To Pay for Health Care, Obama Looks to Taxes on Affluent  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama will propose further tax increases on the affluent to help pay for his promise to make health care more accessible and affordable, calling for stricter limits on the benefits of itemized deductions taken …

The Joe-the-Plumberization of the GOP  —  With CPAC upon us, I had wanted to write a state-of-the-movement piece, and describing what I felt had gone wrong.  But I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  It hit me like a ton of bricks when I saw this:  —  It could have been like any other of the hundreds …

The Dead Tree Theory  —  Whenever a president gives a major address, like the one Barack Obama delivered to Congress this week, the opposition party delivers a rejoinder.  Which American citizens always ignore.  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's speech was, therefore, a kind of triumph.

Holder: Closing Gitmo won't be easy  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday the Guantanamo detention center is a well-run, professional facility that will be difficult to close — but he is still going to do it.  —  Holder visited the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay …

In President's Budget Plan, Broad Agenda and a Few Gaps  —  Budget Projects $1.75T Deficit This Year  —  President Obama will release a proposed budget today that sets aside up to $250 billion dollars to add to the existing bank bailout, which would bring the 2009 budget deficit to $1.75 trillion dollars, White House officials said.

Lawmaker's HIV, promiscuity comments cause uproar  —  For the second time in three days at the state Capitol, a Republican senator's remarks about sexuality have caused offense.  —  Wednesday it was Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, who opposed a bill requiring all pregnant women …

ACLU sues city of Clearwater over tackle shop's fish mural  —  Herb Quintero, owner of the Complete Angler, and the ACLU's Becky Steele talk Tuesday after suing the city of Clearwater.  —  Times]  —  CLEARWATER — A fight over a fish mural has landed in federal court.

DATING A BANKER ANONYMOUS...EXPOSED!  —  On January 25, the New York Times reported on the women of Dating a Banker Anonymous.  The Times reported: … On February 2, the Times appended a typical Times correction to the story: … The Times missed a tad more than the second “t” in Buffett's name.

Bailout Hearings  —  Wow!  I work in the business jet industry.  This strip is posted all over.  2 Thumbs up!!!  —  Log in to flag this comment  —  This is bare none, the best Dilbert of all time.  —  Log in to flag this comment  —  User Name:  —  apease Feb 25, 2009  —  One of the best ever.

State of the presidents  —  Clinton 67 million, Bush 66 million, Obama 52 million.  —  So, our nation is in crisis, eh?  —  Worst recession since the Big One, Elizabeth — eh?  —  The people are looking to Washington for their next meal, eh?  —  Well, the audience for President Obama's …

Christopher Hitchens and the Battle of Beirut  —  Last week Christopher Hitchens and I were attacked in Beirut.  Less than 24 hours after we landed at the international airport, a half dozen members of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party jumped us on Hamra Street when he defaced one of their signs.

BURRIS' SON GOT STATE JOB FROM BLAGO  —  The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a federal tax deadbeat who landed a $75,000-a-year state job under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich five months ago, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.  —  Blagojevich's administration hired Roland W. Burris II …

Chris Matthews Explains “Oh, God!”  Utterance  —  Here's a bit of what Matthews will say, according to an NBC spokesperson: … Jindal has reportedly declined an invitation to appear on this evening's edition of Hardball.  —  FAQ: Comments and Moderation FAQ: HuffPost Accounts

Rush: If you think Jindal reeked last night, I don't want to hear from you again  —  Sounds like Ace and I are now Republican personas non grata.  As are an awful lot of commenters in last night's megathread, I might add.  —  That's okay.  One of these days Andy Levy and I are going to start a secular …

Gov. Jindal's volcano remark has some fuming  —  (CNN) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's swipe at federal spending to monitor volcanoes has the mayor of one city in the shadow of Mount St. Helens fuming.  —  “Does the governor have a volcano in his backyard?”  Royce Pollard, the mayor of Vancouver, Washington, said on Wednesday.

Obama's Straw Men  —  Why does he routinely ascribe to opponents views they don't espouse?  —  President Barack Obama reveres Abraham Lincoln.  But among the glaring differences between the two men is that Lincoln offered careful, rigorous, sustained arguments to advance his aims and …

House Passes Spending Bill, and Critics Are Quick to Point Out Pork  —  WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a $410 billion omnibus spending bill packed with pet projects requested by Democrats and Republicans alike.  —  The 245-to-178 vote came just a week after President Obama signed …

Coalition Deaths Climb in Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON — A roadside bombing in Afghanistan Wednesday that killed four British soldiers highlights a disturbing trend: Coalition fatalities, which have declined in past winters, instead have been spiking to record levels amid increasingly fierce fighting throughout the country.

House Kills Effort to Investigate Lobbyist-Lawmaker Ties  —  The proposal would have forced the House Ethics Committee to launch a probe into ties between the source and timing of campaign contributions by lobbyists and subsequent legislator requests for special projects or earmarks.  —  FOXNews.com

Arguments lost in blizzard of billions  —  A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking about — well, pretty soon no one has a clue what you're talking about.  —  And as President Barack Obama prepares to unveil his 2010 budget, that's becoming a daily headache for Republicans.

Boehner: ‘Era of big government’ is back  —  Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) declared a return to “the era of big government” the day after President Obama's first formal address to Congress.  —  “From everything I've seen, it looks like the era of big government spending is back,” …