Michigan GOP race tightens  —  The Republican race for President in Michigan has tightened considerably over the last week, with what was a 15 point lead for Rick Santorum down to 4.  He leads with 37% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 15% for Ron Paul, and 10% for Newt Gingrich.

Ron Paul: 'I Think It's A Losing Position' For Republicans To Focus On Social Issues  —  Ron Paul appeared on CNN's State of the Union today, and in addition to boosting his own candidacy, Candy Crowley asked him about latest frontrunner Rick Santorum and whether or not a candidate like him …

Pain Without Gain  —  Last week the European Commission confirmed what everyone suspected: the economies it surveys are shrinking, not growing.  It's not an official recession yet, but the only real question is how deep the downturn will be.  —  And this downturn is hitting nations that have never recovered from the last recession.

David Koch intends to cure cancer in his lifetime and remake American politics  —  PALM BEACH — David Koch has become the face of conservative America's obsession with weakening organized labor, and for that, he believes, there have been death threats - 100 credible threats last year alone, he says.

Why Mitt Romney's Presidential Prospects May Not Be Salvageable  —  Business School Case Study: Company R has the financial resources, the professional staff, the marketing know-how, and the business expertise to dominate its competition.  But despite the near-universal familiarity of its signature product …

Domestic production eyed as gas prices head toward record-breaking height  —  President Obama's re-elect team defended White House energy policy on Sunday as gas prices shoot toward the $4 mark and beyond, a level that could devastate voters' pocketbooks as well as Obama's chances for a second term.

Jihad from jail: Islamic terrorists using network website MuslimPrisoner.com to preach hatred from behind bars  —  Britain's most dangerous Islamic terrorists are exploiting a security loophole to spread their message of hate from behind bars.  —  Not only have they been able to radicalise fellow inmates …

Plouffe, Obama Aide, Lends Firm Hand to Campaign  —  WASHINGTON — David Plouffe is not a hugger, crier or someone who gets all gaga every time he walks into his West Wing office, just a few feet from that of the president.  He disdains doomsayers as “bed-wetters,” press hordes as “jackals” …

Notes on an Unfinished Letter of Apology (Or, Does Ed Morrissey Torture Cats?) … When the draft of the e-mail passed the 3,000-word mark, and was still clearly not half-finished, I gave it up.  What had begun as a mea culpa had metamorphosed into a treatise explaining the entire history …

Iran stops oil sales to British and French firms  —  (Reuters) - Iran has stopped selling crude to British and French companies, the oil ministry said on Sunday, in a retaliatory measure against fresh EU sanctions on the Islamic state's lifeblood, oil.  —  “Exporting crude to British …