saying recently, imagine if we as a country defined national security as the health, well-being, education and gainful employment of our citizens, and not as the ability to deliver bombs on targets.

House Republicans question Google, Apple on consumer privacy  —  House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee raised concerns about consumer privacy policies at major technology companies in the aftermath of reports that smart phones collect, store, and sometimes even transmit data about users' whereabouts.