WASHINGTON: Sarah Palin believed the Queen, not the prime minister, was responsible for the decision to keep British forces in Iraq, according to research for a new film chronicling her political rise.

A group of female Democratic legislators in the Georgia House of Representatives has proposed a bill that would ban men from seeking vasectomies.

An openly-gay hair stylist in New Mexico is protesting Gov. Susana Martinez’s (R) opposition to same-sex marriage by refusing to style her hair unless she changes her position on the issue. KOB Eyewitness News 4 reports that Antonio Darden, “a popular stylist who runs Antonio’s Hair Studio in Santa Fe, said he cut Martinez’ hair three times” but is now refusing to see his famous client

By Igor Volsky

Politicians say they want to support the “Keystone Economy.” Here’s why that vision means fewer jobs, no impact on gas prices, and more pollution

 

Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY) told reporters during a recent press conference on the economy on that “Solyndra and Keystone represent what’s at stake this November.  Two very different visions — I think Solyndra and Keystone typify them.”

by Daniel J. Weiss

GOP scientists say their attempts to talk about climate dangers with their party's politicians and their aides have largely fallen on deaf ears.

A panel of Georgia lawmakers would have the power to review federal law and declare it illegal under a proposal in the state Senate.

By Kristina Torres

MADISON, Wisc. (CN) - A judge denied Gov. Scott Walker's second request for more time to review signatures on his recall petitions, leaving a Feb. 27 deadline in place.

(Reuters) - Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is poised to sign so-called "conscience clause" legislation protecting faith-based adoption agencies that deny placements based on religious beliefs such as opposition to homosexuality, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

By Matthew A. Ward

Donald Trump told CNBC he would "seriously, seriously" consider jumping into the White House race if Rick Santorum wins the GOP presidential nomination.

(CN) - As election season nears, Montana cannot ban corporate funding of political messages until groups challenging the law appeal the case in Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.

Reporting from Steubenville, Ohio—

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum blamed the "radical environmental policies" of the Obama administration Monday for rising gas prices, and said he would promote "responsible environmental stewardship" as president, including support for the coal industry and approval of the Keystone Pipeline.

By Mitchell Landsberg

Santorum press secretary Alice Stewart says it was an accident when she accused Obama of "radical Islamic policies."

The birth control skirmish is not the only regressive, anti-woman, anti-science battle being waged in this country.

It's been an exhausting few weeks for reproductive rights supporters. Most recently, we've been treated to a new round of a battle over birth control, as the debate over whether employees at religiously affiliated institutions should be required to receive insurance that covers birth control without a co-payment -- a right employees of all other U.S. companies will have under the Obama administration's new healthcare law -- rages on in Washington.

By Sarah Seltzer and Lauren Kelley

Representative Bob Morris (R-Fort Wayne) of the Indiana House of Representatives believes that the Girl Scouts of America (and its worldwide partner) is a radicalized, pro-abortion, tactical arm of Planned Parenthood that "promotes homosexual lifestyles" and counts communists among its role models.

By Brett Smiley

Rick Santorum was correct when he said he’s been making World War II analogies many times.

As far as Rick Santorum is concerned, mainstream Protestantism "is gone from the world of Christianity." That's what he told students at Florida's Ave Maria University, founded by Domino's Pizza mogul Tom Monaghan, during a 2008 lecture.

Ryan Grim

Rick Santorum told Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation that his comment that Obama bases his policies on “phony theology” he was referring to the environmentalist movement.

If there’s anything the Tea Party hates, it’s whatever the government is doing right now. Which means greens have picked up some unusual allies in the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline: Texas Tea Partiers who think the project violates property rights.

Rick Santorum says President Obama’s policies are based on a “different theology.”

With the Arizona primary one of the next two on the Republican calendar, immigration is certain to pop up again as an issue.  The two front runners, Governor Romney and Senator Santorum have been particularly hard line, coupling the usual rhetoric about an imaginary fence with threats to deport all illegal immigrants.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) was just dealt a defeat in court, with Dane County Judge Richard Niess denying a request by Walker for more time — on top of a previous extension — to review and challenge the more than one-million signatures that Democrats filed last month to recall him.

Eric Kleefeld

Fred Upton (R-MI), House Energy and Commerce Chairman, was one of the leading Republicans who ‘led’ us down the ‘this is pointless, a waste of time, and a waste of resources’ Solyndra and clean energy loan program witch hunt (which continues today).

TALLAHASSEE — With state legislators facing lawsuits accusing them of drawing redistricting maps that favor Republicans, a House committee on Thursday passed a bill protecting lawmakers and their staff from having to testify if they get sued.

By Mary Ellen Klas

The respected Dem firm Democracy Corps has just published an important polling memo that gets right to the heart of why the birth control battle could matter so much in this year’s elections.

The firm’s poll finds that one of the most important factors powering Obama’s gains against likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney has been the President’s improving numbers among unmarried women, a key pillar of the present and future Democratic coalition.

By Greg Sargent

Just as we're winding down the disastrous and unnecessary war in Iraq, the very same people who misled our nation into invading Iraq are now saying that now we need to attack Iran.

This whole contraception debate is just so new-fangled, says billionaire investor and mega-funder to the super PAC supporting former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) for President, Foster Friess.

Kyle Leighton

So who’s left?

Mitt Romney’s campaign – the first to signal they would not participate – said scheduling conflicts would prevent the governor from attending.

No wonder House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is trying to gut the STOCK Act.

House Republicans thank Daryl Hannah for getting the Keystone XL pipeline onto President Barack Obama’s radar — and inspiring them to place it higher on the GOP’s legislative agenda.

By Darren Samuelsohn - Darren Goode

President Obama, in his latest budget proposal, has called to repeal more than $4 billion a year in subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, arguing that these "inefficient fossil fuel subsidies… impede investment in clean energy sources and undermine efforts to address the threat of climate change.” And it turns out that a large percentage of the American population is with him.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney explains what an amendment to the Affordable Care Act proposed by Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri would do:

Sarah Palin told Greta Van Susteren that making contraceptive available to employees of religious employers is un-American.

Mitt Romney applauded Georgia’s plan to mandate drug testing for welfare recipients.

House Republicans may have set a record for how many counterproductive ideas can be stuffed into one package with their version of a $260 billion transportation bill.

Editor in Chief Asher Smith interviewed 2008 presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Tuesday before his speech at Glenn Memorial Church. Romney was at Emory promoting his recently released book, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness. He was invited by the College Republicans and the Emory Law Federalist Society.

From outside an Orlando Starbucks, 45-year-old Rudy Roberts powers up his laptop computer and uses the free wireless Internet to apply for retail jobs.

By Brittany Alana Davis

Last week, the Obama administration and the Republican-dominated House Natural Resources Committee took diametrically opposed steps regarding development of oil shale across the West. Not surprisingly, House Republicans are attaching the by-now-meaningless labels “job creator” to its bill, and “job killing,” to the Department of Interior’s action. Also not surprisingly, House Republicans’ views are not tethered to reality.

RLMiller

The U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops almost immediately rejected a compromise on requiring contraception coverage that the Obama administration announced on Friday, and Republicans have continued to attack the accommodation. Under the compromise, religious institutions will not be required to provide contraceptive coverage because insurers will provide contraception directly to employees at no cost, completely removing religious institutions from the equation. But this deal was not enough to satisfy conservative opposition.

By Amanda Peterson Beadle

WATCHING the Republican Party struggling to agree on a presidential candidate, one wonders whether the G.O.P. shouldn’t just sit this election out — just give 2012 a pass.

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Sarah Palin took the stage tonight with plenty of anticipation preceding her– after bowing out of a potential presidential run, Palin has taken something of a backseat to an increasingly unexpected series of characters at the helm of the Republican Party, and she returned in the rare form that made her a star in 2008.

Andrew Breitbart told CPAC how Obama and his “radical” friends who were “communists” who  “plotted” to get the presidency.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) fired up the crowd at Thursday's Conservative Political Action Conference with red-meat rhetoric the right loves to hear.

The five-term lawmaker, who faces a tough reelection bid this fall, accused President Obama and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of forcing top-down priorities on Americans.

By Cameron Joseph

According to Rick Santorum, it is.

Strange.

Brad Johnson has context and analysis here.

I think Rick Santorum is trying to destroy America.

by Greg Laden

What’s an anti-science politician to do when even a Koch-funded researcher says that human activity is causing global warming? Well, you could just stop all scientific endeavors in the field all together.

Stephen Lacey

Congress is currently considering a transportation bill, a subject that is typically an area of bipartisan agreement and compromise.  But House Republicans are nothing if not atypical.

NEW YORK - Foster Friess, a 71-year-old Wyoming-based investor and philanthropist who has given $2.5 million to Republicans over the past two decades, is Rick Santorum's ace in the hole.

This year's CPAC has been an extremely disjointed event as conservatives keep trying to come to grips with the fact that they dislike their Republican choices for president only slightly less than they dislike President Obama.

Newt Gingrich was the last of the remaining Republican presidential candidates to address the audience at CPAC  this year and during his speech, he brought them to their feet by declaring that 99 weeks of unemployment benefits to those who have lost their jobs violates the Declaration of Independence:

by Kyle Mantyla

Wall Street banks fraudulently and illegally foreclose on your house. You get $2,000. The bank gets let off the hook. We'd call that a bad deal.

WASHINGTON -- A weakened version of the STOCK Act banning insider trading by members of Congress and the administration passed the House Thursday without curbs on "political intelligence" or new clean-government rules.

Michael McAuliff

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to launch a fierce attack on the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, calling out “liberal thugs” for intimidating their opponents in the name of political expediency.

Manu Raju

It was bad enough when CPAC recently allowed the wacko paleo-conservative John Birch Society to have an exhibit, but this year things are exponentially worse.

Charles Johnson

Rick Santorum suggests that following President Obama’s path, “taking faith and crushing it,” and headed toward the guillotine (or is that headed toward being beheaded?)

Maine's governor wants to go further than most states and cut some 65,000 Medicaid enrollees to close budget gaps in the program, reported Stateline Health News and the Kennebec Journal.

  MADISON, Wisc. (CN) - Signature review of recall petitions against Gov. Scott Walker may go faster now that a state appeals court reversed and remanded a circuit court order to change the verification procedures.

Rachel Weiner: N.C. Republican Rep. Sue Myrick retiring

As Congress tries to tackle problems in the nation’s immigration system, it might also want to focus on “the detention of noncitizens in the United States,” states the new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, Immigration-Related Detention: Current Legislative Issues.

If Clint Eastwood sounded like Obama, it's because the GOP has ceded optimism to the Democrats

--by Joan Walsh

WASHINGTON—Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he doesn't think a prominent breast cancer charity should continue giving grants to Planned Parenthood because it provides abortion services.

The House voted to repeal the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program, a provision in the 2010 health care law that was intended to provide long-term care but was suspended after the Department of Health and Human Services determined it could not be solvent for 75 years as required by the law.  The bill's future in the Senate is unclear.

House Appears to Have Reimbursed Congressman for Trips That Were Also Paid for by Other Groups

Rep. Ron Paul appears to have been paid twice for flights between Washington, D.C., and his Congressional district, receiving reimbursement from taxpayers and also from a network of political and nonprofit organizations he controlled, according to public records and documents obtained by Roll Call.

By Jonathan Strong

WASHINGTON -- Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the nation's leading anti-breast-cancer charity, has insisted that its since-reversed decision to pull funding from Planned Parenthood arose from a routine change in criteria for grant eligibility that had nothing to do with abortion politics.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) has accused the Catholic leadership of “hyperventilating” over the Obama administration’s new regulation requiring employers and insurers to cover reproductive health benefits without additional co-pay. Catholic organizations argue that the rule violates their religious liberties and are planning to sue the federal government, even though the measure includes a narrow religious exemption that mirrors existing conscience protections in New York and California.

By Igor Volsky

Former Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, while refusing to endorse any of the four remaining competitors, suggested the contest may end soon and that money will be the factor that narrows the field.

Hoeksta’s ad is for his Senate campaign against Debbie Stabenow.

GOP consultant Nick De Leeuw flat-out scolded the Holland Republican for the ad.

Appearing on Meet the Press this morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressed bewilderment at the many lawmakers in Washington who continue sabotage existing gun laws:

By Ian Millhiser

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's top elections official could lose his job and his freedom after jurors convicted him of multiple voter fraud-related charges on Saturday, leaving in flux the fate of one of the state's most powerful positions.

Charles Wilson,AP

FRANKFORT, KY. — Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer applied for unemployment benefits after his term of office ended Jan. 1, The Courier-Journal has learned.

Tom Loftus

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney likes to sing about America the beautiful, but he mainly seems interested in mining it.

by Jessica Goad

CHARLESTON, S.C. (CN) - The Southern Republican Leadership Conference booked nearly every room in the Charleston Place hotel for the Republican primary in January, and then skipped out on the $227,872 bill, the luxury venue claims in the city's court of common pleas.

It was apparently not enough to obliterate funding for bike lanes and walking paths and kids trying to get to school. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wants to keep our tax dollars from paying for public transit as well.

Greg Hanscom

Yesterday, we joined a conference call with individuals from across the country to discuss issues impacting foreign students studying in our colleges and universities. We were joined by our colleagues Julie Rodriguez from the Office of Public Engagement and Luis Miranda from the Office of Communications.

Felicia Escobar and Doug Rand

The Republican plan to defund Planned Parenthood is working -- but if we take action now we may be able to stop the latest attack on women's right to health care.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Newt Gingrich's campaign on Thursday confirmed it will ask the Florida Republican Party to allocate its delegates proportionally rather than allowing Mitt Romney to receive all 50 of the state's representatives at the Republican National Convention.

Sarah Huisenga

He ran the Olympics, he should know better

Andrew Kaczynski

At the end of 2011, the remarkable innovator Donald Berwick was forced to resign as the recess-appointed head of Medicare and Medicaid, a casualty of Republican-led opposition to his confirmation. An outspoken fan of the United Kingdom’s single-payer system, Berwick was portrayed by critics as a socialist who once commented that “excellent health care is by definition redistributional.” In 2010, for example, Republican leaders of the Senate Finance Committee grilled him about whether he “still distrusted the free market” and made it his goal to “make health care rationing the new normal.”

By Darshak Sanghavi

The Zombie XL staggers onward, prodded and pushed by the oil industry and conservative lawmakers—yesterday, 44 senators signed on to legislation that would approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. President Obama has twice declared that further environmental review needs to be carried out, and that the pipeline cannot move forward until then.

Brian Merchant

Mitt Romney was projected the winner of Tuesday's presidential primary election in Florida by the Associated Press.

 Virginia Sen. Janet Howell proposed men receive rectal exams when being treated for erectile dysfunction, in protest of the latest abortion bill.

Congress rapidly passed a border security bill championed by retired Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) last week to crack down on drug traffickers who use small low-flying aircraft to smuggle illegal substances across US borders.

Speaker John Boehner says that the House will try again to tie approval for the Keystone pipeline project to a new jobs bill being introduced next week.

“All options are on the table. If it’s not enacted before we take up the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, it’ll be part of it,” Boehner said of the Keystone project, which would extend an oil pipeline from Canada through the United States.

112^th Congress: 2011-2012

To repeal the CLASS program.

Sponsor: Rep. Charles Boustany [R-LA7]

Calendar No. 301 112th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2038

To prohibit Members of Congress and employees of Congress from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal benefit, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 26, 2012

Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, reported the following original bill; which was read twice and placed on the calendar

The casino company run by the principal financial backer of Newt Gingrich's presidential bid, Sheldon Adelson, has been under criminal investigation for the last year by the Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission for alleged bribery of foreign officials, according to corporate documents.

By BRIAN ROSS (@brianross) , MATTHEW MOSK, CINDY GALLI and RHONDA SCHWARTZ

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said only a strong finish in Florida's primary election will save his "totally unique" campaign.

Michael C. Bender

n his State of the Union speech to Congress last evening, President Obama said: “Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa – an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington.”  He also endorsed legislation to ban insider trading by Members of Congress and to limit any elected officials from owning stocks in industries they impact.  We here at CREW couldn’t agree more.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called for a federal investigation into former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for filing an inaccurate personal financial disclosure form (PFD) with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

We knew the Republicans favored an economic policy that was last used in the 19th Century.  And their treatment of science comes out of the 17th Century. And now it looks like some on the far right are moving to a criminal justice policy that is at least 100 years out of date (from Ed Kilgore’s “wingnut of the week”).

WEST PALM BEACH — One-time Newt Gingrich rival Herman Cain officially endorsed Gingrich Saturday night at the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Kravis Center, calling Gingrich a patriot and saying he’s not afraid of bold ideas.

by Andrew Abramso

This is a wonderful post by David Roberts of Grist on a story that, I have to contend, will not end up on FOX News:

In a shocking turn of events, Republicans have turned on the very man they chose to speak for them this week in response to Obama’s State of the Union address — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. He is taking a drubbing in the conservosphere, but what’s most peculiar about the scandal that threatens to engulf him is that Republicans don’t seem aware that they’re attacking him.

A Republican member of the Indiana General Assembly withdrew his bill to create a pilot program for drug testing welfare applicants Friday after one of his Democratic colleagues amended the measure to require drug testing for lawmakers.

Unbeknownst to the press, President Obama met Friday evening with former president George H.W. Bush and his son, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, in the Oval Office.

By DONOVAN SLACK

n a shocking turn of events, Republicans have turned on the very man they chose to speak for them this week in response to Obama’s State of the Union address — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels. He is taking a drubbing in the conservosphere, but what’s most peculiar about the scandal that threatens to engulf him is that Republicans don’t seem aware that they’re attacking him

So Newt Gingrich has promised to build a lunar base by the end of his second term (sic … or is that sick?).  Why?  Jon Stewart believes the answer is global warming:

Joe Romm

Ben Jones played Cooter and also ran against Gingrich for a seat in Congress. He's the latest 90s figure to come out of the woodwork to stop Newt

Rosie Gray

buzzfeed.com

Grover Norquist predicts a rebellion if President Obama wins reelection and doesn’t extend the Bush tax cuts.

CORRECTION: The original version of this story misquoted Grover Norquist. He said repatriation would bring $6 billion to $800 billion back.

While other Washington insiders are wringing their hands over the lack of action expected on Capitol Hill in this election year, Grover Norquist is studying his color-coded maps. The antitax advocate and president of Americans for Tax Reform is taking the long view on Congress and charting the ways that Republicans could eventually control the House, Senate, and White House, along with statehouses across the country (all while making sure politicians adhere to his antitax pledge).

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - As a November referendum looms, California's high court ruled that the state must use the latest Senate map for the June and November 2012 elections.

AUSTIN (AP) - The state's bill for providing security for Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid is nearly $800,000 and growing.

A new method tries to tell whether prejudice plays into voting choices

By Gary Stix