Clashes Erupt in Cairo Between Mubarak's Allies and Foes  —  CAIRO — President Obama's calls for a rapid transition to a new order in Egypt seemed eclipsed on Wednesday as thousands of demonstrators for and against President Hosni Mubarak, some on horses and camels, fought running battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square.

White House reporters complain Obama is shutting them out  —  White House reporters criticized President Obama on Wednesday for providing too little information and access to the media during the crisis in Egypt.  —  In a letter to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs …

McCain rejects CBO healthcare repeal estimates as ‘garbage in, garbage out’  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Wednesday rejected the CBO's cost estimate of healthcare repeal as “garbage in, garbage out.”  —  McCain said the Congressional Budget Office estimate that repealing the healthcare law …

Reagan's Solicitor General Charles Fried: ‘I Am Quite Sure That The Health Care Mandate Is Constitutional’  —  In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on “The Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act,” President Ronald Reagan's former Solicitor General — Harvard Law Professor Charles Fried …

DCCC GETS TARGETS' ATTENTION.... The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, working under the assumption that spending cuts aren't nearly as popular as Republicans might think, launched an interesting ad campaign this week.  Today, we saw the first signs that the offensive has gotten the Republicans' attention.

Enviro Groups' Public Health Pivot in Support of EPA Regs Hitting Red States Too  —  The first signs of a shift came even before Election Day 2010, arriving as letters (pdf) and dramatic ads (pdf).  But as the 112th Congress gets to work, environmental groups are stepping up their transition toward …

‘The Whole World Is Watching,’ Daley Warns Egyptian Authorities About Reprisals  —  “The whole world is watching,” White House Chief of Staff William Daley said of the crisis in Egypt this morning, borrowing a slogan that demonstrators in Chicago used against his father more than three decades ago …

Paul: Should the Tea Party compromise?  —  Washington (CNN) - During his first speech on the Senate floor, Tea Party champion Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, brought up what may be a dirty word for some of his constituents: compromise.  —  “Many ask will the Tea Party compromise?

The Neocons Split with Israel Over Egypt  —  Well, this is interesting.  The neoconservative (or liberal interventionist) wing of American Jewish political thought (not that all neocons are Jewish, God forbid anyone should think that!) is cheering on the revolution in Egypt …

Will Boehner's be the shortest Speakership ever?  —  [UPDATE] In the comments, Boy Culture's Matthew Rettenmund leaves a link to photos of the National Enquirer story.  Can't quite make out the text, but it's a two-page spread.  —  Remember the videos at the bottom of this post?

Florida to Barack Obama: Keep your health care reform cash  —  No thanks.  That's what the state of Florida is saying to the Obama administration, declining a $1 million grant to implement the health law.  —  The move follows this week's federal court decision declaring the law unconstitutional.

Milbank is still a Palin ‘virgin’  —  Dana Milbank just shot over an e-mail letting us know it wasn't him who posted - under his name - an item on the Post Partisan blog pointing out that he had “survived” the fist day of his month-long Palin “moratorium.”  —  We posted an item earlier …

A Toast to Your Health  —  Warning: Alcohol may increase your life expectancy and reduce dementia.  —  The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans on Monday.  There weren't many surprises in its recommendations to reduce fat and salt, eat whole grains, and cut the overall amount we eat.

Man arrested in threat made against Stuart's Rep. William Snyder shortly after Arizona shootings  —  A self-described Massachusetts “political activist” was arrested Monday night and charged with sending a threatening e-mail to Florida Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, an hour after the Arizona shooting …

Superior Court rules Ontario Human Rights Tribunal hearing was unfair  —  A Mississauga businesswoman whose home was ordered seized to pay an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal award to a former employee can keep her house — for now.  —  The Superior Court struck down the “fatally flawed” …

Maddow Blames Beck and Other Conservatives for Her Getting Duped by Satirical Website  —  As NewsBusters previously reported, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday got duped by a satirical website quoting from their spoof article about Sarah Palin advocating an attack on Egypt as if it was a serious commentary.

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Headed For Earth  —  House Republicans say the bill, which was passed to stop the giant asteroid from hitting Earth, is ‘big government at its worst.’  —  WASHINGTON—In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda …