This Associated Press article goes into all the reasons Sen. Richard Lugar is being challenged from the right in his party and why some see him and Orrin Hatch, the Tea Party's other main target this year, as "old bulls out of touch with today's conservatives." I think this gets to the heart of it:

Would Franklin Roosevelt approve of Social Security as it exists today? The question might seem absurd at first, writes Robert Samuelson, but consider that Roosevelt envisioned a contributory pension plan, because a "pay-as-you-go" plan would creater huge debts or much higher taxes as the number of retirees expanded. But that's exactly where he are today:

Nope. 'Fraid not:

The case of a Marine who is facing discharge for posting disparaging comments about President Obama on Facebook has renewed a debate about free speech rights for members of the military.

How depressing might your average newspaper journalist find this piece? Here's a clue: It's titled "When Losers Write History," which is adapted from a chapter in the book, "Will the Last Reporter Please Turn out the Lights: The Collapse of Journalism and What Can Be Done To Fix It."

Choice:

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is currently blocking implementation of voter ID laws in South Carolina and Texas, claiming such measures are “unnecessary,” discriminatory and would make it harder for minorities to vote.

Imagine that -- a Republican politician who doesn't complain about the "mainstream media":

Mitt Romney lamented the absence of editors for “quality control” from new media on Wednesday, and noted that Twitter now provides "instantaneous reaction" to the presidential campaign.

Since I'm in the grocery store two or three times a month, this isn't exactly a shock for me to read:

World food prices are likely to rise for a third successive month in March, and could gain further beyond that, with expensive oil and chronically low stocks of some key grains putting food inflation firmly back on the economic agenda.

This is disappointing. Earlier today I made the observation that "the abuse of power isn't a partisan issue." Neither, apparently, is parochialism:

The Democrat and Republican running to replace Gov. Mitch Daniels spent most of their Tuesday morning talk with Indiana corn growers and ethanol producers outlining their similarities, starting with the fact that their campaign vehicles run on E85 ethanol blends.

Ball State University has handed out letter grades to Indiana's counties:

The report seeks to provide policy makers and residents within counties an objective, datafocused assessment of factors that influence quality of life and economic conditions.