Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and the Heritage Foundation are now at odds over a study released by the foundation on Monday that calculates that the cost of an immigration reform proposal partly authored by Rubio would add $6.3 trillion to America's deficit.

The immigration reform proposal hammered out by a bipartisan group of senators, including Rubio, offers a 13-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and is expected to begin the Senate Judiciary Committee markup process on Thursday.

According to the calculations presented in the Heritage Foundation's study, the proposal is expected to amass a "lifetime fiscal deficit" of at least $6.3 trillion. These calculations are based on the assumption that immigrants would receive $9.4 trillion in government benefits and services but only pay $3.1 trillion in taxes. more >>

Three whistle blowers will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday to testify about the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on an American embassy compound in Benghazi, Libya. While they will be asked many questions during the hearing, there are really only three main questions addressed during the hearing.

1) Did top-level Obama administration officials deny requests for additional security before the attack?

The Claim: Eric Nordstrom, the former regional security officer in Libya, will testify that he twice requested additional security for U.S. personnel stationed in Libya. U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, who was one of four Americans killed in the attack, made similar requests. Those requests were denied and the U.S. State Department decided to do the opposite – reduce the number of security officers. more >>

In yet another bad decision, an education administrator asked me to give a high school commencement speech. The principal must know I write a column but he obviously hasn't read it very often.

When I questioned his wisdom, the principal said, "Just give the kids some sound graduation advice." I asked, "Should I tell them I hear the Monsanto plant is hiring?" "No," said the edu-crat, "encourage them. Tell them they can do anything they want." "So I should lie? Have you seen most of these kids? They can't do anything." "No, we don't see it that way. Give them hope," he said.

That's the problem. Kids are getting pie-in-the-sky advice and, judging by obesity rates, they are also eating the pie. more >>

After a grueling political fight filled with personal drama that spurred even his Republican colleagues to desert him, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford experienced what the media is describing as redemption on Tuesday night when voters re-elected him to represent the state's First District in Congress.

"I am one imperfect man saved by God's grace," a triumphant Sanford reportedly told about 100 cheering supporters after beating Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch on Tuesday.

In his comeback from a political career that was marred by a scandalous affair four years ago, Sanford will return to the Congressional seat he held for three terms in the 1990s, and he promised voters that he will give them his best. more >>

Mark Sanford has won election to the United States Congress after defeating Elizabeth Colbert Busch for the South Carolina seat. In his acceptance speech, Sanford pledged to be a new man, and a representative of God's grace and mercy.

"I am one imperfect man saved by God's grace," Sanford said Tuesday night. "It's my pledge to all of you going forward [that] I'm going to be one of the best congressmen I could have ever been."

Sanford faced a tough election against Busch, given her name recognition and popularity. She is the sister of political satirist Stephen Colbert and was quite popular in the polls and during campaigning; many ruled a second chance for Sanford out of the question given the conditions under which he left. more >>

At a White House meeting on Monday, Vice President Joe Biden encouraged nearly 20 representatives from various faith-based communities to continue pressuring their local lawmakers to pass legislation demanding background checks on gun purchases, reportedly telling them to angle their argument for gun control from a moral standpoint.

Monday's meeting marks the White House's recent decision to reach out to faith communities regarding gun control legislation, and included prominent members of the evangelical community, such as Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham; Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good; and Barrett Duke, vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

The two-hour meeting reportedly revolved around Biden's optimistic tone regarding upcoming votes, especially since the bipartisan proposal to expand background checks failed to obtain the necessary 60 votes in the Senate last month. more >>