BREAKING: Wisconsin Dems Hiding At Best Western in Rockford, IL ...Update: TEA PARTY WINS!  Chases WI Dems Out of Rockford ...Update: WI Dem Says They're Still in IL (Video)  —  The Wisconsin senate democrats fled the state today rather than vote on a budget repair bill.

Palin talks 2012, mocks Michelle Obama  —  Woodbury, New York (CNN) - Sarah Palin addressed a variety of issues Thursday at a gathering of business officials in Long Island, New York including her 2012 plans, first lady Michelle Obama, President Obama's proposed budget, the crisis in Egypt, and her feelings on the media.

Rove: Confront birthers now  —  Savvy GOP strategist Karl Rove says a poll signaling that a majority of likely GOP primary voters have questions about Barack Obama's birthplace is “lousy”.  —  But last night, he urged prominent conservatives to stand up forcefully (and quickly) to kill birther talk.

Out of Control in the House  —  Are there any adults in charge of the House?  Watching this week's frenzied slash-and-burn budget contest, we had to conclude the answer to that is no.  —  First Speaker John Boehner's Republican leadership proposed cutting the rest of the 2011 budget by $32 billion.

My Puny Human Brain  —  Jeopardy! genius Ken Jennings on what it's like to play against a supercomputer.  —  When I was selected as one of the two human players to be pitted against IBM's “Watson” supercomputer in a special man-vs.-machine Jeopardy! exhibition match, I felt honored, even heroic.

GOP votes to defund Obama's policy ‘czars’  —  The House GOP approved an amendment to a government-spending bill that would block funding for the Obama administration's so-called policy “czars,” appointed advisers to the president that have been much-criticized by Republicans.  —  The vote was 249-171.

Dem Rep Receives Threat Over NASCAR Proposal (DOCUMENT)  —  Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) alerted Capitol Police Thursday after a threatening fax arrived at her office attacking her proposal to strip Pentagon sponsorship from NASCAR teams.  —  McCollum's staff tells TPM this is the first time they've alerted …

Jihadist attorney takes aim at the Jawa Report, the Jawas go to federal court seeking protective order  —  ***Sticky until Saturday.  Please scroll down for more recent updates.  Back in September we reported that blogger Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs and attorney John Stemberger had been sued …

Chris Christie's Idea of “Doing Big Things”  —  I continue to be baffled by all the love New Jersey's Republican governor Chris Christie's getting among the chattering class.  Here's a typically fawning piece about his speech at AEI yesterday. … “Big things” to Christie simply means less money …

‘First Jobs Bill’ of New Congress Passes Senate: $35 Billion FAA Bill Takes Flight, Wins Senate Passage  —  ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports:  —  The Senate tonight passed the $35 billion Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill by a vote of 87-8 after weeks of debate.