Elena Kagan White House “Interview” Riles Reporters  —  The White House today posted on its website a video allowing Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan to speak “in her own words” about her personal history and perspective.  —  In the interview, conducted by a White House staffer who produces videos …

Broad Approval For New Arizona Immigration Law  —  Democrats Divided, But Support key Provisions  —  The public broadly supports a new Arizona law aimed at dealing with illegal immigration and the law's provisions giving police increased powers to stop and detain people who are suspected of being in the country illegally.

Suspicions about Specter aid Sestak  —  PITTSBURGH - The first time Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) slipped up here Tuesday night at the Allegheny County Democratic Committee's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, most in the audience pretended not to notice.  —  But at the end of his remarks when Specter again thanked the …

DADT statement from Milbloggers  —  There was a recent exchange of letters between Sen. Levin and Sec. Def.  Gates about the study the military is doing about Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  In it Sec. Gates confirmed that the military was looking at how best to implement the policy on the assumption that the rule would be changed.

Arizona bans ‘ethnic studies’  —  Arizona GOP Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a law banning the state's schools from teaching ethnic studies classes.  —  Brewer signed the bill Tuesday that targets Chicano studies programs currently being taught in Tucson schools.

Galbraith: The danger posed by the deficit ‘is zero’  —  James Galbraith is an economist and the Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. chair in government and business relations at the University of Texas at Austin.  He's also a skeptic of the prevailing concern over America's long-term deficit.

Top senators introduce comprehensive energy bill  —  Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts (left), and Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut (right), introduced a sweeping energy and climate change bill Wednesday.  —  Washington (CNN) - Two leading senators on Wednesday introduced a sweeping energy …

It's official: Charlie Crist won't give campaign refunds  —  Gov. Charlie Crist told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on April 30 that he would “probably” give refunds to donors who don't approve of him leaving the GOP.  Some donors to his U.S. Senate campaign were told before the switch …

Books of The Times: ‘The Promise: President Obama, Year One’ by Jonathan Alter  —  With relentless 24/7 media coverage of President Obama and a floodlet of books about him, the reader might well ask: Why another study of him and his White House, when his presidency is less than a year and a half old?

Are We Greece?  —  David Leonhardt tries to draw parallels.  But how strong is the parallel, really?  —  I would really question this comparison: … Um, that's comparing a (highly uncertain) projection of debt 20 years from now — a projection that's based on the assumption of unchanged policy — with actual debt now.

Obama won't golf with Limbaugh  —  When President Obama was asked if he would play a round of golf with his talk-radio nemesis Rush Limbaugh, the response, relayed by a top Democrat, was: “Limbaugh can play with himself.”  —  This is according to Zev Chafets in his new book, “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One,” due May 25 from Sentinel.

Tired of Big Government Spending?  Then YouCut it!  —  Two weeks ago, I wrote on BigGovernment that the GOP Today is much different than the party was a few years back.  I was glad that my post generated attention, and very pleased to read through the different responses - both positive and skeptical.

TRENDING: Sanford reunites with Argentine mistress  —  Washington (CNN) - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford confirmed Wednesday that he spent last weekend trying to rekindle a relationship with an Argentine woman he once called his “soul mate.”  —  “As a matter of record …

‘Secret’ telecom anti-Net neutrality plan isn't  —  The Center for American Progress seemed to have blockbuster news on Tuesday: an expose titled “Telecoms' Secret Plan To Attack Net Neutrality.”  —  On its Think Progress blog, the liberal advocacy group announced it had “obtained” …

Senate Passes Merkley-Klobuchar Amendment to Protect Homeowners from Deceptive Mortgage Practices  —  WASHINGTON, DC - Today, an amendment put forth by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar to the Wall Street reform bill passed the Senate by a vote of 63-36.

U.S. posts 19th straight monthly budget deficit  —  (Reuters) - The United States posted an $82.69 billion deficit in April, nearly four times the $20.91 billion shortfall registered in April 2009 and the largest on record for that month, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

Rand Paul coasting in new poll  —  LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) - With less than a week until Kentucky voters go to the polls, Rand Paul is opening up his lead against Trey Grayson.  —  WHAS11 News is releasing the results of a brand-new, WHAS11 News/Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll in that intense Senate race.

Sources: Gregoire Could Replace Kagan  —  WA Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) leads a short list to replace Solicitor General Elena Kagan, the WH has told members of Gregoire's home-state delegation.  —  Gregoire, a 2-term incumbent and a former WA AG, has been a rumored contender for other admin positions.

Backing Off the Tax Pledge?  —  Hungry Beast Giving Beast Women in the World  —  Blogs and Stories  —  White House Budget Director Peter Orszag, grilled about Obama's pledge not to raise middle-class taxes, left the president wiggle room.  Lloyd Grove reports.

Oil Spill, Smoke Screen?  BP's Stranglehold on Underwater Leak Footage  —  Message Control A Key Industry Focus During Oil Disaster Drills  —  During a series of dry-run exercises, where the U.S. Coast Guard, other agencies and oil companies practiced their response to major oil spill disasters …