Sheila Jager, New York TimesOBERLIN, Ohio For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT. ON Monday, North Korea declared that it had nullified the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, a new level of bellicosity that raised, at least on paper, the potential for the resumption of armed conflict on the peninsula. The fiery rhetoric seemed to foreign observers a desperate attempt to force the United States and South Korea to restart stalled talks on denuclearization, in the hope of extracting aid and concessions. But recent history suggests...

By Suzi Parker LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 13 (Reuters) - Arkansas lawmakers, following the lead of other legislators across the country, approved a measure on Wednesday to require voters to show photo identification before they can cast a ballot. The measure passed on a 51-44 vote in the Republican-controlled state House with support from one Democrat. It now returns to the Senate, which approved a similar measure, for a vote on an amendment. Democratic Governor Mike Beebe has not said whether he would sign the bill into law and have Arkansas join the nearly three dozen states that have similar laws on the books, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Legal challenges to those laws are pending in several states where the measures have passed. "We're reviewing the legal issues with voter ID laws that have been raised in other states and plan to consult with the attorney general," said Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample. Under current Arkansas law, poll workers can request identifying documents, but voters are not required to show them. If the bill becomes law, photo ID cards would be made by county clerks at no cost for registered voters who don't have other valid forms of identification. The state Bureau of Legislative Research has reported it would cost the state an additional $300,000. If the bill becomes law, voters without an ID could still cast a provisional ballot, which would be counted if the voter returned with photo identification. The Arkansas bill was challenged by opponents in the House, who argued that the state's constitution requires a two-thirds supermajority on the measure because it affects the state constitution's voting amendment. But earlier Wednesday, the House Rules Committee voted that the bill was properly referred to the House from the Senate on a 23-12 vote. Rita Sklar, director of the ACLU of Arkansas, said that the ACLU will fight the measure if it becomes law. "It has been shown in state after state that such laws do disenfranchise voters," Sklar said. "It could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters in Arkansas particularly the elderly, people with disabilities, young people and minorities all of whom are less likely to have photo ID." The bill's supporters said it would eliminate the possibility of voter fraud and the increase the legitimacy of elections. (Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Tom Brown and Eric Walsh)

WASHINGTON -- Reuniting with supporters and top-tier donors who fueled his re-election victory, President Barack Obama on Wednesday told a grass-roots group springing out of his campaign that they can play an equally powerful role in helping his ambitious second-term agenda come to fruition. Addressing the fledgling group Organizing for Action for the first time, Obama sought to temper concerns among Republicans and good-governance groups that questioned whether the group was really seeking to help Democrats recapture the House in 2014. "I actually just want to govern – at least for a couple of years," Obama said. Obama, who hours earlier held a rare meeting with House Republicans aimed at laying the groundwork for compromise, said he senses a genuine desire among Republicans to get things done. Many of those in the opposing party are just as weary of grinding gridlock that has stymied progress on major fiscal issues, he said. "Members sometimes are scared about making the right decisions," Obama said, telling the group that they could make the difference in marshaling support that would help lawmakers come to the right decision. Obama acknowledged that after his 2008 victory, he didn't do enough to keep supporters engaged. He said his oft-cited observation during last-year's campaign – that Washington can't be changed from inside – has always been his belief, and that Organizing for Action can ensure the voices of those who elected him are heard now that the election is over and the tough work of policymaking has resumed. About 75 supporters and donors, including Google chairman Eric Schmidt, packed a wood-paneled restaurant at a ritzy hotel blocks from the White House to hear Obama, the headliner for the two-day summit. Unlike most of his campaign and White House events, the president spoke without a teleprompter. After Obama made brief remarks, reporters were escorted out as Obama mingled and took questions from attendees. Outside the hotel, a few dozen protesters set up camp – some bearing signs objecting to the president's policies on the use of unmanned drones. Earlier on Wednesday, organizers claimed that they OFA is not a partisan organization aimed at electing specific candidates, but rather a volunteer-driven nonprofit focused on popular issues pushed by Obama, such as curbing gun violence, promoting immigration reform and addressing climate change. "This is something that should be celebrated, not criticized," said David Plouffe, a former White House senior adviser. Jim Messina, OFA's chairman and Obama's 2012 campaign manager, said: "I suppose we all could sit back and relax after the campaign and say we got him re-elected. But it's not `yes he can,' it's `yes we can.'" The group was formed by former Obama aides and is raising millions of dollars in unlimited amounts from donors and small-dollar contributors. Donors who attended the meetings at a Washington hotel near the White House were asked to contribute $50,000. Aware that many of those contributing to the new group also ponied up big for his campaign, Obama noted that being a politician is akin to being a perpetual college student, forever dependent on checks from mom and dad. "I've graduated," Obama quipped. "I've run my last campaign. But we're not done with the work that led me to run in the first place." The group is not accepting donations from corporations, federal lobbyists and foreign donors and has said it will release, voluntarily, the identities of donors who give more $250 or more on a quarterly basis. Watchdog groups say the group runs counter to the spirit of Obama's opposition to the influence of money in politics and have cautioned that donors could get special access to the White House in exchange for large contributions. J. Gerald Hebert, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, said Obama's involvement with OFA "not only raises policy concerns relating to the purchase of influence over the administration, but also may cross the line in terms of the federal law banning the soliciting of gifts by any member of the executive branch, including the president." OFA officials said they were on sound legal ground, noting that Obama can appear before any nonprofit group that advocates for public policy issues. White House press secretary Jay Carney has said there is no pricetag to see the president and has said that administration officials routinely interact with outside advocacy groups. OFA plans to ramp up its activities across the nation with weekly, issue-oriented events "Our role, quite simply, is to change the balance of power by being an organization, a network of grassroots strength, that is going to stand up for that agenda," said Jon Carson, OFA's executive director. ___

David Harsanyi, Human EventsNo worries, America. Debt is a preoccupation of the fringe, a mere distraction for anyone interested in progress. And anyway, as President Barack Obama explained this week, "we don't have an immediate crisis in terms of debt. In fact, for the next 10 years, it's going to be in a sustainable place."That's a pretty convenient position, wouldn't you say, for a man who's helped pile on trillions of dollars of new debt and created an entitlement that promises to escalate this non-crisis crisis of ours? Problem is that there are a few trillion things wrong with...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, former first lady Betty Ford and horse racing's most successful female jockey, Julie Krone, are among this year's inductees into the National Women's Hall of Fame, the hall announced Wednesday. Nine women will be enshrined at an Oct. 12 ceremony in Seneca Falls, the western New York village where the first known women's rights convention was held. Pelosi is being recognized for 25 years in politics and as the nation's first female House speaker and first woman to lead a major U.S. political party. She called the recognition an honor and privilege. "All I have achieved has been possible because of the work of our forebears," Pelosi said in a statement. "The foundation of our progress as a nation and a people rests on the deeds and courage of the women who grace the walls of the Hall of Fame." The inductees also include: midwife and author Ina May Gaskin; feminist Kate Millett; Mother Mary Joseph Rogers, who founded Maryknoll Sisters; education activist Bernice Resnick Sandler; research economist Anna Jacobson Schwartz and 19th century educator Emma Hart Willard. "We are grateful for the work of all the women we honor this year as their pioneering achievements have opened doors for so many," said Beverly Ryder, co-president of the hall's board of directors. "Their efforts impact the lives of both women and men, girls and boys, and provide us with outstanding examples of the importance of perseverance, commitment and the desire for change," Ryder said. Ford, who died in 2011, is remembered for her candor in sharing her struggles with cancer and addiction. In 1982, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center to treat substance abuse. Born in 1963, Krone recorded more than 3,700 wins, including the 1993 Belmont Stakes, to become the leading female thoroughbred jockey of all time. She retired in 2004. The inductees join the ranks of suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, tennis pro Billie Jean King, astronaut Sally Ride and actress Lucille Ball. In all, 247 women have been inducted so far. "Each class of inductees becomes part of a singular group of women," co-President Beth Quillen Thomas said, "whose achievements inspire us all."

The filmmaker behind the now infamous "47 percent" video that damaged the Romney campaign tells HuffPost Live why he felt it was his "civic duty" to release the footage.

By Daniel Wallis and Andrew Cawthorne CARACAS, March 13 (Reuters) - Venezuela's acting president said on Wednesday that "far right" figures in the United States were plotting to kill opposition leader Henrique Capriles in an increasingly volatile atmosphere ahead of an April 14 election. Accusations are flying and emotions are running high in the South American OPEC nation of 29 million people since the death last week of former socialist leader Hugo Chavez. "We have detected plans by the far right, linked to the groups of (former Bush administration officials) Roger Noriega and Otto Reich, to make an attempt against the opposition presidential candidate," Nicolas Maduro said. He gave no more details, but said in a televised speech that the government had sent a senior general to meet with aides of Capriles. There was no immediate response from Washington or Capriles' camp. During the Chavez era, there were frequent claims of U.S. plots aimed at discrediting his self-styled revolution. Critics said they were a smokescreen to create a sense of "imperialist" threat and distract Venezuelans from daily problems. Why foreign right-wingers would want to bring down the business-friendly Capriles was not explained by Maduro. The upcoming vote will pit Maduro, Chavez's heir apparent, against Capriles, a centrist state governor who lost an election to Chavez in October. Noriega, a former Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America under former president George W. Bush, denied Maduro's accusation. "Its absolute nonsense," said Noriega said. "They call you what they are and they accuse you of doing what they do. That is the way they operate," Noreiga. Reich was not immediately available to comment. Earlier this week, Capriles' team said the opposition candidate had not registered his candidacy in person on Monday because they had received information that an attack against him was planned. Aides delivered his papers instead. In January, Maduro said unidentified groups had entered the country with the aim of assassinating him and the head of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello. This week, Maduro also said Venezuela will set up a formal inquiry into claims that Chavez's cancer was the result of poisoning by his enemies abroad. GAY ROW Venezuela's acrimonious election campaign was further stirred by remarks from Maduro that were widely perceived as a homophobic slur against Capriles. Capriles, 40, was the target of racial and sexual innuendoes by Chavez's supporters throughout last year's presidential race: one cartoon shown on state media depicted him in pink shorts with a Nazi swastika on one arm. Chavez himself was also vilified by foes as an uncouth clown throughout his rule. The mockery included racist insults and photos of apes with his face superimposed. Denigrating images of Maduro driving a bus - his former job - are now circulating among anti-government factions. In the flurry of back-and-forth accusations from both camps this week, Maduro appeared to revive last year's line of attack over Capriles' sexuality. Capriles is unmarried. "I do have a wife, you know? I do like women!" Maduro told a rally. He has also called Capriles "a little princess." The comment drew hoots of laughter from supporters, some shouting explicit insults against the opposition leader. That infuriated backers of Capriles, whom polls show has an uphill struggle to beat Maduro. "I believe in a society where no one feels excluded due to their way of thinking, race, beliefs or sexual orientation," Capriles said in response. Images of guns pointed at TVs showing Capriles' image are also doing the rounds, triggering a formal opposition complaint. On Wednesday, Maduro rowed back and insisted he was always respectful of others' private lives. "If I were homosexual I would be proud about it and I would love whoever I loved with my heart, without problem," he said. Venezuela's acting leader also said on Wednesday that plans to embalm Chavez's remains, in the style of Communist leaders Lenin, Stalin and Mao, had run into problems. "Russian and German scientists have arrived to embalm Chavez and they tell us it's very difficult because the process should have started earlier. ... Maybe we can't do it," he said. (Additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez, Mario Naranjo and Patricia Velez)

Michael Sivy, Time

President Barack Obama on Wednesday addressed the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope, offering the new leader of the Catholic church "warm wishes" and "prayers." "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy," Obama said in a statement from the White House. "As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years—that in each other we see the face of God." Obama also called attention to the fact that Bergoglio, a 76-year-old from Argentina, is the first pope from the Americas to be elected by the conclave. "As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day," the president said. "Just as I appreciated our work with Pope Benedict XVI, I look forward to working with His Holiness to advance peace, security and dignity for our fellow human beings, regardless of their faith. We join with people around the world in offering our prayers for the Holy Father as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church in our modern world." As 266th pope, Bergoglio will take the name Pope Francis. For more information on the new pope, click over to our live blog.

A group of prominent Republican congressmen will hold a fundraiser for scandal-plagued Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported Wednesday. DesJarlais was pushed into the national spotlight in 2012 when details of his unscrupulous past surfaced during his reelection campaign. In October, The Huffington Post reported that the anti-abortion rights congressman had had an affair with a patient and pressured her to have an abortion. During the 2001 divorce proceedings, it was also revealed that DesJarlais had encouraged his wife to have two abortions before their marriage. Nevertheless, Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), John Kline (R-Minn.) and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) -- all powerful House committee chairmen -- have agreed to help the congressman raise money to stay in Congress. Despite the scandal, DesJarlais won reelection in November. His political future is uncertain, however, as a cadre of state legislators and former DesJarlais fundraisers in Tennessee have already publicly supported state Sen. Jim Tracy (R), who announced his candidacy earlier this year, in a primary challenge.

When I hear the word "retarded" used to describe someone or something that is unintelligent, silly or even as a filler word when another adjective doesn't suffice, it literally makes me cringe. Worse yet is when I hear it being used to actually describe someone with a disability in a derogatory way. As a physician, I am versed in the fact that long ago, the word used to be a simple clinical term to describe those with developmental delays or cognitive disabilities. However, urbandictionary.com reminds us that "stupid" and "wasted" have since been more predominant uses. During the 2011 NBA Finals, Miami Heat star Lebron James murmured, "that's retarded" after listening to what he felt was a "stupid question" at a post-game press conference. Fortunately, Lebron later apologized publicly after disability groups complained about its offensive nature. However, only last year, right-wing personality Ann Coulter posted a Twitter message referring to President Obama as a "retard," and later went on to defend her usage of the term to mean "loser." The fact that even celebrities use the word so flippantly as synonymous with "stupid" and "loser" highlights the fact that many see this as a non-issue. The effect that language can have on people is indisputable. Just as words can move us, inspire us or even heal us emotionally, they can insult, exclude and dehumanize. These latter painful impacts that the "r-word" has on those with disabilities is the impetus behind the Special Olympics campaign "Spread the word to end the word" to persuade individuals to stop using it, "as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people." Last Wednesday, March 6th, was a national day of awareness of this effort, but the movement is an ongoing one whose goals are much broader than simply not using the r-word. It is a revolution to increase consciousness, change attitudes and become more accommodating in our mindsets about a population that has been largely hurt and ignored throughout history. While statistics may vary, in 2011, the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau reported a prevalence of 12.2 percent -- almost 38 million -- of individuals with disabilities in the United States. Despite these large numbers, individuals with disabilities often face stigmatization that serves as a barrier to inclusion and growth. The Americans With Disabilities Act addressed structural barriers by prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity for those with disabilities. Almost two decades later, President Obama passed Rosa's Law, changing the terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" in federal health, education and labor laws to "intellectual disability" and "individual with an intellectual disability," respectively. This step displayed recognition of the concept that legitimate clinical entities were being delegitimized by the pervasive negative connotations of the "r-word." Yet policy change is only one part of the strategy towards inclusivity and does not address individual perceptions. There are many people who are caring, sensitive individuals who do not view the use of "retard" as disrespectful or heartless, particularly when used as a joke or when not referring to someone who actually has a disability. I would know; in my teens, I was one of them. The problem is not necessarily with intention; it is about consciousness. It is the recognition that whether one's intent is cruel or well-meaning, semantics can have a destructive effect -- both in terms of the attitudes it conjures as well as the actions motivated by these attitudes that may result in a less accepting culture. Furthermore, the choice we make to listen to or silence the pleas of those affected by these semantics not to be equated with a word of derision directly reflects -- however subconscious -- the value that we as a society place on these individuals. When I politely express sensitivity of or distaste towards the r-word, I am often asked sympathetically if I have a family member or close friend who is intellectually or physically disabled. When I answer in the negative, they sometimes go on to think I'm just being too serious. It always confuses me, as if the only justifiable reason to advocate for others or express sensitivity about a cause is due to a personal relationship. As a trained pediatrician and an allergist, I regularly advocate for children and those with allergies though I don't have any of either. My sensitivity results from a simple decision to be socially conscious with my words for the millions who may be hurt or affected by them. I don't mean to be a stick in the mud. Nonetheless, if serving as a voice for those who aren't heard makes me one, I'm okay with that. I don't personally get offended easily, but am often sensitive to speech that may offend vulnerable populations, and even more so if I am certain it hurts them. So it's something that I actually don't want to be desensitized to. At the end of the day, "banning" a word really isn't going to solve anything. Stigma and its counterpart, inclusion, are reflected in actions and the cycle of attaching a pejorative subtext will only repeat with any euphemism for those with disabilities unless the underlying negative connotations are removed. Moreover, censorship violates our freedom of speech, and that is the last thing any social justice advocate, such as myself, would support. However, if the Special Olympics campaign to "end the word" causes us to be reflective before we speak and fosters mutual partnership towards the common goal of becoming a more mindful and inclusive society, it will have more than done its job.

Rachel Donadio, New York TimesVATICAN CITY "” With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday. The name of the new pope, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, by tradition would not be revealed until he appeared on a balcony on the front of St. Peter's Basilica. "Habemus papam!," members of the crowd shouted in Latin, waving umbrellas and flags. "We have a pope!""It was like waiting...

Amy Davidson, The New YorkerThere was white smoke over Rome after dark fell there, and bells were tolling. After just a little more than a day, a new Pope had been chosen, on the fifth ballot. An hour of uncertainty passed, then a French cardinal came out and announced, in Latin, the name this Pope was leaving behind: Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and a Jesuit. He got to pick a new name; John Paul I, the Pope of thirty-three days, chose his as a symbol of combing the qualities of Paul VI and John XXII. So it might matter a good deal that Bergoglio chose Francis, evoking the saint of...

Mark Leibovich, NYT MagazineSenator Edward M. Kennedy with his first wife, Joan, and son Edward Jr. in 1979 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., where the younger Kennedy was a student.In early December, Washington's political class was in one of its episodic ventilations over who would fill the latest round of job openings. The intrigue of the moment involved Hillary Clinton's replacement as secretary of state. Susan Rice, the U. S. ambassador to the United Nations and onetime front-runner, was taking a public battering, and the fallback candidate, Senator John Kerry, was looking more likely to get...

Ed Morrissey, Hot Air(VATICAN CITY) I’ve been in Rome since Friday, reporting from the Vatican and one of its media centers.  I didn’t find out until yesterday that there are actually two media centers, packed with credentialed journalists, reporting on the papal conclave.  I found out about the other when they closed it at 5 pm local time as the conclave procession was under way and a flood of people created a standing-room-only situation here for a while.  Over 5600 journalists have been credentialed for this event, and La Sala Stampa even erected a pavillion on...

Lindsay Abrams, The AtlanticIn 2006, a tornado struck the town of Parkersburg, Iowa. The devastation wreaked by the category F2 twister was sizable: The 150 mph winds left a path of destruction four and a half miles long and a third of a mile across. Businesses in the small city suffered $10 million in damages; private residences and the state college, tens of millions. The residents of Parkersburg were resilient: they rebuilt and moved on. In the process, however, they lost the ability to accurately assess their risk of experiencing another disaster. They were optimistic to a fault.A few...

The Truth-o-Meter says: True | Nancy Pelosi says 64 percent of minimum-wage earners are women On news of the stock market hitting an all-time high, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said it’s time to raise the minimum wage. In a news conference on March 7, 2013, Pelosi, D-Calif., announced her support for a bill raising the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. "If we are to honor our commitment to a middle class, which is the backbone of our democracy, we have to reflect ... that intention in our public policy," she said. Then she added, "It ... >> More

The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted down legislation calling for a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, less than a year after passing similar legislation. Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled chamber voted 229-121 on Wednesday against the proposal, the Associated Press reported. Last May, when the chamber was controlled by a tea party-affiliated Republican majority, the measure passed after it was tacked on to a bill relating to research and development tax credits. The state Senate killed the abortion waiting period bill last year. The legislation required that women receive an outline of the procedure, a list of "medically-accurate" complications and alternatives to abortion. This would include state publications on abortion complications and alternatives, along with material noting that the child's father is financially liable. Women would have been required to sign a document confirming receipt of the information. Doctors would have been required to document and fill out a form if an emergency abortion did not allow for the waiting period and counseling session. The proposal, which was described as "pro-choice" by supporters, required women to receive medical counseling prior to an abortion and then wait a minimum of 24 hours before receiving the procedure. According to a Judiciary Committee report circulated to lawmakers, state Rep. Lenette Peterson (R-Merrimack) wrote that the bill would provide women with more options. She compared the procedure with the advice doctors give to patients seeking elective surgery. "This is a pro-educational/pro-choice bill. Education is key to make an informed decision," Peterson wrote. "Elective surgery is not performed within a 24-hour notice and there is no reason why an abortion cannot have a 24-hour waiting period. This bill would allow plenty of time to study all options available, before making a life changing decision." But state Rep. Sylvia Gale (D-Nashua) used the committee report to urge lawmakers to vote no on the bill, saying that it would put new restrictions on a woman's right to choose. She wrote that women already give thought to the procedure before going to a doctor. "This requirement would impose ideologically driven obstacles to women seeking this medical service, and is both impractical and burdensome and could lead to increased health risks for some patients," Gale wrote.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) introduced a constitutional amendment on Tuesday, aimed at reversing the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United. Titled "Democracy is for People," the amendment would "stop corporations and their front groups from using their profits and dark money donations to influence our elections," Deutch said in a statement released on Sanders' official website. Sanders has been a long time advocate of reversing the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allowed unrestricted spending in federal campaigns. Sanders reiterated that opinion on Tuesday. "What the Supreme Court did in Citizens United is to tell billionaires like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson, ‘You own and control Wall Street. You own and control coal companies. You own and control oil companies. Now, for a very small percentage of your wealth, we're going to give you the opportunity to own and control the United States government,'" Sanders said. "That is the essence of what Citizens United is all about. That is why this disastrous decision must be reversed." Last year, Sanders and Deutch introduced the "Saving American Democracy Amendment" and brought attention to the importance of Americans understanding how campaigns were financed. In January 2012, Sanders co-authored a HuffPost blog with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen (the group behind Democracy Is For People project), voicing their Citizens United concerns: The ruling not only poisoned our political process. It contaminated the legislative process. It cast a permanent chill over all policymaking. Will the merits or the money tip the balance when an issue comes before Congress? What do you think? If the question is on breaking up huge banks, for example, every member of the Senate and the House, in the back of their minds, will ask themselves what the personal price would be for taking on Wall Street. Am I going to be punished? Will a huge amount of money be unleashed in my state? They're going to think twice about how to cast that vote. Not to put too fine a point on it, you will see politicians being adopted by corporations and becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of corporate entities. In August 2012, President Barack Obama said he supported overturning the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United while answering a question posted in an "Ask Me Anything" discussion on Reddit. "Over the longer term, I think we need to seriously consider mobilizing a constitutional amendment process to overturn Citizens United (assuming the Supreme Court doesn't revisit it)," Obama wrote. "Even if the amendment process falls short, it can shine a spotlight of the super-PAC phenomenon and help apply pressure for change."

Microsoft Outlook features a same-sex wedding as part of its new advertising campaign. The new clip shows two women tying the knot before one updates her surname within the Outlook program. The commercial follows in the footsteps of Kindle Paperwhite, which has produced a similarly marriage equality-themed ad. Earlier this year, Crate & Barrel similarly depicted two men at a romantic dinner as part of a new "January Inspiration" catalog. Bob Witeck, who consults for Fortune 100 companies on LGBT marketing and communications strategies, told the Associated Press that President Barack Obama's controversial embrace of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights has changed the playing field for corporate advertising in recent months. "Things have changed significantly in terms of risk and reward," Witeck is quoted by the AP as saying. "Businesses don't view this as a risk model any longer." H/T Joe. My. God.

Jonathan Cohn, The New RepublicPaul Ryan has released his new budget proposal, "The Path to Prosperity." It looks almost exactly like his old budget proposal. Really - go back and read the article I wrote one year ago, when the Wisconsin congressman introduced his budget proposal for the 2013 fiscal year, which he also called "The Path to Prosperity."� I said that proposal would take health insurance away from tens of millions of people, that it would starve government of resources to conduct everyday business, that it would take vital support away from low-income Americans, and that its promise of...