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.

Ma Nishtaneh in the White House?  Who's Who at the Obama seder.  Brisket and kugel  —  (White House photo) (See below for ID's)  —  President Obama and his family hosted a seder at the White House on Thursday, the second night of Passover.  Last year Passover fell during the Pennsylvania primary …

Democrat in NY-20 now leads by 35  —  Republican Jim Tedisco has cut Democrat Scott Murphy's lead slightly, to 35, in the special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) former House seat, as absentee votes continue to be counted.  —  Murphy took the lead Friday morning after more than 1,400 …

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.”

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 …

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.

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”.

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 …

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

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.

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.

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.

AARP Responds To Progressive Bloggers' Advertising Complaints  —  There's been a recent debate in the blogosphere about who - or more importantly, who's not - advertising on various political blogs.  AARP is a non-partisan organization that strongly supports all reaches of the online community …

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 …

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

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?

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?

From Pennsylvania Ave. to the Lone Star State  —  After 8 Years in White House, Bushes Easily Adapt to a Simpler Life  —  DALLAS — The new couple at 10141 Daria Place accepted an invitation to a neighborhood dinner party last month.  The guest list totaled eight.  The main dish was chicken potpie.

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 …