The Hill Articles: February 9, 2012

Santorum, Romney to face off at CPAC in high-stakes appeal to party faithful Senate adjourns for the week OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Birth-control mandate dominates news cycle OVERNIGHT TECH: Court speeds up FTC suit over Google privacy changes OVERNIGHT MONEY: Payroll tax, jobless benefits talks land on weekend agenda Giffords to attend Pentagon ship-naming ceremony Friday Cain: Obama ‘manipulated’ job numbers Rand Paul plays the partisan in red-meat speech at CPAC Sen. Kerry thinks compromise on contraception rule possible White House backs $109B Senate transportation bill Paul: Ironic that conservatives are rallying behind ‘sort of’ liberal Santorum State AGs threaten to sue over birth-control mandate Sen. Kohl: GOP spectrum bill a ‘serious threat to consumers’ Obama ducks questions on birth-control mandate DAY’S END ROUNDUP Pelosi, Dems aim to unmask super-PACs Republican gets clear shot at New Mexico Senate nomination Pelosi might have skirted House ethics rules on campaign solicitations Podesta Group snags Judiciary Committee’s chief of staff New Pentagon rules allow women to serve closer to combat Senate transportation bill would restore commuter tax benefit Reid slaps down amendment to repeal Obama’s contraceptive rule Lawmakers press Google for more answers on privacy Romney predicts Obama will back down on birth-control rule Treasury eyes speedier exit from bank bailout Senator urges Washington baseball club to reopen ticket sales to Phillies fans President Obama’s approval rating goes positive Watchdogs petition to replace FEC commissioners Gitmo recidivism report splits lawmakers Rick Perry invokes Chrysler Super Bowl ad in CPAC speech Santorum: Romney ‘hides from his record’ Bill Nelson splits with White House on scope of contraception rule Entitlement reform: now is the time Former JFK Secret Service agents dine at D.C. restaurant Senate invokes cloture on $109B transportation bill Hoekstra campaign pulls website tied to controversial Super Bowl commercial Rep. Blackburn urges ‘full-scale’ Planned Parenthood investigation First-time jobless claims near four-year low Boehner describes a GOP ‘utopia’ in speech to conservatives Chinese spy convicted of stealing Motorola trade secrets Obama hails flexibility in granting education waivers to 10 states Floor protest over Obama’s recess appointments falters in Senate Steve Jobs’s FBI file details personal foibles, drug use Keystone backers, foes find new ammo in report on State Dept. review process House adjourns for the week, resumes work Tuesday Perry uses Eastwood ad to hit Obama Obama says landmark foreclosure deal will help millions of homeowners Boehner uncertain on passage of $260B transportation bill ‘Do-Nothing’ Congress could do damage or do good Pelosi: ‘Colbert used to be my friend’ Rep. King: Pelosi’s ‘Stasi troops’ force use of efficient light bulbs McConnell: Obama demeans presidency Money is rolling into Santorum’s campaign, says senior donor Honoring religious freedom after ‘Arab Spring’ Democratic group spoofs Romney with ‘Sh*t Mitt Says’ video Obama says $26 billion deal with banks will help millions of homeowners Tax code must encourage investment to spur growth and create jobs Bachmann: Obama ‘changed the course of history’ for worse Cantor, Hoyer spar on House transparency Ron Paul blasts Obama, GOP rivals on contraception mandates President Obama is right to stand up for women’s healthcare Dark dreams of Chris Christie Alaskan senator after meeting with baseball player: ‘He may have turned me into a Yankees fan!’ Rep. Billy Long makes comedic debut at congressional dinner: ‘This is my coming out party tonight!’ Sen. Paul offers legislation to strip US aid to Egypt House majority whip: Beware of Obama’s ‘monster’ budget Consumer watchdog sues to stop Google privacy changes Steve King fires up CPAC crowd with conservative rhetoric Boehner urges Obama to spur Dems on payroll tax extension Aide injured in Giffords shooting will run to replace her in House Senate to vote on Obama judicial nominee Thursday New rules require plain-English summaries of health insurance plans Cantor: Congress doesn’t need to ‘tax anybody’ to pay for payroll break Religious right leader Ralph Reed: Romney improving with evangelicals Warren nets endorsements from teacher, service worker unions Santorum: Obama marginalizing faith Next step for STOCK Act looks to be conference committee Regulators approve construction of first nuclear reactors in more than 30 years Senate panel clears bill to allow cameras in Supreme Court State Dept. IG: Keystone review wasn’t biased Cantor says GOP will reject any tax hike to pay for payroll tax holiday Obama campaign releases playlist Hoekstra primary foe calls ‘Debbie Spend-It-Now’ ad ‘demeaning’ Dozens of lawmakers call for more unlicensed spectrum Sen. Hatch: Obama allied with ‘most radical of pro-abortion advocates’ Hoekstra’s primary foe attacks ‘demeaning’ ad Watchdog files ethics complaint against GOP lawmaker Grimm Rubio blasts Obama as ‘terrible president’ in CPAC speech Capitol architect seeks funding boost to fix earthquake damage, aging buildings Obama pulls up his playlist for 2012 Why the nation has lost confidence in our attorney general ‘Sesame Street’ remains on hold for Palestinian children Senate begins unofficial debate on highway bill Pew: Adults mostly kind on social media Jon Huntsman joins Ford’s board of directors House lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation creating user fees for generic drugs DeMint: Brokered convention could become a reality Hatch: Obama White House has radical agenda ‘overtly hostile’ to some people of faith DeMint: Brokered convention a possibility Conrad at peace with Reid keeping budget off floor Report: Israel teams with Iranian terror group in assassinations Senate to vote on $109B highway bill Postal Service bleeds another $3.3 billion Former Rep. Stupak says Obama has power to stop birth-control mandate House (again) votes for early decision on payroll-tax conference House overwhelmingly approves bill banning lawmaker insider-trading News bites: Groupon reports unexpected loss Romney plans major economic address at Detroit NFL stadium Sen. DeMint tells conservatives tough primary will help GOP Sen. DeMint praises all four GOP candidates Saving lives by empowering the justice system US, banks reach $26B foreclosure deal New Hoekstra ad pushes back on criticism of controversial spot Donald Trump: ‘Somebody explain to me’ why Santorum is running for president Chamber drops $10 million on ads in 20 races Congressman says lawmakers ‘can’t take ourselves too seriously sometimes’ News bites: ‘Uniquely terrible’ News bites: Romney confuses Solyndra for Keystone Coburn: Debate over birth-control rule ‘blown out of proportion’ McCain rules out ‘boots on the ground’ in Syria Thursday: STOCK Act in the House, transportation in the Senate Bingaman: Use payroll-tax cut bill to extend green energy credits News bites: Revised Obama’s Catholic Church indignity DNC chairwoman on taking super-PAC money: ‘We cannot unilaterally disarm’ Report: White House to offer 10 states waivers on No Child Left Behind Some in GOP want return to earmarks Romney ventures into lion’s den at CPAC Republican lawmakers feel buyer’s remorse over vote to raise debt limit Lawmakers prep to face fellow members MORNING READ New York, California expected to sign off on $37 billion foreclosure settlement Triumphant Rick Santorum takes fight into Mitt Romney’s Michigan backyard Grassley: House GOP doing Wall Street’s bidding on STOCK Act Time short to save clean-energy jobs Energy efficiency is good policy, good for economy Hawkish senators call for aid, arms in Syria Congress’s job-approval rating hits all-time low in new Gallup survey Attack on environment continues Actions louder than words when it comes to Obama’s energy policies Drill here, sell there, pay more White House is all talk on its energy strategy We need a domestic energy solution to reduce dependence on foreign oil Obama doesn’t back up his energy rhetoric Inside Romney’s spin room A taste of history Mail bag: Readers’ favorite questions Rep. Barton goes ‘outside the box’ with burrito choice Congressman and his boots always ready for rattlesnakes, even in DC Company using Mitt Romney to sell condoms Giant foam presidents
 to run alongside 
undie-wearing racers Senate Dem looks into postal regulator’s travel Eye doctor warns of dangers 
of political protest 
on gay 
marriage