Rand Paul Explains His Surprise Vote For Chuck Hagel  —  “The president gets to choose political appointees,” Paul says.  —  Image by Gary Cameron / Reuters  —  WASHINGTON — Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said his support for a filibuster against Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel never meant that he would vote against Hagel's confirmation.

No CPAC Invite for Christie Because of ‘Limited Future’ in Republican Party  —  New Jersey governor Chris Christie was not invited to address the Conservative Political Action Conference because of his position on gun control, according to a source familiar with CPAC's internal deliberations who requested anonymity to speak freely.

Liberal Super PAC Goes After Mitch McConnell's ‘Chinese’ Wife  —  A Democratic group is under sharp criticism for controversial online messages about Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's wife.  —  For months, the liberal super PAC Progress Kentucky has attacked McConnell and held demonstrations at his offices and home.

NBC/WSJ poll: Public wary about sequester cuts, but Obama in stronger political position than GOP  —  With automatic, across-the-board spending cuts set to begin Friday, majorities of Americans believe they aren't a good idea and say the contentious budget negotiations make them less confident …

House expected to pass Senate version of VAWA bill this week  —  After a year-long fight over how to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), House Republicans are now prepared to allow a vote this week on the Senate-passed language.  —  The House Rules Committee on Tuesday evening approved …

Bloomberg's cash paves way to Jackson's seat  —  A multimillion-dollar ad blitz by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to stop an NRA-backed House candidate in Illinois paid off Tuesday night, as local official Robin Kelly crushed more than a dozen Democratic candidates vying to replace disgraced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

As Budgets Face Cuts, Austerity Kills Government Jobs  —  WASHINGTON — The federal government, the nation's largest consumer and investor, is cutting back at a pace exceeded in the last half-century only by the military demobilizations after the Vietnam War and the cold war.

Wave of Immigrants Released Ahead of Automatic Budget Cuts  —  In a highly unusual move, federal immigration officials have released a wave of detainees from immigration detention centers around the country in an effort to save money as automatic budget cuts loom in Washington, officials said.

The Republican Sequestration Plan  —  Whether or not you agree with it, and whether or not it will work, President Obama's strategy on sequestration is perfectly obvious.  His goal is to end the automatic budget cuts, which he regards as stupidly constructed and likely to harm the economy …

Voting Act Challenge Hinges on a Formula  —  The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Wednesday in a major voting rights case.  Here is some of the history of the law and the issues that are likely to be raised before the court.  —  A. The Voting Rights of Act of 1965 addressed pervasive lawless conduct …

Senate's Democratic Class of '08 Faces New Challenges  —  First-term Democratic senators from competitive states are key to party keeping majority  —  The class of senators swept into office riding Barack Obama's coattails in 2008 — giving Democrats a supermajority in the process …

Apple Joins Morgan Stanley to Back Gay Marriage at Supreme Court  —  Dozens of companies, including Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Morgan Stanley (MS), are planning to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, saying bans in 41 states harm workplace morale and undermine recruiting.

Bachmann: 'I didn't get anything wrong'  —  The Congresswoman touts her flawless run for the presidency and love of Beyonce  —  Tea Party Rep. Michele Bachmann has been laying low since last November's election when she came dangerously close to losing her House seat, possibly in preparation …

Caltech Physicist: If All Science Were Run Like Marijuana Research, Creationists Would Control Paleontology … In the face of obstacles to marijuana research from both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a theoretical physicist at the California Institute …