For Complete Coverage of the Crisis in Egypt, Featuring Exclusive Reporting From Christiane Amanpour, Click Here  —  When I asked him what he thought seeing the people shouting insults about him and wanting him gone, he said, “I don't care what people say about me.  Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt.”

White Political Ralliers Call for Lynching of Black Justice (Sorry MSM, No Tea in this Blend)  —  I recently took a two-day trip down to Palm Springs to attend an event called “Uncloaking the Kochs” hosted by Common Cause.  Accompanied by my dear friend, former assembly candidate Alvaro Day …

Why Obama has to get Egypt right  —  Revolutions usually start with enthusiasm and end in tears.  In the case of the Middle East, the tears could be avoided if President Obama stands firmly by the values that got him elected.  Although American power and influence in the world have declined …

GOP loses ‘forcible rape’ language  —  House Republicans plan to sidestep a charged debate over the distinction between “forcible rape” and “rape” by altering the language of a bill banning taxpayer subsidies for abortions.  —  The provision in question, written as an exemption from the ban …

Charlotte charred by FLOTUS roast reference  —  Charlotte residents were ecstatic to hear this week that their city was selected to host the Democratic convention.  But there was one line in the e-mail announcement from First Lady Michelle Obama that made locals say, “Huh?”

Sarah Palin Turns Down Coveted Keynote Speaking Slot At CPAC Conference  —  ABC News' Michael Falcone:  —  UPDATED: After skipping the popular Conservative Political Action Conference for the past three years, Sarah Palin has once again turned down the invitation of CPAC officials to address the conference this year.

Gangs Hunt Journalists and Rights Workers  —  CAIRO — Security forces and gangs chanting in favor of the Egyptian government hunted down journalists at their offices and in the hotels where many had taken refuge on Thursday in a widespread and overt campaign of intimidation aimed at suppressing reports from the capital.

GOP scales back budget cut goals  —  Updating their budget estimates, House Republicans conceded Thursday that their best hope is to cut current appropriations by $32 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year, once new spending for defense and other security needs are added to the equation.

Street Battle Over the Arab Future  —  CAIRO — The future of the Arab world, perched between revolt and the contempt of a crumbling order, was fought for in the streets of downtown Cairo on Wednesday.  —  Tens of thousands of protesters who have reimagined the very notion of citizenship …

President Carter named in $5 million lawsuit over his “Palestine” book  —  More than four years after its publication, five disgruntled readers have filed a class-action lawsuit against President Jimmy Carter and his publisher, Simon & Schuster, alleging that his 2006 book “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid” …

ABC News Reporter Brian Hartman Threatened With Beheading  —  Attacks on Foreign Press Growing During Egyptian Uprising  —  A group of angry Egyptian men carjacked an ABC News crew and threatened to behead them today in the latest and most menacing attack on foreign reporters trying to cover the anti-government uprising.

John McCain: ‘Thank God’ Donald Rumsfeld stepped down  —  Sen. John McCain said he “thank[s] God” that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stepped down from the post in 2006 and didn't lead the Pentagon's strategy in Iraq during the last two years of George W. Bush's presidency.

“O” no!  Anonymous novel flops in first week sales.  —  An anonymously written novel about the Obama administration and the 2012 campaign apparently holds little appeal for Beltway readers.  —  “O: A Presidential Novel” makes its feeble debut at number 23 on our hardcover fiction list for Washington area sales.

Mayor Curses the Beast, and It Didn't Even Bite Him  —  Showing that he can hold a grudge as well as the next politician, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg hurled a mild vulgarity at Staten Island Chuck, the groundhog who bit him two years ago, at the conclusion of Wednesday's otherwise uneventful Groundhog Day ceremony.

The Economic Outlook and Macroeconomic Policy  —  Good afternoon.  I am pleased to be here at the National Press Club, and I'm especially glad for the opportunity to have a conversation with journalists who write about economic policy from our nation's capital.  Your job is not easy, but it is essential.

Crashing the party: Republican strategist turned gay rights activist ponders a White House run  —  ON ROUTE 202, N.H. — The candidate can't find his lane.  The road is a crunchy carpet of snow.  The candidate drifts too far to the right.  The rumble strip rattles his car.  The candidate drifts too far to the left.