Once critical of financial regulation bill, Republicans change their tone  —  Key Senate Republicans on Tuesday began to back away from their sharp criticism of proposed new financial regulations and expressed optimism that a bipartisan deal on a bill that would drastically change …

U.S. attorney, IRS and FBI investigating Florida GOP credit card use  —  Federal law enforcement agencies have launched a criminal investigation into the use of American Express cards issued by the Republican Party of Florida to elected officials and staff, according to sources familiar with the probe.

Obama's Bounce Goes Flat, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; But Voters Confident He Will Pick Good Judge  —  President Barack Obama's job approval, which bounced slightly to a 45 - 46 percent split March 25 in the wake of his health care victory, has flattened out at 44 - 46 percent …

Next Up?  Obama Calls Sen. Scott Brown About Immigration  —  President Barack Obama called Massachusetts' new Republican senator, Scott Brown, from Air Force One today to deliver some news: Democrats are moving forward with an immigration overhaul in a month.

Ariz House: Check Obama's Citizenship  —  PHOENIX — The Arizona House on Monday voted for a provision that would require President Barack Obama to show his birth certificate if he hopes to be on the state's ballot when he runs for reelection.  —  The House voted 31-22 to add the provision to a separate bill.

Earthquake in New Jersey: Majority of School Budgets Defeated  —  In a crushing rejection of the thug tactics of the teacher's unions, voters turned out in unusually high numbers Tuesday to reject a majority of proposed school budgets across the state of New Jersey, handing Governor Chris Christie …

Would the U.S. Shoot Down an Israeli Jet?  Top Officer Won't Say  —  MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — I'm not going to make a big deal of this, although some dug deep in the trenches of the Middle East debate might.  But America's top military officer wouldn't rule the possibility today …

Mike Allen, the Man the White House Wakes Up To  —  Before he goes to sleep, between 11 and midnight, Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, typically checks in by e-mail with the same reporter: Mike Allen of Politico, who is also the first reporter Pfeiffer corresponds with after he wakes up at 4:20.

EVEN LINDSEY GRAHAM DOESN'T DESERVE THIS.... I'm not generally in the habit of defending Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), but some of the abuse he's been receiving from the right is ridiculous.  —  Over the weekend, an even-crazier-than-usual Tea Party event was held in Greenville, South Carolina …

RNC Spent $340K On Hawaii Meeting  —  The RNC spent more than $340K at a semi-annual meeting in Honolulu in Jan., the latest example of the party spending lavishly on itself while GOP officials worry they won't have enough money to take advantage of a promising national landscape this fall.

Senator DeMint to Brody File: Tea Party Movement Will Bring On “Spiritual Revival”  —  Senator Jim DeMint tells The Brody File that the Tea Party is a “spiritual revival” waiting to happen.  He compares it to “The Great Awakening”.  You can watch his fascinating comments below and read a partial transcription as well.

GOPer Tries to Ape My Snark  —  I'm not quite sure what to make of this.  A couple weeks ago our Eric Kleefeld came up with video showing Nevada Senate candidate Sue Lowden suggesting that “bartering” for medical care would be a good way to rein in spiraling health care costs.

Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela  —  Pentagon predicts U.S. clash with Islamist paramilitary  —  Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq …

Economic Scene: As Markets Fizzle, Buying May Cost Less Than Renting  —  In much of the country, for much of the last decade, renting a home has usually been a better financial move than buying one.  It's been true in Southern California, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas and large parts of Florida …

Both national party committees spend big chunks on fancy meals, hotels, travel  —  Both the national Democratic and Republican party committees spend about two-thirds of the money they take in on the care and comfort of committee staffs and on efforts to raise more funds, with lavish spending on limousines …

Roots of Islamic funamentalism lie in Nazi propaganda for Arab world, book claims  —  The roots of Islamic fanaticism can be traced to Adolf Hitler's radio messages broadcast around the Arab world during the Second World War, according to a new book.  —  “Your only hope for rescue …

A Grain of salt  —  A confession.  —  Yesterday, against my better judgment, I did something awful.  Caught in a moment of weakness, perhaps even a moment of insanity, I engaged in behavior that horrified my family and would have given my doctor fits if he'd seen it.  The shame burns, but I must admit the cause.

Insider: Top Ohio homeland security officials falsify credentials, obtained fake diploma mill degrees***Updated***Updated 2x  —  ***Sticky until noon.  Scroll down for more updates.  Our correspondent inside the Ohio Department of Homeland Security brings even more troubling news.