Will the Kentucky Derby end the Republican filibuster of FinReg?  —  Word is that the Democrats might make the Republicans actually filibuster FinReg tonight.  That is to say, stand on the floor and talk and talk and talk.  And if the Democrats are serious about forcing the Republicans …

Crist to Run as Independent in FL Sen Race  —  Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist has decided he will run as an independent in the race to fill the Florida U.S. Senate seat, Crist allies tell Fox News.  The official announcement is scheduled for Thursday at 5pm ET in St. Petersburg, Florida.

McCain's numbers plummet  —  John McCain has had a Charlie Crist like drop in his approval numbers over the last six months, seeing double digit declines in his popularity with Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike.  As a result a majority of Arizona voters now disapprove of his job performance.

Palin Accidentally Slams Fox News as ‘Lamestream Media’  —  Hats off to our friends at Media Matters for catching this one.  By “lamestream media,” did Palin mean Fox News?: … As they noted, unfortunately that “lamestream media” program she was talking about is Fox & Friends.

It's the (Bush) economy, stupid  —  Photo by Marvin Joseph of the Washington Post  —  A new Washington Post/ABC poll suggests that most Americans continue to blame the sluggish economy on former President George W. Bush, a development that could complicate Republican efforts to lay it at President Barack Obama's feet this fall.

Why reporters are down on Obama  —  One of the enduring story lines of Barack Obama's presidency, dating back to the earliest days of his candidacy, is that the press loves him.  —  “Most of you covered me.  All of you voted for me,” Obama joked last year at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

Laura Bush Opens Up About Crash  —  Laura Bush has finally opened up publicly about the mysterious car accident she had when she was 17, a crash that claimed the life of a high school friend on a dark country road in Midland, Tex.  —  In her new book, “Spoken From the Heart,” …

The Washington Post Cannot Tell Obama From Malcolm X  —  Violent black radical Barack Hussein Obama X is learning about wind energy in Iowa, The Washington Post reports in a most unfortunate photo caption error.  —  It appears Obama and Malcolm X were actually slated for separate stories.

Arizona immigrant law energizes Hispanics, Democrats  —  (Reuters) - U.S. Hispanics and Democratic lawmakers furious over Arizona's harsh crackdown on illegal immigrants expect huge weekend rallies across the United States, piling pressure on President Barack Obama to overhaul immigration laws in this election year.

Opponents of immigration law call for boycott of Arizona Iced Tea - but it is brewed in New York!  —  Opponents of Arizona's new anti-immigrant law are calling for a boycott of the state's products - including the popular Arizona Iced Tea.  —  The problem: Arizona Iced Tea is actually brewed in New York.

Obama is a Bully: Kneale  —  Will someone please rein in our relentlessly hectoring President?  Barrack Hussein Obama has taken his gift for inspirational oratory—one of the traits that got him elected—and turned it into something darker and more insidious.  —  Bam is a bully.

Your morning jolt: The woman who beat Sarah Palin in Alaska takes aim at the Georgia House  —  The woman who beat Sarah Palin for the beauty queen title of Miss Alaska in 1984 is aiming for the Legislature.  —  Singer and actress Maryline Blackburn of Smyrna, now a 24-year resident of the state …

An Open Letter to UC Berkeley Students — Passing the Israel Divestment Bill  —  Dear Berkeley students and the ASUC Senate:  —  I commend the effort of the wide coalition at Berkeley to pass the Bill in Support of UC Divestment from War Crimes.  American students can play a powerful role …

Regulators Approve First Offshore Wind Farm in U.S.  —  BOSTON — After nine years of regulatory review, the federal government gave the green light Wednesday to the nation's first offshore wind farm, a highly contested project off the coast of Cape Cod.  —  The approval of the 130-turbine farm gives …

A Tale of Two Blogospheres: Discursive Practices on the Left and Right  —  Authored by Yochai Benkler, Aaron Shaw, Victoria Stodden  —  Abstract  —  Discussions of the political effects of the Internet and networked discourse tend to presume consistent patterns of technological adoption and use within a given society.

George Will On Hispanics  —  We've seen, repeatedly, that Fred Hiatt thinks it's not a problem if George Will wants to use his Washington Post column to mislead people about facts.  But Will's decided to enter a new kind of loathesomeness with this characterization of where one might meet a Hispanic:

OBAMA & BIG SIS Call In Riot Police on Quincy Tea Party Patriots (Video)  —  TEAM OBAMA CALLS IN SWAT TEAM ON TEA PARTY PATRIOTS!  —  The SWAT Team was called in today at the Quincy Tea Party Rally.  Obama was speaking at the Oakley-Lindsey/Quincy Community Center this afternoon.  —  Unreal.

'When we understand that slide, we'll have won the war:' US generals given baffling PowerPoint presentation to try to explain Afghanistan mess  —  Its coloured charts, graphs and bullet-points are supposed to make the most incomprehensible data crystal clear.

Greece and the Euro: Going, Going . . .  The most terrifying words I've seen written so far about the growing crisis in Greece were penned by Yves Smith yesterday: “So the whole idea that the financial crisis was over is being called into doubt.  Recall that the Great Depression nadir was the sovereign debt default phase.

Rep. King: The U.S. Has “Already Ceded” Rep. Grijalva's District To Mexico  —  Last week, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) called for a boycott of Arizona over the state's draconian, possibly unconstitutional immigration law.  “Do not do business with a state that is propagating the idea separate …

For immediate release  —  Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in March suggests that economic activity has continued to strengthen and that the labor market is beginning to improve.  Growth in household spending has picked up recently but remains constrained by high unemployment …

Burger withdraws candidacy, backs ‘union sister’  —  SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger has withdrawn her candidacy to head the union, ending a surprisingly bloodless succession fight in a group that is also one of the most important political organizations in the country.