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Rick Perry dropping out of the 2016 presidential race is a damn shame. It's an indictment of Republican voters, who express a preference for entertainers and oddities, of the Republican Party apparatus that allowed Perry to languish at a "kid's table" debate, and the media institutions that spent more time talking about Donald Trump's hat than the success of governors.

Liberal pundit Chris Matthews explained Mitt Romney's support among conservatives, despite the candidate shifting toward the center on a number of issues, as a product of "racial hatred."

10.31 pm. Look: you know how much I love the guy, and you know how much of a high information viewer I am, and I can see the logic of some of Obama's meandering, weak, professorial arguments. But this was a disaster for the president for the key people he needs to reach, and his effete, wonkish lectures may have jolted a lot of independents into giving Romney a second look.....

Mike Bost, a Republican member of the Illinois general assembly from Murphysboro, unleashed an explosive tirade on the Democratic-led legislative body for repeatedly bringing pension reform bills to a vote before giving lawmakers a chance to read them.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews says Republicans are willing to outsource the election to a Mormon in order to win the presidency. Matthews also likened the process to calling India or another third-world country to get your computer fixed. On top of that, Matthews called Romney a cultist as well as his two opponents who are Catholics.

On the heels of MSNBC dismissing conservative commentator and author Patrick J. Buchanan, Chris Matthews, the network's staunchest Obama supporter, called for news programs to stop inviting Rev. Franklin Graham on television to talk politics. "I think we should stop inviting this guy to talk about politics. He should stay out of the -- I mean, I love the bookings on "Morning Joe." I love the guests. In this case, I think this guy should not be in the public square talking politics," Matthews said on his "Hardball" program. "He's got his own little thing and he ain't his father's...

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton said Wednesday that he's committed to figuring out why he had another alcohol relapse and is undergoing what he called a "Josh Hamilton makeover." Hamilton appeared on "Glenn Beck" on GBTV.com with guest host Dr. James Robison, Hamilton's pastor with LIFE Outreach, a Christian ministry based in Euless, Texas. The slugger, who told Robison he's going to "one-on-one" counseling sessions, said when he had his last relapse, in January 2009 in Tempe, Ariz., that he thought things would be fine and that he'd get on with his life. *snip* On Wednesday, in his first one-on-one...

I had a feisty 35 minute sit-down with Donald Trump today in which he dug in on the "birther" controversy, answered Club for Growth’s charge that he is a “liberal,” talked about a possible independent run and answered your questions. But we began with his get tough approach on gas prices: Trump: Look at what’s going on with your gasoline prices. They’re going to go to $5, $6, $7 and we don’t have anybody in Washington that calls OPEC and says, "Fellas, it’s time. It’s over. You’re not going to do it anymore." I don’t know if you saw yesterday,...

This Sunday millions of Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl - an annual highlight in the sporting world to decide the championship team in professional American football. But, before the game starts, they will remember Reagan, who would have been 100 years old this day. ~~"Some experts say Reagan would have no chance with the Republican Party of today." "I doubt that Reagan could be elected today," said political strategist Mark McKinnon.~~

WASHINGTON -- After hounding Major League Baseball and its players union over steroids, Congress now wants the sport to ban smokeless tobacco. "Good luck," San Francisco Giants reliever Brandon Medders said. "Guys do what they do. We work outside. It's been part of the game for 100 years." At a hearing Wednesday, House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, and Health Subcommittee chairman Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, called on baseball and its players to agree to bar major leaguers from using chew, dip or similar products during games. Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press