Exclusive: All 7 Republicans on Senate Judiciary Committee Ask AG Holder to Appoint Special Prosecutor to Look Into Alleged Sestak Job Offer  —  In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder today, all seven Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee “urge the appointment of a special prosecutor …

Coast Guard Allows BP to Try Method to Stop Oil Leak  —  HOUSTON — BP was poised Wednesday to decide whether to move ahead with its most ambitious — and potentially most consequential — effort to plug the mile-deep gusher of oil that has been streaming into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month.

Biden jokes about Blumenthal's military service record  —  Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday took an unexpected dig at Connecticut Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal (D) for misstating his military service record.  —  While speaking at a barbecue for wounded soldiers, he commented about veterans coming home from the Vietnam War.

Chiefs of Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marines Oppose DADT Repeal  —  The heads of the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy oppose the current amendment to repeal “don't ask, don't tell.”  Senator John McCain's office just released letters from the chiefs of the armed services …

Inside my Palin mailbag  —  My post Tuesday on the irresponsibile nature of Sarah Palin's grudge against author Joe McGinniss inspired more mail than anything I've written here.  I'll post some while protecting the names of the authors, to give you an idea of the response I got and to answer …

Is Rand Paul Crazier Than Anyone Else in D.C.?  —  The media mock libertarians and other candidates outside the mainstream.  But are their ideas really any less valid than those of the ‘centrists’?  —  Forced to name the “craziest” policy favored by American politicians …

James O'Keefe and friends plead guilty in Mary Landrieu office caper … The four defendants who were arrested in January in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in the Hale Boggs federal complex in New Orleans pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in federal court to entering real property belonging to the United States under false pretenses.

Over Drinks With Donors, Obama Recounts Lunch With Republicans  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Hours after President Obama met privately with Senate Republicans at the Capitol on Tuesday, he was here on the West Coast, regaling Democratic donors with his version of the 75-minute luncheon squabble.

UPDATE w/ video: Gov Christie tells teacher, if she doesn't like education budget, she can quit  —  As if there is nothing more to love about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, he held a townhall in Rutherford discussing his 33-bills “tool kit” that will bring a cap on property taxes and other taxes …

Republicans' new Web site not exactly what they hoped it would be  —  Republicans want to take over the House in the fall, but there's a problem: They don't have an agenda.  —  So on Tuesday, they set out to resolve that shortcoming.  They announced that they would solicit suggestions on the Internet …

AFA's Fischer Outdoes Himself  —  It was about a year ago that I wrote a seemingly throwaway post about the fact that Bryan Fischer had been promoted from his position running the Idaho Values Alliance, the state affiliate of the American Family Association, to a position as director …

Republicans Threaten Filibuster Over 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'  —  Armed Services Republicans threatened Wednesday to filibuster the defense authorization bill if it comes to the floor with Democrat-backed language repealing the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy.

FIRST THOUGHTS: GOP AND IMMIGRATION  —  Good news/bad news for GOP in NBC/MSNBC/Telemundo poll on immigration... The poll shows that Latino voters are swinging widely for the Democrats, while their support for the GOP is dropping like a rock... Has the GOP learned the Pete Wilson lesson? …

Making Control Simple  —  When we started Facebook, we built it around a few simple ideas.  People want to share and stay connected with their friends and the people around them.  When you have control over what you share, you want to share more.  When you share more, the world becomes more open and connected.

47% Now Hold Unfavorable View of Kagan  —  Voters have an increasingly unfavorable opinion of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan but are more convinced than ever that she will be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  —  A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of U.S. voters …

NYers wage jihad vs. WTC mosque  —  Angry relatives of 9/11 victims last night clashed with supporters of a planned mosque near Ground Zero at a raucous community-board hearing in Manhattan.  —  After four hours of public debate, members of Community Board 1 finally voted 29-1 in support of the project.

New King of Technology: Apple Overtakes Microsoft  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Apple, the maker of iPods, iPhones and iPads, overtook Microsoft, the computer software giant, on Wednesday to become the world's most valuable technology company.  —  In intraday trading shortly after 2:30 p.m. …