Top Items:


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.
RELATED:


Republicans adjourn state Senate until Friday — Democrats said to be at Rockford, Ill., resort — By Jason Stein, Patrick Marley and Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel — Madison — Amid the third straight day of chaotic but largely peaceful protests at the Capitol …


After all those efforts to paint Tea Partiers as using violent images and rhetoric, these pictures from Madison have got to hurt. — The Wisconsin GOP made a nice montage: — And here's a picture I took today: — I asked the woman if she thought Scott Walker was like Hitler, and she said “Yes.”
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Hot Air, The Blast and TigerHawk


Wisconsin Gov. Walker Ginned Up Budget Shortfall To Undercut Worker Rights — Wisconsin's new Republican governor has framed his assault on public worker's collective bargaining rights as a needed measure of fiscal austerity during tough times. — The reality is radically different.

AWOL Wisconsin Democrat calls CNN with list of demands — State Senator Mark Miller, a member of the missing band of Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers who fled Madison Thursday to avoid a vote on a budget bill, called into CNN with the group's list of demands for Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Pajamas Media

DNC playing role in Wisconsin protests — The Democratic National Committee's Organizing for America arm — the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign — is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Cubachi, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post, TPMDC, ThinkProgress, Wall Street Journal, The Nation, The Plum Line, The Huffington Post, my.barackobama.com, FOXBusiness.com, Dakota Voice, Hit & Run, SEIU, The Fix, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, Hot Air, Sister Toldjah, RealClearPolitics Video Log, Weasel Zippers, Boehner, Mother Jones, Liberty Pundits Blog, GayPatriot, WISC-TV and Talking Points Memo


Watch Wisconsin, Part IV: Salary info Big Labor doesn't want you to see; statewide strike looms, teachers' union recruits out-of-state protesters — Wisconsin teacher salary facts: — “Teaching salaries in Wisconsin have increased since 2007. For example, the average teacher salary …
Discussion:
Doug Ross


Budget Battle: Democrats Who Left State are Located — MADISON - Democratic State Senators who protested the budget repair bill by leaving the state have been found. — The lawmakers are in the Best Western Clock Tower in Rockford Illinois. — Law enforcement officials have been looking …

Re ‘To Be a Republican Lawmaker in Madison’
Discussion:
AmSpecBlog

Senate Dems stage walkout, in ‘secure’ location outside Capitol
Discussion:
Daily Kos, TPMDC, laborunionreport's Diary, Wonkette, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and JSOnline

Missing Wisconsin Dem speaks: We're MIA until GOP drops assault on workers rights
Discussion:
TPMDC, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*


How much respect did the demonstrators show for the State Capitol grounds?
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Publius Forum, Moe Lane and Instapundit

The historical illiteracy of Wisconsin teachers; Update: Crosshairs, “Reload”

One More Thing About Wisconsin — A common theme of the union …
Discussion:
Althouse

Watch Wisconsin, Part III: A state government employee speaks; Madison schools, plus 7 …

Unions want to overturn election result
Discussion:
National Review, Biased BBC, Power Line, TPMDC, Hot Air, AOL News and Daily Kos

Wisconsin budget fight escalates as Dems flee Madison to avoid vote

Wis. Democrats stymie key union vote
Discussion:
Firedoglake, USA Today, Swampland, AMERICAblog News and Jay Bookman

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.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, GOP 12, Ben Smith's Blog, NY Daily News, Ballot Box, The Daily Caller and Conservatives4Palin
RELATED:


Sarah Palin slams Michelle Obama over nursing — Sarah Palin followed in Rep. Michele Bachmann's footsteps and took a swipe at Michelle Obama on Thursday, mocking her efforts to get mothers to breastfeed their children. — “No wonder Michelle Obama is telling everybody 'You'd better breastfeed your baby …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway and FrumForum

Palin Talks 2012, Birthers, and Government Shutdown — Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin isn't ready to commit to a presidential run, but she indicated that she might decide soon, citing the need to connect with individual voters. — “Nothing is more effective than being actually …
Discussion:
Conservatives4Palin


Palin, on Long Island, Answers Budget and Worldview Questions — WOODBURY, N.Y. — Sarah Palin urged Congressional Republicans on Thursday to stand against raising the nation's debt ceiling when the issue is debated this spring, declaring, “It doesn't necessarily have to result in a government shutdown.”
Discussion:
Politics Daily, New York Times, USA Today, msnbc.com, Gothamist and City Room

Sarah hints at WH run, slams Obamas
Discussion:
Daily Kos, iOwnTheWorld.com and New York Magazine

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.
RELATED:

GOP escalates showdown with Obama over funding measure
Discussion:
The Politico, Maggie's Notebook, Booman Tribune, CNN and The Hill

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.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Nice Deb, UrbanGrounds and Weasel Zippers


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 …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Mother Jones, Salon, Booman Tribune and Hullabaloo


Karl Rove: Birther rumors discredit GOP — Former Bush adviser Karl Rove is calling on GOP politicians to avoid falling into the “birther” movement trap and to stop fueling rumors that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. — “Within our party, we've got to be very careful …
Discussion:
NewsReal Blog and FrumForum
RELATED:

Rove: Confront birthers now
Discussion:
Salon, Hot Air, New York Magazine, Right Wing Nut House, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Hill and Ben Smith's Blog

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.
RELATED:

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 …
Discussion:
Big Peace


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 …
Discussion:
UrbanGrounds, The Politico and Taylor Marsh
RELATED:

Chris Christie isn't pretty, and he tells ugly truths
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, Robert Reich, CNN, Yglesias and NewsBusters.org