Perhaps during his next partisan exploitation of the tragic death of Americans at Benghazi, Libya, in political hearings paid for by American taxpayers, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) can replay then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warning him, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and other Republicans that their efforts to cut diplomatic security spending will endanger American lives. 

Then House Republicans can testify en masse and offer a group apology for mocking and ignoring Clinton's warning. 

Raising the bar on glib, even for the Eloi at The Washington Post, former Post reporter Thomas E. Ricks includes Texas as one of the newspaper's “things to toss out” this year, along with flip-flops and Ben Bernanke.

“For decades, Texans have been clamoring about leaving the Union,” he writes. “Letting the Lone Star State secede would set a bad precedent. (See the Civil War of 1861 to 1865.) But what about expelling it instead? There is promise in that.”

But here is his error: “Texans have that Lone Star flag all set,” he says. “I think they’re ready to fly solo and lonely once again. Let them go.” In this day and age, what makes Ricks think that if Texas went, it would go alone?

Easy fellas. It has only been a week since National Review blasted immigration reform legislation being promoted — with enormous difficulty — by the Gang of Eight. Now a cover story titled "Rubio's Folly" is the latest attack by the conservative publication, this time aimed personally at Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the man who both parties agree is reform's best hope.

Insisting the key provisions Rubio promised are not in the 844-page bill, the editors wrote that Rubio has lashed himself to the bill, making "convoluted justifications" and "laughable arguments," to promote the legislation.

Wednesday morning’s National Review Online story about Ted Cruz and 2016 created a national stir, reporting one of the party's fastest rising stars is “considering” a presidential bid.

Sen. Cruz (R-Texas) quickly expressed his own surprise at the “wild speculation."

But before you blush at such unbridled ambition, recall that then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was mentioned as presidential candidate just as quickly in his first term as Cruz has been. Read more...

In my last column I warned Republicans that their intense antipathy toward President Obama is destroying the legacy of Lincoln and the GOP brand while hurting America.

Now here comes National Review, pumping a potential 2016 presidential candidacy of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and attacking the immigration bill, a combination destined to turn Florida and Texas quickly blue and bring an epic Hillary Clinton landslide in 2016. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says the Tea Party is the main reason why things are not getting done in Congress and views it as a party of modern-day anarchists, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports.

He hates those guys. “I believe that, my experience with the Tea Party, is that they are against government in any form. They throw monkey wrenches into the government,” Reid is reported to have said during an interview on the "Rusty Humphries Show."

As I read about the evolution of online college courses, and the debate about its efficacy, I'm drawn to recall my experiences as a young, 16-year-old college freshman. 

It was in the dark ages, 1950-54, a time when veterans on the GI Bill flowed into college classrooms. While we kids caroused and "found" ourselves in our new social setting, away from home for the first time, there was a stark difference between us and them. 

They were older, more serious, many already married and living in married student quarters. They were focused and dead serious in classes. They were there to be educated and get on with their lives. We were there to grow up and find ourselves.

The Hill's A.B. Stoddard takes your questions on gun control and immigration reform as President Obama marks the 100th day of his second term. 

Hell hath no fury like a crony capitalist scorned. 

What did students, young people, moms, dads and teachers do to Texas governor-for-life Rick Perry (R) to deserve his attack on education in Texas and the University of Texas, one of the greatest universities in America?

Perry, who I predict will soon be retired-for-life from electoral politics, is a sterling example of why Texas is going to go blue, why Hillary Clinton could carry Texas in 2016, and why some Republicans call other Republicans "the party of stupid."