J. Patrick Coolican profiles Jon Scott Ashjian, the wealthy businessman who’s filed as the Tea Party’s candidate against Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). He doesn’t get too deeply into Ashjian’s finances — that’s left to the comments below the article — but reveals that Ashjian owes more than $200,000 in back taxes and shut down one venture after bouncing a check. (more)

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) "overcame his fiercest primary challenge ever" by defeating Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) "and moving on to a November showdown" with Bill White (D), who easily won his party's nomination, the Austin American Statesman reports. (more)

"Why do Democratic states appear to be struggling more than Republican ones? It comes down to stronger unions and a larger appetite for public programs, according to Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political studies and public affairs at the University of Illinois' Center for State Policy and Leadership. (more)

U.S. Rep. John Linder, who served in Congress for over eighteen years, announced his retirement today at a party breakfast in Georgia. Linder’s seat is expected to stay Republican after this year’s midterm elections. (more)

Governor Rick Perry AP Photo With less than a week to the Texas Republican Primary election and at a time when growing unhappiness with politics in the nation’s capital has been heating up, Governor Rick Perry appears to have successfully portrayed... (more)

The situation already looked explosive. A Rhode Island high school had a 50% failure rate in a depressed town with high unemployment and a median wage of $22,000 per family. The union representing the teachers, who averaged over $70,000 per year in income, refused the superintendent’s plans to improve the school by extending the work day by 25 minutes and requiring teachers to provide tutoring on a rotating basis. The superintendent summoned her inner Reagan and fired them all, from the administrators... (more)

As you know, I am a frequent customer at the Maryville Diner. During one of my eating experiences, I noticed diner owner Suzann Jordan's business cards. I will tell you one thing: Those cards were top notch. (more)

I've never noticed the cussing in California to be any worse than the cussing in other states, but according to a report in the Sacramento Bee, the California legislature is considering a resolution to "designate the first week of March of each year as Cuss Free Week" throughout the whole dadgum Golden State. (more)

Even if Detroit businesswoman Denise Illitch enters Michigan's gubernatorial race on the Democratic side, the eventual Republican nominee remains a pretty heavy favorite to win this seat. A new EPIC-MRA poll released yesterday shows Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) and Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, the two Republican candidates, leading Illitch by seven (42%-35%) and 18 points (48%-30%), respectively, and by even larger margins against other Democratic candidates. (more)

Because Obama is the president — and a Democrat — this means he gets to tell us how to spend our money. Or this is how he feels, apparently. He’s now lecturing business owners about being irresponsible, and calling out Las Vegas in the process. (more)