Obama slams GOP for stalling jobless benefits  —  President Obama slammed Senate Republicans Saturday for blocking the extension of unemployment benefits.  —  In his weekly radio address, Obama said keeping those benefits in place would put money in people's pockets, leading to more consumer spending that could boost local economies.

Margaret Thatcher's family are ‘appalled’ at Meryl Streep film  —  Film about Margaret Thatcher's life, which is expected to star Meryl Streep, shows the former prime minister as a dementia-sufferer looking back at her life with sadness.  —  Tim Walker.  —  Although the prospect …

Introducing The Obama Bumper Sticker Removal Kit  —  For your entertainment pleasure this Friday evening, the folks at NewsBusters want to introduce you to “The Obama Bumper Sticker Removal Kit.”  —  Did you buy into Hope and Change a few years ago only to now feel embarrassed by what's adorning your wheels?

Why the silence from The Post on Black Panther Party story?  —  Thursday's Post reported about a growing controversy over the Justice Department's decision to scale down a voter-intimidation case against members of the New Black Panther Party.  The story succinctly summarized the issues …

The Blegging Bowl 1  —  Yesterday I posted a bleg asking readers of AndrewSullivan.com and FrumForum.com for help writing a one-sentence description of a modernized, reformed conservatism.  We've had a stunning response: almost 200 suggestions, via email from AndrewSullivan readers and in the comments section at FrumForum.

TRENDING: Vitter sorry for Maddow comment  —  Vitter is apologizing for a comment poking run at Rachel Maddow.  —  (Updated with additional context)  —  (CNN) - Republican Sen. David Vitter apologized to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow Friday after jesting on a radio program that she only looked like a woman “a long time ago.”

White House wanderers tour Acadia  —  BAR HARBOR — Julia Freifeld, of Raleigh, N.C., was absolutely certain she knew where the Obamas would make a stop during their weekend getaway on Mount Desert Island.  —  She staked out Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium on Main Street in Bar Harbor.

Mexican drug cartels' newest weapon: Cold War-era grenades made in U.S.  —  MEXICO CITY — Grenades made in the United States and sent to Central America during the Cold War have resurfaced as terrifying new weapons in almost weekly attacks by Mexican drug cartels.

For BP, Rising Pressure in Oil Well Seen as a Positive Sign  —  As the Gulf of Mexico entered a third day free of fresh oil from BP's blown-out well, a company official said Saturday that there were still no signs of damage in the 13,000-foot-deep hole.  —  “We're very encouraged at this point …

Mary Matalin: Tea Party Express Mark Williams Is A ‘Crackpot’ With ‘No Influence’  —  There has been a rather ugly conflict between the NAACP and the Tea Party movement that has heated up of late, centering around the use of “colored people” and a satirical letter written by Mark Williams, a Tea Party Express organizer.

America's Ruling Class — And the Perils of Revolution  —  As over-leveraged investment houses began to fail in September 2008, the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties, of major corporations, and opinion leaders stretching from the National Review magazine (and the Wall Street Journal) …

Treasury Makes A Mistake - Claiming They Are Not Blocking Elizabeth Warren  —  It's one thing to block Elizabeth Warren from heading the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  —  It's quite another thing to deny in public, for the record, that any such blocking is going on (e.g. …

A Mosque Grows Near Brooklyn  —  The dubious financing of ‘Cordoba House’ deserves scrutiny.  —  Since a proposal to construct a 15-story mosque and community center two blocks from Ground Zero was announced last year, the project has been a focus of widening protests.

Professor Of Military History Weighs in on the Implausibility of Bellesiles's Story  —  The Chronicle of Higher Education has not yet revealed the results of its investigation of the veracity of Michael Bellesiles's story about a dying soldier and his student brother.

Wealthy Reduce Buying in a Blow to the Recovery  —  The economic recovery has been helped in large part by the spending of the most affluent.  Now, even the rich appear to be tightening their belts.  —  Late last year, the highest-income households started spending more confidently, while other consumers held back.

Weekly Address: Filibustering Recovery & Obstructing Progress  —  The President blasts Republicans in the Senate who are blocking unemployment insurance and small business tax breaks to create jobs — even as they push for permanent, massive tax cuts for the richest Americans.  —  Click here to see the video.

What Went Wrong: The Rahm Factor  —  A fascinating and depressing interview with David Obey: … But remember, the Cossacks work for the czar.

Obey: White House Suggested Cutting Food Stamps to Pay for Education Program  —  This entire interview with Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wis.), the head of the House Appropriations Committee and a powerful veteran member of Congress, who is retiring this year, is worth a read.  But one passage is particularly striking.