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In Case You Missed It - More than one politician and pundit have noted how Washington budget battles remind them of the movie Groundhog Day. When it comes to fiscal matters, Washington leaders do the same thing: argue, stalemate, seek a last-minute deal – and barely avert disaster. In other news, voting rights continues to face challenges and the GOP snubs New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. – Joyce Jones

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Voting Rights Challenge - The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 27 heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of Section 5 of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Justices will then consider if there's still a need for states with a history of racial discrimination to pre-clear changes to their voting laws and maps.  (Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Photo By Photo: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

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Not There Yet - "Some people like to point to the fact that we have minorities in the Congress, that we have an African-American president. But we are not there yet," said Rep. John Lewis at a rally on the Supreme Court to protest the Voting Rights Act challenge. "We witnessed the long lines during the past election. We witnessed gerrymandering and trying to make it hard and difficult for many people to participate in the democratic process. We are not there yet." (Photo: Joyce Jones/BET)

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Rig the Vote - At a Feb. 24 state party convention, Michigan Republicans voted overwhelmingly to support a resolution to rig the electoral college process to make it difficult or impossible for a Democratic presidential candidate to win the state. Such a scheme, which would have given GOP candidate Mitt Romney the state, has been denounced by many prominent Republicans across the nation. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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On the Road - Obama traveled to Newport News, Virginia, on Feb. 26 to pressure Congress to avert the automatic federal spending cuts set to take effect on March 1. "The sequester will weaken America's economic recovery," Obama told thousands of workers at Newport News Shipbuilding. "It will weaken our military readiness. And it will weaken the basic services that the American people depend on every single day." (Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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There Will Be Pain - Speaking at the National Attorneys General winter meeting on Feb. 26, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder warned that if automatic federal spending cuts are allowed to take effect, "Americans will be less safe" and "there will be pain."   (Photo: EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS /LANDOV)

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Fighting Words - House Speaker John Boehner is clearly frustrated by the stalemate preventing lawmakers from halting automatic federal spending cuts set to take effect on March 1. Citing two House bills already passed, he said, "We should not have to move a third bill before the Senate gets off their a-- and begins to do something.”  (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Not Guilty - Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin has pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption during his tenure, including accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and free granite for a family business and filing false tax returns. (Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

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Thank You, 53 Percent - James Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter who found Romney's infamous "47 percent" tape, told CNN's Piers Morgan that Obama thanked him during a post-State-of-the-Union trip to the Peachtree State. "[He] kind of half-embraced me, I want to say, put his arm around me, and we shook hands. He thanked me for my support, several times," Carter said.(Photo: MSNBC)

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Nevada, You Have a Problem - Nevada state lawmaker Steven Brooks' bad year has gotten worse. After being accused of threatening the state assembly speaker, an arrest following a "disturbance" at a relative's home, a psych evaluation after grabbing a policeman's gun – and more, he tried to buy a gun on Feb. 22, triggering a headline-making background check. (Photo: AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)

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Laura Bush Wants Out - Former first lady Laura Bush supports gay marriage but wants out of a Human Rights Campaign ad promoting it that also features Obama, former vice president Dick Cheney and former secretary of state Colin Powell. The reason: She didn't "approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated with the group that made the ad in any way," a spokesperson explained. (Photo: YouTube via Respect For Marriage)

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With Friends Like Obama - Republicans still haven't forgiven New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for embracing the president's support after Superstorm Sandy. Now the Conservative Political Action Conference is not inviting him to speak at its annual conference in March despite a 73 percent approval rating in a Democratic state and national appeal. (Photo: REUTERS/Larry Downing)

Photo By Photo: REUTERS/Larry Downing