Mark talks about his recent profile of Maggie Gallagher, a leading opponent of gay marriage. He and Conor agree that legal gay marriage is both inevitable  and probably a good thing. They disagree about who truly speaks for Catholics. Conor calls for abandoning the norm that says "objective journalists" should hide their opinions, while Mark sees value in it. Is it always best to be charitable toward one's ideological opponents? They conclude by debating whether homeschooling is bad for a liberal society.

On The Posner Show, Sarah asks political reporter Emily Belz: what was Darrell Issa thinking? While many political observers look at the GOP's anti-contraception crusade as an electoral loser, Christian conservatives see their "religious liberty" framing as a long game, mapped out in the Manhattan Declaration, that will play out well beyond 2012. In the GOP primary, though, it seems to be helping Rick Santorum. Is his surge explained by evangelicals who buy Mike Huckabee's "we are all Catholics now?"  Plus: what Santorum means when he talks about spiritual warfare.

Glenn and John begin by debating the merits of Coming Apart, Charles Murray's new book on the "white underclass." John likes the book's focus on the importance of culture; Glenn acknowledges that culture matters while rejecting Murray's conclusion that public policy can do little to help the poor.  They also debate whether the ascendancy of a black president has led to more emphasis on class and less on race in political discourse. Glenn and John next discuss controversial remarks about gays by CNN's Roland Martin. They go on to debate the moral status of religiously founded beliefs that homosexuality is immoral.  

Matt and guest-host Chris Moody recap the scene at CPAC and relate whether Matt successfully avoided his thousands of adoring fans. They discuss how opposing the payroll tax cut was like a rat's head in the GOP's coke can, and marvel at the incredible rehabilitation of Rick Santorum. Is Santorum right to claim that he's the conservative alternative to Romney? And are Tim Pawlenty and Mike Huckabee kicking themselves right now?  

On this week's episode of Pros and Conn, Jaime Fuller talks about whether the payroll tax deal is a win for both sides, debates Obama's budget and the Buffett Rule, and wonders if Rick Santorum could actually win this thing.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Mark Leon Goldberg discuss the latest events in Syria, and the repercussions of recent developments at the United Nations. They ponder the reasoning behind Russia's commitment to Syria, on both military and diplomatic fronts. Mark and Rob then explore the expanding writ of the International Criminal Court—is it making authoritarian leaders more reluctant to give up power? Finally, they consider the parallels between Syria and Bahrain and the future of the Responsibility to Protect.

Noah and Conor kick things off by debating the Catholic Church, health insurance, and contraception. Is this a manufactured controversy, or are lay Catholics earnestly upset by a loss of religious liberty? Noah is a Jewish liberal living in New York City—so what is he doing writing for The American Conservative? Conor wonders whether the GOP should embrace TAC's radical critique of American foreign policy. Charles Murray's new book Coming Apart receives some harsh criticism, as does the right's politics of symbolic victimization. Plus: who will Noah and Conor be voting for in November?  

On the first episode of The Posner Show, Sarah Posner and Sarah Wildman discuss how framing Iran's nuclear ambitions as an existential threat assists fundamentalists, both Jewish and Christian. They also worry that the Republican presidential hopefuls rely more on myth than fact when discussing Middle East policy. How has casino magnate Sheldon Adelson so effectively shaped public opinion both in the US and Israel? And Newt Gingrich trivia: he narrowly averted an intifada, and took evangelizing lessons from a Messianic Jew.

Glenn introduces Larry Kotlikoff, professor of economics and — unbeknownst to you, perhaps — presidential candidate. Larry tells Glenn why it's so hard for a president to get good economic advice, and they talk about the juicy political gossip in Ron Suskind's book, Confidence Men. Larry lays out his non-partisan positions: he wants to reform health care insurance, strengthen the financial system, and get serious with Iran.

Under discussion this week: Why Matt won't talk to you at CPAC. Will conservatives get on the Santorum train? Why Romney lives or dies by the monthly jobs reports. Can Romney govern without a philosophy? And Matt and Bill get a little testy over contraception and explore the political fallout from Obama's decision.

This week on Pros and Conn, Joan McCarter appears to talk about what the results of "Pseudo Tuesday" really mean, the scene at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Republicans in disarray over renewing the payroll tax cut, and vengeance vs. the rule of law in the foreclosure fraud settlement.

On Foreign Entanglements, Jamie makes the case for bombing Iran's regime out of existence. Some key questions are considered: Do Iranians support their country's nuclear program? Would Iranians favor an attack on their own country? Are Iranians pro-American? Matt concludes by arguing that Obama's just not that into war with Iran.

Conor and Phoebe delve into the controversy surrounding the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood, and how social media is changing grassroots campaigning. They deconstruct so-called "lady blogs" like Jezebel that are targeted at women and discuss the social-media site Pinterest and the curious backlash against it. Conor reveals his engagement and offers a critique of the wedding-industrial complex. And Phoebe concludes by musing on the strange online meta-debate about the musician Lana Del Rey.

Harold Pollack joins Glenn for a discussion of social policy. Newt Gingrich's proposal to employ poor kids as janitors is discussed, and Harold stresses the importance of social skills for poor kids by citing evidence from his work in Chicago. Glenn reminisces about growing up on Chicago's South Side, and Harold expresses alarm at how the economic crisis has devastated the black middle class there. Harold and Glenn also talk about Mitt Romney's concern for the poor, or lack thereof.

Bloggingheads United Nations correspondent Matthew Lee reports on the vetoed Syria resolution and the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to its failure. Bob wonders if the world would be better off with a "get out of jail free" card for deposed dictators. Plus, Matthew has a shocking report on a Sri Lankan war criminal becoming a UN peacekeeping advisor, which leads him to inveigh against the UN's lack of accountability.

This week, on The Program Formerly Known as TWiB: Why Matt is dreading going to the Conservative Political Action Conference. How will the CPAC crowd respond to the presidential candidates? Will Romney run right or run center in the general? And Bill and Matt try to figure out why Ann Coulter, Matt Drudge, and Jennifer Rubin all seem to be in the tank for Romney.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Heather talk about the tightening of sanctions on Iran, including the domestic repercussions in both countries. They also discuss the situation in Syria: Rob has doubts about airpower, and Heather and Rob work through some of the problems with the Responsibility to Protect. Plus, a mini-review of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy."

On this week's episode of Pros and Conn, Talk Left's Big Tent Democrat (aka Armando Llorens) talks about Romney's win in Florida, how Cubans think about immigration, why Romney doesn't care about poor people, and the power of Erick Erickson and Markos Moulitsas.

Adam and Dan assess whether the Florida effectively ended the GOP race, and whether immigration reform is effectively DOA. Should we, unlike Mitt Romney, worry about the very poor? Dan call b.s. on both Occupy Wall Street and Romney. Plus: hip-hop as the purest expression of American capitalism.