WASHINGTON POST ROMNEY HIT PIECE IMPLODES  —  Today's unconscionable Washington Post story, which implied without evidence that Mitt Romney was a homophobic bully to one John Lauber back in his high school days five decades ago, has totally imploded.  —  Timed to drop the day after President …

Bill blockbuster: O's an ‘amateur’  —  Bill Clinton thought so little of President Obama — mocking him as an “amateur” — that he pressed his wife last summer to quit her job as secretary of state and challenge him in the primaries, a new book claims,  —  “The country needs you!” …

Obama talks gay rights at Clooney fundraiser  —  * Guest list includes Salma Hayek, Tobey Maguire, Jack Black  —  * Dave Matthews performs at one of two Seattle fundraisers (adds quotes from Obama)  —  President Barack Obama called his endorsement of same-sex marriage a “logical extension” …

JP Morgan: When basis trades blow up  —  I'm not sure if it was the biggest quarterly loss of all time, but Merrill Lynch's $16 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 certainly ranks very high up there in the annals of investment-bank blowups.  It happened after the bank had already …

In film, Walker talks of ‘divide and conquer’ union strategy  —  By Jason Stein and Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel  —  Madison - A filmmaker released a video Thursday that shows Gov. Scott Walker saying he would use “divide and conquer” as a strategy against unions.

Time magazine and our mommy porn fixation  —  As a culture, we're unhealthily obsessed with our mothers.  —  For the past several months, I have been deluged with e-mails wanting to know if I have made plans yet for Mother's Day.  —  Only a few of these have been from my mother.

Trayvon Martin gun range targets sold online  —  Seller admits he wants to profit off controversy  —  An unidentified entrepreneur admits he is trying to profit off Trayvon Martin's death by selling gun range targets featuring the teen who's death has sparked a nationwide controversy.

Obama Raises a Record $15 Million at Clooney Fund-Raiser  —  LOS ANGELES - The buddy act that President Obama and George Clooney have developed was on full display on Thursday night at the actor's home here, where they entertained a Hollywood crowd that paid $40,000 a person to support the president's re-election.

Beach Boys Singer Bruce Johnston — 'Obama's a Socialist A-Hole'  — Barack Obama — Honored with Fried Chicken and Waffles  — Clooney's Obama Bash — Release the Hounds! … See More: GEORGE CLOONEY , BARACK OBAMA , POLITIX  —  Add to My Links  —  5/11/2012 6:25 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Frustrated Harry Reid: Reform the filibuster  —  An angry Harry Reid took to the floor Thursday and demanded changes to the Senate's hallowed filibuster rules, siding with junior Democrats who have sought to substantially weaken the powerful delaying tactic.

House Dems trained to make race the issue  —  House Democrats received training this week on how to raise the issue of race to defend government programs, according to training materials obtained by The Washington Examiner.  —  The prepared content of a Tuesday presentation …

Seeking re-election as Pinal County Sheriff  —  First, let me say how much your friendship and support means to me.  When I announced my candidacy for Congress, I promised the citizens of Pinal County that I would ensure continuity of leadership in the Sheriff's Office.

DOJ vs. Sheriff Joe: Hispanic Discrimination in Photo of ‘Mexican Navy Seal’  —  I just read the complaint filed by the Holder Justice Department against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  (See also PJ Tatler on the radical lawyers who wrote the complaint.)

Strassel: Trolling for Dirt on the President's List  —  First a Romney supporter was named on an Obama campaign website.  That was followed by the slimy trolling into a citizen's private life.  —  Here's what happens when the president of the United States publicly targets a private citizen for the crime of supporting his opponent.

Rep. Allen West Claims LGBT Workplace Discrimination 'Don't Happen' And Doesn't ‘See That As Being A Big Issue’  —  Rep. Allen West (R-FL), no stranger to controversy, declared on Thursday that gay people are never fired because of their sexual orientation in the United States.

Obama campaign adds ‘clean coal’ to website after Republican outcry  —  President Obama's campaign website added “clean coal” to a list of energy priorities late this week, days after Republican lawmakers noted the omission and a federal inmate received about 40 percent of the vote against Obama …

Easy Useless Economics  —  A few days ago, I read an authoritative-sounding paper in The American Economic Review, one of the leading journals in the field, arguing at length that the nation's high unemployment rate had deep structural roots and wasn't amenable to any quick solution.