At Glenn Beck Tea Party: ‘Burn the Books!’  —  At a “Project 912 Glenn Beck Tea Party,” an unnamed speaker rants about “infiltration by the Communist Party” (a John Birch Society talking point), says that digital cable boxes are “brainwashing machines” planted in our homes by the government, and swears to stop paying taxes.

The Tea Tantrum Movement  —  I spent the better part of an hour earlier today scanning the various sites and blogs to try and understand what specifically the Fox-Pajamas tea parties are about.  Having absorbed about as much of the literature as I can, I have to say I'm still befuddled.

EXCLUSIVE PIC: Clinton and Obama, in the Sandbox Again  —  Another busy day at the White House: First Lady Michelle Obama hosted students from Bancroft High School in Washington, who helped her plant and water the brand-new White House garden.  She and Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack spoke …

Karl Rove accosted by ex-GOP chief of staff  —  Former Bush adviser Karl Rove was verbally accosted Thursday evening by an ex-chief of staff to former Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.).  —  Rove was quietly having dinner at the tony restaurant Charlie Palmer Steak on Capitol Hill when he was aggressively approached …

Hostage killed as French storm yacht  —  • Four freed as two Somali pirates are killed in ocean raid  —  • Operation highlights plight of US captain Richard Phillips  —  A French military operation to free a yacht hijacked by Somali pirates backfired yesterday when one of the hostages …

Obama may get ASU honor after all  —  Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, tells POLITICO that the school is reconsidering its widely mocked plans not to give President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at commencement on May 13 and will “honor him in every way possible.”

Steele Laughs Off The Recession: ‘The Malls Are Just As Packed On Saturday’ As They Were Before  —  This morning, GOP chairman Michael Steele guest-hosted Bill Bennett's talk radio show.  During the program, one caller said he could “debate” whether or not the U.S. is currently in the midst of an economic crisis.

Obama's Apparent Bow to Saudi King Outrages Conservatives  —  Last week, President Obama greeted King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia with what appeared to be a bow, outraging conservatives who say the leader of the free world has no business bending over to foreigners.  —  FOXNews.com

More Quickly Than It Began, The Banking Crisis Is Over  —  Investors find it disconcerting to see the stocks in the huge financial institutions that are at the foundation of the global capital system trading up and down 25% a day, and, in some cases trading in the pennies.

Anti-Gay Rights Group Calls its Marriage Campaign ‘2M4M’  —  Now that activist legislators are legislating from their legislatures to legalize gay marriage, activists are turning up the volume on anti-gay marriage rhetoric.  —  There's just one, ahem, kink.

The Full McCarthy  —  Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) decides to imitate one of modern conservatism's greatest heroes: … To take this more seriously than it deserves, the number of members of the House who would be inclined to support the sort of agenda advocated by what would, in Europe …

Deadlock: Rise of the endless election  —  As the Minnesota Senate recount drags into its sixth month and the March 31 New York special election looks likely to remain undecided for at least another week, now may be the time to ask: Why can't voters pick a clear winner anymore?

With a Reunion Planned, Bush Eases Back Into the Public Eye  —  WASHINGTON — Condoleezza Rice will be there.  So will Karen Hughes and Dan Bartlett and Michael Gerson.  And George W. Bush himself.  —  The old gang is getting back together next week in Dallas for a reunion of sorts …

The Heroes of Financial Fraud  —  The scale of Bernie Madoff's crimes has largely eclipsed the more interesting scam that broke around the same time: the antics of Mark Dreier, who bilked institutional investors for millions with faked securities.  What we know about Madoff suggests …

The Housing Crisis Isn't A Crisis  —  Stand back, says Todd Zywicki, and let the markets clear.  —  Law professor Todd Zywicki of George Mason University is composing a book, Bankruptcy Law and Policy in the Twenty-First Century, in which Zywicki picks a couple of fascinating fights.

Barack Obama: President Pantywaist - new surrender monkey on the block  —  President Barack Obama has recently completed the most successful foreign policy tour since Napoleon's retreat from Moscow.  You name it, he blew it.  What was his big deal economic programme that he was determined to drive through the G20 summit?

Introducing The Cook Political Report Partisan Voting Index (PVI) for the 111th Congress  —  Cook Partisan Voter Index by State and District  —  Cook Partisan Voter Index by Partisan Rank  —  The Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index (PVI) Explained

Rumor of the day: Jindal to challenge Vitter for Louisiana senate seat?  —  So says lefty political analyst John Heilemann, sowing the seeds of Republican discord.  It's the Palin/Murkowski scenario all over again! … The idea, I guess, is that Vitter's so tarnished by the prostitution scandal …

The Ethics of Homo Economicus  —  Paul Krugman makes a joke: … This is reminiscent of a little dispute I was having on a secret off-the-record email list dedicated to plotting Ezra Klein's march to world domination.  I was saying that whatever one thought should be done …

Murphy Ahead By 49 Votes (Right Now) 46 Votes  —  The latest score in NY-20 shows that Democrat Scott Murphy is currently ahead in this nail-biter of a result — but if GOPer Jim Tedisco doesn't like it, he could just wait 15 minutes.  —  The official state results show that Murphy has taken …

Karen O and the Future of Whiteness  —  Via the Democratic Strategist, I was interested to read Alan Abramowitz's informative article on the demographic shifts undergirding America's political coalitions.  This is a topic also usefully explored by Ruy Teixeira in his recent report on “The New Progressive America”.

Gov't. commits a crime against you — the taxpayers  —  I'd like to report a crime.  —  A young man was robbed on Tuesday night inside a hospital while federal security guards watched.  The victim was surrounded by seven men and women, and most of them had guns.